Friday, June 26, 2020
Headlines for June 26, 2020
Worst, Most Misleading & Funniest Headlines for June 26, 2020
*For new listeners: Why Headlines?
For more general analysis of the biases and problems with corporate media, follow FAIR — Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.
But we concentrate on headlines because:
- Headlines form the first and lasting impression
- Even when articles have clarifying or even contradictory information, it’s often in the 15th paragraph; most people don’t read that far
- If you get your news from a local paper, like the Mercury News, those papers often contain shorter versions of the articles, which don’t get down to that 15th paragraph
- If you get your news from TV news, it’s about the equivalent of the first 3 or 4 paragraphs, but basically the equivalent of the headline
- And finally, if you get your news from social media, very often you only read the headline that someone else has posted. A friend posted this article: “Study: 70% of Facebook users only read the headline of science stories before commenting”. But that article itself was a trap; after the first paragraph it was just Latin gibberish. But of course people commented on it!
*A DNA Mix-Up Involving a Washing Machine Kept a Man in Jail for 3 Years
Subhead: The Louisiana case highlights how prosecutors and crime labs withhold key documents from defense lawyers, keeping some defendants in custody for months or years.
So it wasn’t a “DNA Mix-Up” that kept this man in jail for three years, it was the willful and illegal actions of prosecutors and crime labs.
*A Conspiracy Made in America May Have Been Spread by Russia
Subhead: The Americans who pushed a conspiracy theory the night of the Iowa caucuses have migrated to coronavirus conspiracies on Twitter, with help from a very Russia-friendly account.
“Russia-friendly account”≠”Russia” “Ann Louise La Clair, a self-described Los Angeles filmmaker with a Russian Twitter following. Her tweets praising RT advertisements and protesting American airstrikes in Syria — a key Russian ally — had previously been picked up by RT, the Kremlin-owned news outlet.” She’s just a Sanders supporter. Some Russian guy, with no known connection to the Russian government, retweeted her. “@DanWals83975326 continues to play his part. He amplifies Mr. Sanders and Representative Tulsi Gabbard, the Democrat from Hawaii who is a favorite of the Russian press, while slamming Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the D.N.C. He applauded Joe Rogan, the podcaster and onetime Sanders supporter, when Mr. Rogan announced that he would vote for Mr. Trump over Mr. Biden.” (Gabbard is barely tweeting any more, by the way). “DanWals” has a whopping 1200 followers on Twitter, most of them Russians, so his influence over anything happening in the U.S.? Non-existent. (Trump has 82 MILLION followers).
*Venezuela's rival presidents prepare to battle over gold in London vaults
Even the article refers to “Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro” and “His rival, opposition leader Juan Guaido”.
*How the Trump Campaign’s Plans for a Triumphant Rally Went Awry
Weird headline because the rally hadn’t happened yet when this article ran. How did the NYT know it wouldn’t be triumphant? I know for sure Trump will spin it that way no matter what happens, and I doubt he’ll be wrong.
*Wall Street spent heavily to take down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It was a bad investment.
The word “investment” in this headline isn’t a metaphor.
The case for renewed US engagement in Latin America
A column by Newt Gingrich and others. Of course the US has never stopped being “engaged” in Latin America, whether it’s Venezuela, or Cuba, or Bolivia, or almost any other country – sponsoring coups, economic blockades, etc. But Gingrich is actually talking about *constructive engagement”, not because it’s the right thing to do, but only to “counter Chinese influence”. Totally reminiscent of Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress, also an effort to counter alleged Communist influence.
Simon Bolívar: “The United States appears to be destined by Providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty.”
Trump is right to withdraw troops from Germany — as long as he sends them east
This is a column from the Post’s right-wing columnist Marc Thiessen. Is there a single columnist working for a major news outlet saying that withdrawing troops from Germany would be a good thing, and not so they can be sent to Poland, as Trump is planning, but to bring them home? No, of course not.
