Misleading Headlines Adorn AP Robin Hooding Story
This piece by AP reporter Lynne Tuohy is being published all over and the headlines vary from misleading to acceptable.
For instance, the worst headline of them all is WCVB‘s, which says, “Keene’s parking meter ‘Robin Hooders’ must back off.” When the people calling themselves “the city” tell you you must do something, generally that means it must be done, or else violence will be used against you. In this case, that’s not at all what has happened. The city of Keene folks WANT Robin Hooders to “back off” and they’ve filed a lawsuit to try to force us to. “We want” is very different from “You must”.
The article itself is more honest, and reveals that in fact the city lost their case at superior court and is appealing to the NH supreme court. Obviously, the author of the article does not choose the headlines, that would be one of the editors of the paper. Thanks to Lynne and the AP for the coverage, despite the awful, seemingly default headline.
Here’s a sampling of headlines that various news outlets chose for this story:
- Seacoast Online, Concord Monitor, KSN-TV in Wichita: “City: Quarter-toting ‘Robin Hooders’ must back off” (There were more than one of these. Perhaps AP suggested this particular headline.)
- The Guardian (UK): “Parking ‘Robin Hoods’ told to stop harassing meter-readers in city lawsuit”
- USA Today: “‘Robin Hooders’ pay expired meters for political capital”
- Portland Press Herald (ME): “Not-so-random acts of protest: Parking’s ‘Robin Hooders’ not very merry”
- Salem News (MA): “Officials: Quarter-toting ‘Robin Hooders’ in N.H. must back off”
- The Columbian (WA): “N.H. city calls quarter-toting ‘Robin Hooders’ a hazard”
- FOX News: “City: Quarter-toting ‘Robin Hooders’ harassed meter-readers, should have to back off”
You can see even more here, y mas en Español aquí. Looks like the story was printed in several dozen outlets. Thanks especially to those with more honest headlines.
