Friday, March 2, 2012

Getting the Headline Totally Wrong.

(via ABC News)
Obama Birth Certificate Maybe Forged, Sheriff Joe Arpaio Says

Way to write a headline, ABC. Do you have any idea what you're doing? You wrote the headline as if Arpaio's claim had some merit. When you lead with the claim, it implies that the claim is true or has a good chance of being true. Let me give you an example.


Rain Likely, Says Meteorologist. 
See, that headline implies that "rain is likely" is a prediction that has a good chance of coming true, and that the reason it is likely to be correct is that it was made by an expert, a meteorologist. And your headline implies that bullshit birtherism has some validity because it is being alleged by Arpaio.

Your headline should have read:
Arpaio Asserts Demonstrably False Claim.
or
Racist Sheriff Makes Outrageous Allegation.
or
Stupid Person Believes Stupid Thing.

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