Misleading Headline of the Morning (So Far) -- [Sobek]

The link headline to this story reads "Hastert Won't Resign Over Sex Scandal."
(I suppose I could get a screen capture of the front page, but I don't feel like it).

That is an elegantly written headline. It crams so much salacious, misleading innuendo into a mere six words that they're probably cooking up a Pulitzer Prizer category for headlines even now.

First implication: Hastert was involved in a sex scandal. Anyone who clicks the link will almost instantly realize that's not the case, but a lot of people (myself included) never make it past the link. So now a lot of people think Haster's been having some illicit rumpy-bumpy. Hey, I'm not saying he hasn't, just that there's no scandal brewing about it if he has.

Second implication: this scandal somehow involves sex. For a media that can credulously draw a distinction between oral sex (which is apparently not sex) and vaginal sex (which is definitely sex), they seem interestingly unable to draw a distinction between anal sex with a minor (which is what Rep. Studds (D) did; not sex) and cybersex involving no physical contact with a minor (which is what Rep. Foley (R) did; sex).

No wonder the MSM is losing readers: who has the patience to keep up with the shifting definitions?

Clarification: If you follow the link, you get a different headline. My quote was from the link on the msn.com front page. I can't remember how to do a screen capture, or I would get it and post the relevant part. Just take my word for it.

posted by Ace at 10:47 AM

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