AP's Misleading Headline Hides Dem Infighting

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Imagine you're skimming the news and come across a story entitled "Democrats Work to Smooth Iraq Tension." What would you assume the article was about? That those caring Dems had tried to ease sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shias, perhaps? I'd say that would be a fair inference. But read the story, and you'll discover that it is an account of a behind-closed-doors shouting match between Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters, the tart-tongued congresswoman from California.

According to the body of the article, "tempers flared on Iraq among Democrats on Tuesday as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fielded criticism from an anti-war congresswoman over liberals' concern that the party is not doing enough to end the war. Pelosi's behind-closed-doors exchange with Rep. Maxine Waters of California [was] described as heated."

What's the harm, you might ask? After all, the full story is there for those who read it. But that's just the point. Frequently people read only the headlines. Consider, for example, this excerpt from a writer's guide:

"In search engines, newsfeeds (RSS), and other external environments . . . users often see only the headline and use it to determine whether to click into the full posting. Even if users see a short abstract along with the headline (as with most search engines), user testing shows that people often read only the headline. In fact, people often read only the first three or four words of a headline when scanning a list of possible places to go.

It's a news adage that conflict sells. So which headline is likely to attract more readers: one that suggests that tensions are being smoothed out, as in the AP's version, or one that told the real story: "Dem Tempers Flare Behind Closed Doors"?

You don't suppose the AP was trying to do their friends in the DNC a little favor by portraying Dems as peacemakers rather than infighters, do you?

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Misleading-AP ping to Today show list.

Note: it's the AP that's misleading, not the ping!

[TLI]

a behind-closed-doors shouting match between Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters,

I would give 5 bucks to catch THAT on pay-per-view.

[tiredoflaundry]

it is an account of a behind-closed-doors shouting match between Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters, the tart-tongued congresswoman from California

MEOW

[poobear]

"a behind-closed-doors shouting match between Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters,"

Two empty headed wenches with the power to write and govern the law. Frightening.

[Bahbah]

I would have paid good money to watch that exchange.

Pelosi is like Mrs. Bill Clinton. She does not brook opposition, and she carries grudges forever. Maxine may, however, be a more worthy foe than Jane Harman. This could get interesting.

[nanook]

It,s all black and white in the Demoncrat Party.
10 to 1 on Pelosi.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

As Cartman would say: "Catfight!!!!"

[tiredoflaundry]

This is not the first time Madam POPBEADS has lost her temper.

I demand that Popbeads goes to "Anger Management " classes!

[kittymyrib]

"Two empty headed wenches with the power to write and govern the law."
What was really frightening was Pelosi putting Wm. Jefferson, the NO crook with the $90K in his freezer, on the Com. for Homeland Security. That "throw-away" committee appointment showed how little value she puts on the defense of this country from terrorist attack. She cares nothing for this country. It's all Dem politics for her.

[geezerwheezer]

That's alright...maybe they can get together and go beat up a capitol hill cop or something to relieve their tension with each other.

[tiredoflaundry]

Yeah, but they would get away with it.

[poobear]

"It's all Dem politics for her."

Like I said, frightening.

If my entire family were wiped out tomorrow by terrorists, she would do little more than create another committee and cry "I feel your pain".