Journalistic Failures
It’s getting harder and harder to read any kind of news without a biased slant or even blatant false claims to grab attention. Even on a blog such as this one where the entries are personalized, we still make an effort to provide you with facts and let you choose your side. Too often nowadays a headline doesn’t relate to the story or spins it in a way that is simply untrue. The latest example is courtesy of ABC News and writers Kevin Dolak and Ryan Owens. Their headline reads:
“Okla. Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder: 911 Operators Say It’s OK to Shoot”1
Besides the unnecessary plural in “Operators” (perhaps the woman spoke to more than one but that fact didn’t make it to print), the glaring error is the false claim of “911 Operators Say It’s OK to Shoot.” Within the story itself, the 911 dispatcher was quoted as saying “I CAN’T tell you to do that…” That’s right, CAN’T. The dispatcher did say “do what you have to do,” but that is hardly the same as saying it’s OK to shoot. Furthermore, the headline seems leading as if to suggest that a 911 operator’s confirmation of something is somehow legally binding or at least justification for an act.
Based on the few facts given, it would appear that a woman in severe duress needed some reassurance that her future actions to defend her child were within the scope of a clear-headed person detached from the situation. The dispatcher acted nobly, speaking generally while recognizing the need for immediate support in a potential life and death situation. In a scary situation, the woman and the dispatcher acted professionally and within what they believed were their individual rights. Only the writers failed this story, and if the writers didn’t create the headline, then that job needs to be reassigned.
There are many uplifting and interesting stories out there if you look hard enough, but it’s our individual responsibility to use several sources and learn to read between the biases of those behind the pen to find out the reality of each news story. While most people skim the headlines and skip the content, might I suggest to the loyal Dinner Topics readers to occasionally skip the headlines and read the content?
Happy New Year everyone. When Dinner Topics isn’t here to give you the depth of story you might have missed, don’t be afraid to dive into an article and judge it for yourself rather than just taking the writer’s slant.
Read on:
ABCNews.go.com – Okla. Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder: 911 Operators Say It’s OK to Shoot
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