I simply cannot get enough of bad headlines.
Having worked most of my adult life in daily newspapers, most of those years as a senior editor, and having headed up a number of major journalism groups such as the New York State Society of Newspaper Editors and the New York State Associated Press, I am a newspaper junky.
That supplies me with lots of bad headlines, some caused by the press of deadlines, some by sloppy proof-reading, some by simple incompetence. And now, with the increase in headlines online, the field is ripe for an almost-daily harvest of them.
Here are a few I’ve gleaned in recent months, some from Web sites, most from print, all of them real:
Punkette Avril Lavigne denies topless photos, intelligence
Man suspected of killing prostitute with a hoe
Thongs join anti-Israel march in Germany
Increased arrests result of rise in law violations
Nothing can ruin a summer picnic like projectile vomiting and diarrhea
Slain bystander remembered where he died
Microsoft accuses federal judge of being impartial
Governor signs Open Records Law with teeth
Girl, 10, improves after fatal crash
Live: NASA briefing on Mars
Police shoot student after firing bullet
Police fatally shoot man with barbell
Dispatcher saves drowned baby’s life
Victims of fatal Chinese fire hold march
More than 20,000 dead recovered after quake
Benefit to help dog attack youngster
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Speaking of which, if you want to see pictures — as well as headlines, corrections and other errors — that weren’t what they seem, go to Craig Silverman’s Web site called Regret the Error. I guarantee you’ll be puzzled, bemused and entertained with gaffes from all around the world.
(Posted 07/2/07)
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