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 <dtravel@sonic.net>
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: <uvegdd$346bv$2@dont-email.me>
References: <uve3ca$31lpn$1@dont-email.me>
 <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 <ahk@chinet.com> 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.