The news: How CNN, MSNBC and Fox News make headlines…
Here’s how it works: I went to the websites for the big “three” nationwide news outlets and grabbed their “top stories.” Then I highlighted relevant fear terms. A fear term is terrorist, death, victim et cetera. Below the lists are my thoughts on how the story headlines are worded.
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Staffer wanted teen sex in wolf suit
Killer worked at counseling center
Teacher fired for ’sexting’ student
‘Border Czar’ hails inspections to Mexico
Airport worker falls to death
No jail for firefighter who stole foot
Billboard: ‘Don’t believe in God?’
Cops: Unbelted kids ejected from minivan
Graduation held in church goes to court
Child rape suspect found dead
Sheriff: Deputy’s goose-killing justified
School finds 1897 U.S. flag in attic
Turn in gun, get gift card
Pastor cited for home bible study
Plane taxis wrong way on takeoff
Kitten survives gunshot to the eye
Zoo pays tiger victims $900K
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Swine flu hits U.S. official ahead of Obama visit
Leno set to leave ‘most wonderful job’
Rachel Alexandra won’t run in Belmont
NASA: Next shuttle launch may be delayed
Bush: Freedom will prevail and economy thrive
Karl, Nuggets won’t back down vs. Lakers
Tired tootsies? YogaToes ease foot pain
Prince Harry visits Sept. 11 memorial
Armstrong falls during Giro, gets back on bike
‘Jon & Kate’ plus … child labor complaint
Newsweek: Rethinking the ‘cougar’ stereotype
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Misdiagnosed Woman Loses Arms, Legs and Lawsuit
Justice Department Drops Black Panthers Charges
U.S.: N. Korea May Test Long-Range Missile
N. Korea Defiantly Fires 6th Missile, Slams U.N.
Infamous Terrorist Abu Ibrahim Flees to Lebanon
Texas Man Faces Prison for Giving HIV to 6 Women
Pa. Woman in Abduction Hoax Waives Extradition
Texas Woman Told to Remove ‘Offensive’ U.S. Flag
Witness: Va. Tech Man ‘Stared’ While Beheading Victim
Giant Laser Reactor to Be Unveiled
Pizza Man Helps Save Rape Victim From Cabin
Japanese School Gives Out iPhones — With a Catch
White House Spars With U.K. Media Over Abuse Pics
Obama Makes Surprise Stop at Fast Food Joint
U.K. Mother Reunited With Abducted Son on Facebook
Iraqi Teen Solves 300-Yr-Old Math Puzzle in 4 Months
Gunmen Attack Ahmadinejad Campaign Office
Iran Blames U.S. For Deadly Mosque Bombing
Therapist: ‘Clark Rockefeller’ Invented Other Family
To be sure, CNN and Foxnews seem to paint a bleaker picture of the US and US affairs than MSNBC does. Fox News, for example, refers to Abu Ibrahim not merely as a terrorist, but an infamous terrorist. Fox News seems to play to our sense of national pride–our defiant, U.N. slamming foe in the Far East; Black Panthers, a woman and her ‘Offensive’ U.S. flag at home. CNN, on the other hand, use death, god or sex in nearly headline and paints a more general picture of overall sickness.
Interestingly, the best (and by this, I don’t mean meritous) headlines was “Texas Woman Told to Remove ‘Offensive’ U.S. Flag” (a story I did not see on CNN.com or Msnbc.com). I decided that I could not resist clicking on the article–which after reading, proved to be bullshit. Here’s the link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522659,00.html?test=latestnews
In case you didn’t want to read this charming story, here’s my digested version. A white lady in Texas who works in a hospital decides she wants to display a gigantic U.S. flag at her job. An African lady (immigrant and black–a fact Fox News makes sure to mention, because ya know, it’s real relevant… NOT) decides that this is offensive and complains. White lady is forced by the hospital to remove her flag at first, but then it turns out that “The disagreement was over the size of the flag and not what it symbolized. We [the hospital] have invited the employee to put the flag back up.” So this is basically bullshit. Thanks, Fox News.
Nice. Okay, so here’s my beef. Race does not appear to be a relevant point here, so why is it alluded to? Granted, no one should be forced to remove a symbol of pride (like a flag) so long as it does not interfere with the normal operations of the work environment–thus, a US flag is fine; a Confederate flag is another matter. But the word “offensive” is used to lure us to this article. Are we to believe that somebody really got offended because of the flag’s size? (As the hospital describes.) Hardly a compelling complaint for someone to make. No, the more likely explanation is that the two workers simply don’t like one another, and this is the natural product of their squabbles. That the complaining lady used the US flag as her way of ‘getting back’ at her friend is deeply disappointing–that the flag lady brings a gigantic flag to work is plain bizarre and unnecessary. After all, patriotism and flag waiving are two different concepts. Let’s hope the two ladies find peace.