Green Party candidate lays out party's platform
A short article, but at least it’s there. Similar (or any) coverage in more widely circulated media — NYT, WaPo, CNN, etc.? Non-existent.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Headlines for June 19, 2020
Worst, Most Misleading & Funniest Headlines for June 19, 2020
*As U.S. seethes over race, Trump calls out ‘evil of slavery’
Paragraph 5: “Trump also shut down Esper’s attempt to begin a public debate on removing the names of Confederate Army officers — some of whom trained at West Point — from military bases, an idea gaining momentum across the country.” Just that, no mention of Trump’s claim that Benning, Hood, and Bragg are part of the “Great American Heritage”.
*Trump at West Point stresses unity amid 'turbulent' times
Here’s the transcript:
The sole mention of unity: “You exemplify the power of shared national purpose to transcend all differences and achieve true unity.” So he’s telling the cadets they’re unified. The rest of the country? Not if Trump can help it.
*Trump’s effort to resist gay rights runs into his Supreme Court pick
Subhead: While President Trump has celebrated the idea of social change, his administration has repeatedly opted to resist or roll back protections for LGBT people
Huh?
*Here Are the 99 U.S. Cities Where Protesters Were Tear-Gassed
Cities where police admit they used tear gas. Washington, D.C. is not included. Not just the headline is wrong, though. “Several police departments The Times reached out to denied using tear gas. But authorities said that substances like “chemical irritants,” “chemical agents” or “pepper balls” were deployed. Semantic murkiness does not typically matter to those who study and monitor tear gas use. To them CS (actually a powder) and a variety of pepper-derived compounds qualify as tear gas.” So the Times knows that the claims made by, e.g., DC, are bogus, but still chose to use the police definition and not their own.
From a few weeks ago:
*GOP Plans Stronger Role in Who Gets To Vote
NYT Front page, 5/19
*Online: Freed by Court Ruling, Republicans Step Up Effort to Patrol Voting
*And now this week: The Rising Trump Lawyer Battling to Reshape the Electorate
The NYT comes up with yet another euphemism for “voter suppression”. Now it’s “reshaping the electorate”.
*Victor in Syria’s War, Bashar al-Assad Faces Economic Meltdown
First mention of the sanctions which have been crippling Syria for years (Since 2004: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/syria.aspx)? Paragraph six, with this misleading statement: “And strict American economic sanctions that take effect Wednesday are likely to make matters worse.” The article finally returns to a more detailed description of the new sanctions, the Caesar sanctions, in paragraph 38 (!), but still makes no mention of existing sanctions. And, mentions of the presence of U.S. troops in Syria preventing Syria from utilizing its own oil? Zero. Mentions of U.S. backing for the war which helped produce this situation? Zero. The war is over, the U.S. was never there.
*Russian disinformation operation relied on forgeries, fake posts on 300 platforms, new report says
300 platforms? Really? There are 300 social media platforms? Russia is spreading disinformation, but it’s not as effective as the 2016 IRA campaign. “Secondary Infektion was not as effective as better-known operations, such as the divisive social media campaign waged by the Internet Research Agency during the 2016 presidential election.” The one which spent a whopping $44K on FB ads and has never been demonstrated, even with anecdotal evidence, to have changed not a single vote.
A Conspiracy Made in America May Have Been Spread by Russia
Subhead: The Americans who pushed a conspiracy theory the night of the Iowa caucuses have migrated to coronavirus conspiracies on Twitter, with help from a very Russia-friendly account.
“Russia-friendly account”≠”Russia” “Ann Louise La Clair, a self-described Los Angeles filmmaker with a Russian Twitter following. Her tweets praising RT advertisements and protesting American airstrikes in Syria — a key Russian ally — had previously been picked up by RT, the Kremlin-owned news outlet.” She’s just a Sanders supporter. Some Russian guy, with no known connection to the Russian government, retweeted her. “@DanWals83975326 continues to play his part. He amplifies Mr. Sanders and Representative Tulsi Gabbard, the Democrat from Hawaii who is a favorite of the Russian press, while slamming Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the D.N.C. He applauded Joe Rogan, the podcaster and onetime Sanders supporter, when Mr. Rogan announced that he would vote for Mr. Trump over Mr. Biden.” (Gabbard is barely tweeting any more, by the way).
