Misleading headline of the day!
posted at 2:49 pm on February 9, 2007 by Allahpundit
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We’ve had a few people e-mail in about this one. With good reason — it’s a doozy, albeit not quite as doozy as this.
What have those damned loose cannons in the Border Patrol done now?
Answer: absolutely nothing.
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I like how the “: Police” adds absolutely nothing to the headline, except to reflect how hellbent the writers were to put the word “police” in it.
World B. Free on February 9, 2007 at 2:55 PM
What liberal media? And as one of those who was hoping you’d post this, thanks. These are sort of my bread and butter, and when a wider audience gets to see this kind of crap, I think it allows them to consider whether what they think they know is based on fact, or based on deliberately misleading (or sometimes lying) headlines. Make no mistake folks, the media KNOWS most people don’t spend hours a day reading deep in to every article, but that plenty skim over headlines. Yahoo is always happy to put up the AP’s lying and misleading headlines on their home page, and when they aren’t misleading enough, Yahoo! has been known to write their own lying headlines, that differ than the ones you see when you get to the actual article.
RightWinged on February 9, 2007 at 2:56 PM
It sounds like the perps were Mexican nationals.
gmaninatl on February 9, 2007 at 2:57 PM
All the “news” that’s fit to print!!!
sharinlite on February 9, 2007 at 3:01 PM
Wow. It takes a lot from the MSM to shock me these days.
But this one managed to do it.
That is beyond wrong. Just by basic journalism standards.
Exit question: Plus or minus 10, how many liberal blogs will run the following story today: “Fascist Racist Bushista Border Police Execute Innocent non-Whites?”
I’d bet money that more than a few people take that headline at face value.
Professor Blather on February 9, 2007 at 3:01 PM
I’m sure literally thousands have taken the headline at face value when they open up their browser. I know Yahoo! is a pretty common home page.
As for libs blogging it. I would hope that they would actually look at the article before posting… However they could post deliberately to mislead just by getting that headline out there more. But you know more than a few had a little party when they read the headline, and were let down when they actually read that it was bandits who shot them.
RightWinged on February 9, 2007 at 3:11 PM
I wouldn’t expect anything less from the MSM.
.
GT on February 9, 2007 at 3:11 PM
“Website posts misleading headlines: hotair.com”
rw on February 9, 2007 at 3:16 PM
The bandits are often former federales (current too?). Although, killings are rare, the robberies are common here in San Diego and the border area.
shooten on February 9, 2007 at 3:39 PM
I see the AP News is doing the Iraqi “Police said” bogus reuter speak now in North America
William Amos on February 9, 2007 at 3:47 PM
What have those damned loose cannons in the Border Patrol done now?
Their job? Now if the other 99% of the Government Employees would do the same, we might be getting some where…
Wait, I take it back, our Heroes in the Military are also doing their jobs, so, we’ll make it the other 90%.
soulsirkus on February 9, 2007 at 3:56 PM
Saw this yesterday. Disgraceful.
Editor on February 9, 2007 at 3:56 PM
I bet Jamil saw the whole thing.
unamused on February 9, 2007 at 3:57 PM
Entering the country illegally is dangerous I guess. But not dangerous enough apparently.
Theworldisnotenough on February 9, 2007 at 3:59 PM
“Three Illegal Immigrants Shot Dead Crossing Border: Yahoo!”
fogw on February 9, 2007 at 4:09 PM
It did not fool me for a second. I knew it couldn’t be our border guards who did this – they are in prison.
jman on February 9, 2007 at 4:10 PM
jman, that gave me a chuckle.
Esthier on February 9, 2007 at 4:23 PM
Why don’t we start having a MISLEADING HEADLINE OF THE DAY thread and we can see which MSM wins!
Here’s my contribution:
Report says Pentagon manipulated intel
Texas Gal on February 9, 2007 at 4:26 PM
Just noticedthis while reading the story. Yahoo messageboards are offline for an upgrade. Featured among the explanations is this:
“As they were set up, the Yahoo! News message boards allowed a small number of vocal users to dominate the discussion.”
