4 ms·

I have specifically noticed this pattern with the red-flag headline word “amid”. It always means the beta coeffficent is 0 but they want you to think it’s 1. “

• reverendsteveii 2y ago
  My partner and I make an informal hobby of tracking language like that which is designed to sneakily water down the strength of a headline. "Amid" rather than "because of" is a really good one. My personal favorite is "Reports: ". If you just preface your headline with that, you can say any old thing you want to and then later when pressed on the truth value of it you can retreat to the idea that you weren't reporting that as fact, you were reporting the fact that other people are saying it and you're not obligated to say who or how many or any other things that people might be saying. The practical upshot is that you as a journalist get to purposely induce people to believe something you know to be false but no one can technically call you a liar.
  • arrowsmith 2y ago
    “We’re not sure what exactly is going on inside the town of Beaverton, Tom, but we’re reporting that there’s looting, raping and yes, even acts of cannibalism.” “My God, you’ve actually seen people looting, raping and eating each other?” “No, we haven’t actually seen it Tom, we’re just reporting it.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCkchBXiaOE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCkchBXiaOE