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Man Arrested… The Why is Unclear
This has to be one of the most perplexing headlines and framings of a story I’ve ever seen:
Man arrested after boy falls from balcony at Minnesota's Mall of America https://t.co/azOBaVWjOW pic.twitter.com/QgwwTc1mFB
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 13, 2019
If you click the link to read more, you discover the full story:
A 5-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries on Friday after being thrown or pushed by an apparent stranger from a third-floor balcony at Minnesota’s Mall of America, and a man who fled the scene has been charged with attempted homicide, police said.
Why wouldn’t the Reuters editor writing the headline and the social media manager make this point clear? It’s better journalism, not to mention making the headline “Man arrested after allegedly tossing boy from balcony at Minnesota’s Mall of America” would garner far more clicks than this ambiguous one.
On Twitter, a few folks are poking fun at this joke of a PC headline, with one Daily Wire host remarking,
"Man arrested after President Lincoln stops watching play at Ford's Theatre" https://t.co/HWoGPBWUfM
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 15, 2019
Can you imagine what kind of sanitized headlines we would have seen throughout history of this Reuters team had their way?
Drop some similar vague headlines about major world events in the comments.
Published in Journalism
Custer fails in bid to relocate native encampment
Caesar’s address of Senate ends prematurely
Japanese planes fly over Hawaiian sea port.
Archduke Ferdinand won’t become the emperor.
Local Bavarian Artist leads political protest.
Some people did something.
Successful actor makes Andrew Johnson President.
Oh, we may have a winner here.
Have to agree!
Another of those mysterious “Minnesota men” Power Linetells us about from time to time? Not quite. Emmanuel Aranda apparently moved to Minnesota from Chicago. He reportedly has a history of public violence.
Meanwhile, People Magazine turned out to be a better news outlet than Reuters! People‘s headline:
Red Sea travel faulted for Egyptian population decline.
Hindenburg passengers find cabin temperatures to be uncomfortably warm.
So if the good people of Minnesota come to their senses, Rep. Ilhan Omar can always get a job at Reuters.
Blind man exposes structural flaws of Philistine Temple.
Pontius Pilate faces criticism for ineffective crucifixion.
A Temple of Modern American Capitalism Falls From Grace
One of the most memorable times we spent in our westward trek across America (2010) was the evening we spent in the Mall of America. This story and other recent events make the contemplation of any return visit in the future a chilling one. The only previous time I had been there was in 1996.
Couple evicted from home after wife talks to snake.
Odysseus introduces new etiquette regarding rude houseguests.
“A random act of violence”.
President Obama on murder of five Jews in Jewish grocery store by Islamic terrorist in Paris.
Wild Bill Hickok folds despite holding aces and eights.
President Kennedy’s tour of Texas cut short.
“He’s Not My President!” rally begins with fireworks over Fort Sumter.
Pol Pot solving the problem of overpopulation.
Monday Morning Finally Begins With Chuckles
Okay, it’s not a historical headline, but this thread is proving it to be not-fake news.
Massive structural failure at World Trade Center in Manhattan.
My thought exactly.
German troops decide en masse to vacation in Poland.
Falls River, Massachusetts woman orphaned.
The guy is a Somali from Omar’s district. As such, he has holy status.
Headline: At Mall of America, Someone Did Something.
AP August, 1945:
US provides free x-rays to Hiroshima and Nagasaki residents as peace offering.
The NY Post’s version would be “Caesar’s speech cut short.”