tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post6308414803215400142..comments2023-09-28T08:13:11.489-07:00Comments on Only In It For The Gold: More for the Misleading Headline FIleMichael Tobishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-25347289966466570032010-09-02T07:07:26.245-07:002010-09-02T07:07:26.245-07:00More nutty headlines:
'World will warm faster...More nutty headlines:<br /><br />'World will warm faster than predicted in next five years, study warns' (Guardian; the study actually said the warming was bang on track)<br /><br />'Study Links Tree Rings to Global Warming' (AP; those pesky trees!)<br /><br />'Pollution creating acid oceans' (Telegraph)Vinny Burgoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13830703358571312302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-65539860746977872032010-09-02T06:36:40.995-07:002010-09-02T06:36:40.995-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Padraig Tomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483647257675174364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-27039968935892607172010-09-02T05:12:26.118-07:002010-09-02T05:12:26.118-07:00As I already wrote as a comment on Stoat in March,...As I already wrote as a comment on Stoat in March, a paper of my colleague on Arctic sea ice was reported like this:<br /><br />The original paper: M. Ogi, K. Yamazaki, and J.M. Wallace, 2010: Influence of winter and summer surface wind anomalies on summer Arctic sea ice extent. <i>Geophysical Research Letters</i>, <b>37</b>, L07701. (No. 13 as listed <a href="http://www.jamstec.go.jp/frsgc/research/d2/masayo.ogi/" rel="nofollow">here</a>).<br /><br />Nature (research highlights, 18 March 2010): <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7287/full/464328a.html" rel="nofollow">Geoscience: Wind-blown ice</a>. (<i>Nature</i>'s short headlines are like riddles, and I do not want to comment on this. I just include it for its content which the journalists probably read.)<br /><br />Guardian (David Adam, 22 March): <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/22/wind-sea-ice-loss-arctic" rel="nofollow">Wind contributing to Arctic sea ice loss, study finds</a>. (Fair headline.)<br /><br />Telegraph (Geoffrey Lean): <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100030894/good-news-as-research-suggests-global-warming-is-not-directly-responsible-for-all-the-increased-melting-of-arctic-ice" rel="nofollow">Good news as research suggests global warming does not directly cause all the melting of Arctic ice</a>. (This is a commentary in a blog, and the headline shows what the commentator thought rather than what the paper said.)<br /><br />Daily Mail: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1259776/Arctic-winds-global-warming-responsible-record-loss-sea-ice.html" rel="nofollow">Arctic winds and not global warming 'responsible for much of record loss of sea ice'</a>. (Misleading.)<br /><br />Fox News: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/03/22/winds-warming-leading-arctic-ice-melt/" rel="nofollow">Winds, Not Warming, Leading to Arctic Ice Melt</a>. (False.)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13437041108856598560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-18433634865645473382010-09-02T02:16:31.816-07:002010-09-02T02:16:31.816-07:00Michael, check the latest comments at Serendipity....Michael, check the latest comments at Serendipity. The author himself wrote the headline, realizes he goofed and is trying to make amends. Kinda refreshing.Deech56https://www.blogger.com/profile/01075060714218498521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-4830423024559064212010-09-01T20:15:33.449-07:002010-09-01T20:15:33.449-07:00> "Headlines reveal the mindset of the edi...> "Headlines reveal the mindset of the editor, but are not intended to mislead."<br /><br />It depends on the copy editor, doesn't it? (the intent, I mean)<br /><br />Misc on headlines -<br /><br />"On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy."<br /><br />"Headline writers-typically copy editors-have an obligation to give readers the most accurate sense possible of an article's conclusions...They're frequently failing."<br /><br />The journalist's-eye view - with a do-it-yourself exercise, to instill humility - is here:<br /><br />http://hisvorpal.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/mysteries-of-the-universe-revealed412-headlines/Anna Hayneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15176850465809297298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-19193231331951547512010-09-01T17:13:16.995-07:002010-09-01T17:13:16.995-07:00This problem is not reserved for climate. I once ...This problem is not reserved for climate. I once (temporarily) helped my company lose a lot of market cap, due to a bad headline with no malice or even terrible incompetence.