Wholly Toledo Update: ABC and Other Headline Writers Get it Completely Wrong
Link to ABC post (HT Michelle Malkin):
For the record: White supremacists did not riot. Gangs largely if not entirely consisting of African-Americans did.
ABC’s headline is not an isolated incident. Deceptive headline writers are at work throughout the nation. Here are four examples, though I could have listed forty:
- BGnews.com (Bowling Green, OH)–Nazi Riots Incite Fright, Confusion”
- Dakotas Herald News Daily–“White Supremacists Riot in Toledo, Ohio” (makes you think that this might be the headline AP is providing to its subscribing papers)
- Houston Chronicle–”Ohio Town Reels from Violence Over Nazi Event“
- Chicago Sun Times–”Plan for Racist March in Ohio Sparks Riots”
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UPDATE: Newsbusters is all over this.
UPDATE 2: Isn’t it odd that The Toledo Blade hasn’t editorialized on the riots yet (as of Monday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 PM)? UPDATE 2A: Well The Blade came through as expected. Their Tuesday editorial’s first sentence seems like excuse-mongering to me: “THIS time it was Toledo’s misfortune to catch the hate-mongers’ eye, but it could have been any city in America.”
UPDATE 3: Newsbusters is now saying that the headline has been changed to begin with “Anti-White Supremacists….”–but I don’t see it at the referenced link at the very beginning of this post, which remains as shown here in the screen shot as of 3 PM 9 PM.
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Original Post: Wholly Toledo
TOM, I saw that on television today and thought about how the news makers are spinning it compared to how you are seeing it!… If the gangs are out in full force be careful! You better put your bullet proof vest and hat on! Just kidding, but not such a bad idea!
Comment by Zsa Zsa — October 17, 2005 @ 5:28 pm
Subject or adjective? Verb or noun?
Standard Mischief just IMed me about this ABC news headline: White Supremacists Riot in Toledo, Ohio. He was irked and wondering whether ABC was going to apologize to the Nazis because it was not the white supremacists who were rioting,
Trackback by Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey — October 17, 2005 @ 8:12 pm
News Busters is awesome! I never knew there was anything like it! Thanks! Bizzy blog is fast becoming my favorite blog! Of course after WILLisms.com
Comment by Zsa Zsa — October 17, 2005 @ 8:15 pm
#2’s point is that you could stretch the headline to mean “Riot about White Supremacists.” I think that’s a stretch too far by a mile. Most (not all, most) headlines have verbs; this one wouldn’t if interpreted as Ms. Passey suggests.
Second, I believe Supremacists would have to be possessive, with an apostrophe after the s, for the interpretation to even be feasible, and the apostrophe isn’t there.
And there is absolutely no way to salvage the subheadline in the direction you are suggesting.
So in sum, Jacqueline, nice try, but no sale. You are right that ABC and AP owe readers an apology. Judging by the headline’s appearance elsewhere, AP seems to be the original source of the deceptive headline, and ABC just dropped it in to its web site. If they’re really conscientious and fair, they will even apologize to the detestable despicable Nazis.
Comment by TBlumer — October 17, 2005 @ 8:41 pm
#3, Newsbusters has been around for about two months, but it’s a blog project of the Media Research Center (MRC.org), which has been around for at least 15 years (probably 25).
They have daily e-mail cyberaltert identifying major examples of bias they found in the news that you can subscribe to if you go to the web site.
I’m really glad to see they’re in the blogosphere too.
Comment by TBlumer — October 17, 2005 @ 8:47 pm
Tom, Now the MSM is showing the “African Americans” throwing what looks like big rocks at ambulances and police cars! YIKES you really need to be careful!
Comment by Zsa Zsa — October 18, 2005 @ 11:40 pm