Expect less domination in the future, more servile grovling.
laelaps on February 9, 2007 at 4:29 PM
While the AP is just as bad, it should be noted that this article comes from AFP.
RightWinged on February 9, 2007 at 4:32 PM
Q.
What do you call three illegal immigrants shot dead while crossing the border?
A.
A good start…
My sarcasm is definitely on but that would be the case in many countries around the world.
jrman…you have got it right!
brtex on February 9, 2007 at 4:37 PM
This is a continuation of the media onslaught against the border patrol that started wednesday night as counter measures against the news that the government admitted that they invented the story that Ramos and Compean “wanted to shoot a Mexican” as well as other fabrications. AP put out an interference story which was picked up world wide “Report Shows Agents Lied, Covered Up Shooting”.
That report was released by the same DHS deputies who earlier in the day some congressmen demanded be fired for lying to them, including the “wanted to shoot a Mexican” lie.
Expect more anti-border patrol propaganda in the coming days. They won’t succeed at burying this scandal though because these congressmen are furious and will not back off.
Perchant on February 9, 2007 at 4:40 PM
More interesting commentary from Jerome Corsi here.
brtex on February 9, 2007 at 5:02 PM
Ah, yes…the promise of mass murder is just ripe for the laffs, isn’t it?
Good times…good times…
/snark
Slublog on February 9, 2007 at 5:10 PM
Saw both of these….on Yahoo.
Most libs who read the headline would likely think, “hmmmmm, just another day in fascist America, evil F*^($ing b@$tsards!”
Most conservatives would think, “hmmmm, I bet if I clicked on that link, I could confirm my suspicions of media bias once again.”
What is interesting is how Yahoo sometimes will post a headline, and then changes slightly a short while later, as if the editors were sitting around thinking, “you know, that could be a little more descriptive in how evil America can be.”
Lately, these nitwits have been posting headlines that are directly contradicted a short while later, and the headline is for the SAME story.
91Veteran on February 9, 2007 at 5:34 PM
Very interesting indeed.
In that dhs report that was released, it claimed that the incident when Davila was shot was the only time he ever smuggled drugs, a one time thing, and it included some sob story about how he needed money to pay hospital bills and what not.
If he was busted again smuggling drugs with the benefit of a government issued border pass to make his smuggling job easier, that would invalidate the immunity agreement. If the prosecution covered up a later immunity invalidating smuggling incident that occurred prior to the conclusion of the trial, we have obstruction of justice and malicious prosecution.
Perchant on February 9, 2007 at 5:37 PM
This misleading headline game is fun. Last week, a chopper went down in Iraq, likely due to mechanical failure.
The Yahoo news headline?
“Iraq Qaeda group posts video of US copter downing.”
Gee, what is the impression we’re supposed to get from that?
Slublog on February 9, 2007 at 5:47 PM
3 Illegal Immigrants Killed by Gunmen in Arizona Smuggling Corridor, Some Taken Captive
Also an AP article, it makes it sound like border vigilantes did it. It was that grandma with the Minutmen sitting in her lawn chair at the border that did it! you have to read many paragraphs before it becomes clear it was Mexican criminals.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251005,00.html
Resolute on February 9, 2007 at 6:00 PM
How about an honest headline:
Mexican criminal syndicates prowl US border
Resolute on February 9, 2007 at 6:02 PM
I thought the Libs were saying Al Qaeda was not in Iraq.
My bad…
brtex on February 9, 2007 at 6:08 PM
Nice. Really nice. Hey, we should have another ANS thread.
John from WuzzaDem on February 9, 2007 at 6:39 PM
The thing I’m curious about is this. Was this a Lowbie on the Yahoo totem pole that just slipped this in, or is this a concerted effort by the senior editing staff to deliberately make a misleading headline? Even if it was a junior wrier, why was it left on as long as it was unless this was intended. Is Yahoo like a rotting fish, (starting at the head) or what?