Who’s a Bot? Who’s Not?
Is Twitter really dominated by bots? No.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Headlines for June 12, 2020
Worst, Most Misleading & Funniest Headlines for June 12, 2020
*Aggressive Tactics by National Guard, Ordered to Appease Trump, Wounded the Military, Too
Spare a tear for the real victims. “D.C. Guard members, typically deployed to help after hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, say they feel demoralized and exhausted.”
*In letter, Pentagon leaders outline military role in recent unrest
A nice, generic headline. Don’t get too upset, it’s hardly worth reading the article. Except for the buried lede in paragraph 8: “Esper and Milley…confirmed that Trump could, if he chooses to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, use military forces for law enforcement purposes anywhere in the country. “In the event that a president makes such a decision, he may do so without approval from the state government in which the forces are to be used,” they said.”
*In protests against police brutality, videos capture more alleged police brutality
Immediately below the headline is the picture or video of the guy in Buffalo being shoved to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete and visibly bleeding, and being ignored by the cops who walk right by!
*Protests about police brutality are met with wave of police brutality across US
Now that's what we call a proper headline!
*As protesters gather in D.C., they wonder if their moment will endure
Article quotes five protesters; exactly one voices that sentiment — “She said she wasn’t sure that the white people who have attended the protests would still be interested when the intensity surrounding Floyd’s death abates.”
*White House claims violence incited at Floyd protests linked to Venezuela’s Maduro
Anonymous White House “officials” make evidence-free claims. Solid reporting.
There is evidence, though. Like this: “A woman participating in Sunday’s march, identified by the Miami-based En Vivo TV as Hellen Peña, acknowledged when pressed that she was a supporter of the late-Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who recently traveled to Venezuela to participate in an “international brigade” for young people.” And this: “According to the blog run by former El Nuevo Herald reporter Casto Ocando, FBI counter-terrorism agents had detained and questioned people in Miami and other cities who admitted to having been paid by activists to participate in the protests, and were investigating possible ties to Venezuela and Cuba.”
*A Bitter Election. Accusations of Fraud. And Now Second Thoughts.
Subhead: A close look at Bolivian election data suggests an initial analysis by the O.A.S. that raised questions of vote-rigging — and helped force out a president — was flawed.
The NYT discovers what the WaPo knew in February and the CEPR knew last November!
Bolivia dismissed its October elections as fraudulent. Our research found no reason to suspect fraud.
“Bolivia” did not dismiss the elections as fraudulent. The OAS, the US government and media, and the Bolivian right-wing and military did. Finally, an even worse problem with the headline is the conclusion—that there's no reason to suspect fraud. That's true, but the real conclusion is more important—that Evo Morales was the legitimate winner of the election, and that the coup against him was completely unjustified.
Essential to note that this study produced identical results to the CEPR study published on Nov. 8 (https://www.cepr.net/press-release/no-evidence-that-bolivian-election-results-were-affected-by-irregularities-or-fraud-statistical-analysis-shows/ ), before the culmination of the coup, but a study which was completely suppressed by the corporate media.
*Russia Sends More Troops West, Challenging U.S.-NATO Presence Near Borders
U.S.-NATO troops on Russia’s border. Russian troops on Russian border? A “challenge” to the West.
*Amid Pandemic and Upheaval, New Cyberthreats to the Presidential Election
Subhead: Fear of the coronavirus is speeding up efforts to allow voting from home, but some of them pose security risks and may make it easier for Vladimir V. Putin, or others, to hack the vote.
Himself!
Ohio protester dies two days after exposure to tear gas, pepper spray
Classic passive voice death.
Barr seeks to dissociate himself from move on demonstrators outside Lafayette Square
Subhead: The attorney general had told the Associated Press his “attitude was get it done, but I didn’t say, ‘Go do it.’”
WaPo giving cover to Bill Barr.
