I just read this on the ABC News web-site. I'm appalled at the very poor grammar:
A Darwin school student received an unexpected shock yesterday when they opened their schoolbag to retrieve their lunch only to discover a snake slithering inside.
Full article here
New Life Narrabri 
A, Darwin, school, student, received, an, unexpected, shock, yesterday, when, they, opened, their, schoolbag, to, retrieve, their, lunch, only, to, discover, a, snake, slithering, inside?Just to make up for it.
The comment was about the use of "they" and "their" to indicate "A Darwin school student"
I didn't pick up on that part. I figured they didn't know the gender so kept it neutral. How else do you write it?
A real journalist would have found out. It would just take a phone call.