Bias, I know, but Come on…
Syncrodude, Lizzardoid
syncrodude on February 9, 2007 at 7:08 PM
Isn’t this tactic from Junior High? “Hey, someone here is gay…Kevin (pregnant pause) pass the salt.”
Look it up in Chapter 4 of the Propagandist’s Handbook.
stonemeister on February 9, 2007 at 7:19 PM
Ah, this just complements the AP’s KKK and the anti immigrant article of a couple of days ago.
The MSM must be gearing up for their pro-amnesty campaign.
voiceofreason on February 9, 2007 at 7:45 PM
Thanks for your reply, and confirmation that it’s not just me. I see this crap on Yahoo! almost daily, as they are my home page, and do exactly as you describe… I see the misleading headlines and already know what the real story is. Usually they aren’t quite as outrageous as this because of the subject matter, but deliberate misleading is deliberate misleading, especially when Yahoo! writes it’s own sometimes outright lying headlines on it’s home page, that link to AP stories with completely different headlines.
RightWinged on February 9, 2007 at 7:51 PM
Although I would never downplay the MSM’s penchant for biased reporting, I think these headlines actually demonstrate that they are illiterate; they can’t write. They are intent on being the first to publish, they get sloppy, and the reporter’s and editor’s lack of communication skills (and bias) is exposed.
There are some rules of thumb I use for any MSM story:
1) Only watch the first 20 seconds. If the lead story is anything about some celebrity, new hysteria warnings about global warming, SUVs or cell phones, or another “scandal” in the White House, turn it off. There is no news, so they’re trying to produce some.
2) Always read the source. How many times have we heard stories that cite an unnamed “Pentagon employee”, “Vatican official” or “source within the administration” that turn out to be absolute bunk. If you want to know what the DoD’s policy is, read what the SecDef has written. Wanna know what the Catholic Church is up to, the Vatican has a web site. Bush has a press secretary.
3) Even if you go straight to the source, realize that they often communicate in different ways than you’re used to. Rummy as SecDef certainly discussed things in a way the press wasn’t used to and often times they were confused. Sometimes you have to dig to find what was really meant.
4) Never trust anyone who has been caught in lies. Geraldo Rivera, Brian Ross, Dan Rather, etc. have zero credibility. I like John Stossel (who is not a “newsman”) and Brit Hume because they are very open and seem to be honest.
It’s easy to despair the rotten state of journalism these days. I’m convinced that it’s always been this bad (just read about Hearst). Fortunately, we have the alternative media (including HotAir) to counter the garbage. And that’s a step in the right direction.
cmay on February 9, 2007 at 9:49 PM
All the news that’s fit to line the bottom of my bird cage!
Lawrence on February 10, 2007 at 12:55 PM
This headline is not only misleading, it’s down right stupid.
Since when is Tucson area considered the border? Even their own report says it was 60 miles north of the border. Just how far away from the border do you have to be before the AFP or Yahoo considers you in the US? Montana?
How can AFP or Yahoo make any claim that the people were shot as they crossed the border? No one said that the people were shot crossing the border, nor does the evidence show this. Ogden said that bandits stop vehicles and take people hostage, but where did he say that they were shot while crossing the border?
Not only is the headline misleading, as I stated above, it’s a down right fabrication. Yahoo should be ashamed that they let their bias dictate the choice for headlines.
RedinBlueCounty on February 10, 2007 at 5:11 PM
That would be an editor who wrote the headline, over a perfectly respectable piece of writing by a reporter.
Keep hearing that the glass ceiling for news is the editors – the elite filter that turns every single news item and topic into a tool to spread the Left world view. Who are these people?
naliaka on February 10, 2007 at 7:06 PM
I can’t believe any folks who lurk here have Yahoo as a home page. Drudge is the only homepage for me. Even if I spend more of my time on specific blogs than scanning Drudge, it has nearly all the links I care about, and regardless of his sometimes tilting headlines, you find stories there quicker than anywhere else most of the time.
I trust Matt Drudge to be nobody’s tool but his own. 99% of what he links/posts include only the words of the story’s own headline.
Freelancer on February 12, 2007 at 4:13 AM
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