<br />See <a href="http://yarchive.net/comp/mips_stock_glitch.html" rel="nofollow">The MIPS stock glitch</a>.John Masheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17786354229618237133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-27722933130058079892010-09-01T15:54:21.234-07:002010-09-01T15:54:21.234-07:00In traditional media, headlines are written by sub...In traditional media, headlines are written by subs (sub-editors). Subs are the most important people on any newspaper/magazine because they edit the text supplied by the writer (to fit style, space) and write/decide headlines/standfirsts/pullquotes etc. You can be a great writer and have no idea about good headlines. My co-blogger Bryan writes damn good prose, but couldn't provide a catchy title for his posts to save his life...<br />So... you should always check your headline back with the writer, to make sure you haven't got it wrong. Or not, if you want to spin something like yesterday's Daily Express front page: <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/ourpaper/view/2010-08-31" rel="nofollow">Climate change lies are exposed</a> or Sun: <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/Green/3118426/Climate-change-proof-lacking.html" rel="nofollow">UN 'lacks solid evidence' in climate warnings</a>. The British tabloids are an object lesson in many things...Garethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01344889228458095563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-48987125406039202042010-09-01T15:40:25.460-07:002010-09-01T15:40:25.460-07:00Michael, it looks like the opening paragraph is wr...Michael, it looks like the opening paragraph is wrong as well (see comments section - comment by Steve E.). The article author seems to have misread the paper. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/01/climate-scientists-software?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:b82a6899-c032-420d-b150-86015a901748" rel="nofollow">Link</a><br /><br />(Hope this is not a duplicate - something went haywire.)Deech56https://www.blogger.com/profile/01075060714218498521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-4057183417982572552010-09-01T15:37:59.106-07:002010-09-01T15:37:59.106-07:00The book was written in '01. We just wanted to...The book was written in '01. We just wanted to see our names at a major publishing company, even though it's definitely not an A-list series.Michael Tobishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-90124921389268376742010-09-01T15:32:24.129-07:002010-09-01T15:32:24.129-07:00Michael, it looks like the opening paragraph is wr...Michael, it looks like the opening paragraph is wrong as well (see comments section - comment by Steve E.). The article author seems to have misread the paper. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/01/climate-scientists-software?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:b82a6899-c032-420d-b150-86015a901748" rel="nofollow">Link</a>Deech56https://www.blogger.com/profile/01075060714218498521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-10872424158064574052010-09-01T15:06:30.117-07:002010-09-01T15:06:30.117-07:00Weren't you able to set your own prie and roya...Weren't you able to set your own prie and royalty on Kindle? Mosh and I did.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12747117922597525042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-29416825993546221982010-09-01T13:30:58.655-07:002010-09-01T13:30:58.655-07:00You want accuracy? Them's cain't spel nor...You want accuracy? Them's cain't spel nor uz gramma, neether. Actual front-page headline in the WaPo recently:<br />"For Pakistanis, the worse may be still to come."<br />Even the ombudsman was appalled.Steve Scolnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11887989345192863494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-79538948510841887832010-09-01T13:05:18.887-07:002010-09-01T13:05:18.887-07:00Yeah, I thought of that, but that's an excuse,...Yeah, I thought of that, but that's an excuse, not a justification.<br /><br />If the headline is too long, the editor can ask for a shorter one, or use a smaller font, or allocate more space.<br /><br />I'd rather have a half inch gap on my front page (if I still looked at dailies in paper form, which really I don't) than a misleading headline anyway.Michael Tobishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-35284064027656155312010-09-01T12:57:28.170-07:002010-09-01T12:57:28.170-07:00It's worth mentioning that if there's a pr...It's worth mentioning that if there's a print edition involved there's a need to consider layout issues. Usually this includes fitting the headline into a limited space that's been set aside for it before it's been written.Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.com