Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder6.news.weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Dimensional Traveler Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv Subject: Re: Bad reporting Hazards to Homeless article Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2024 10:46:23 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 45 Message-ID: References: <562913157.734715370.353412.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2024 19:46:22 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="74dee8ffcedcd5d5e83917a666c9167f"; logging-data="3283327"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18+cMFn8hVUHTD8AwPqkIuT" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:igPfbXR9X1t831+6PuFVWNBSyCk= In-Reply-To: <562913157.734715370.353412.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com> Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 3340 On 4/13/2024 8:37 AM, anim8rfsk wrote: > Adam H. Kerman wrote: >> Uptown viaduct fire reminder of hazards to homeless: 'There really is no >> peace' >> By Caroline Kubzansky and Rebecca Johnson >> Chicago Tribune >> April 13, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. >> https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/13/uptown-viaduct-fire-reminder-of-hazards-to-homeless-there-really-is-no-peace/ >> >> Despite the headline, we learn IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH that the hazard >> in question to other homeless people was from a homeless woman who, with >> either reckless disregard or murderous intent, set her own tent on fire, >> which led to all the other tents catching fire fire. Note that one of >> the homeless men interviewed stated that the area under the viaduct is >> usually fried, so there are fires set repeatedly. >> >> That headline was misleading, and I'd say who set the fire should have >> been stated in the first paragraph. >> >> In paragraph six, the murder of a well-known homeless man (who walked >> without disturbing others rather than just sitting in a doorway) was >> conflated. But the crime against him was attempted murder by someone who >> was not homeless; he was set on fire while sleeping. It became a murder >> as he later died of injuries sustained. >> >> This was just bad reporting entirely. The danger from homeless >> encampments under viaducts is that one or more individuals will set >> fires, and fires spread. Gee. Fires can even destroy viaducts. Maybe >> allowing "permanent" encampments once people start fires is horrifically >> bad public policy. >> > > Newspapers typically have a dedicated headline writer, and it is standard > for them to base the headline entirely on the first paragraph the theory > being that the person writing the article is good enough to put all the > information you actually need in the first paragraph and do so correctly. > The system breaks down at every point. > Starting with "if all the information you need is in the first paragraph why are all the other paragraphs included?" -- I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky dirty old man.