The Problem with Bad Headlines Is That They Don't Tell You What the Story Is Really About, Like This One

Headline writing has always been an art. From my earliest days as print newsman, finding the right words to tell a story and fit the allotted space was a routine challenge that often sparked some of the liveliest debates in the newsroom. Sometimes hilarious, often passionate, headline writing has been and remains a distinct and important craft.

So how does one adequately explain this March 16 item from the CNN website politics page?

Health care foes have 200 no votes in House

Or this March 4 item from the Miami Herald website?

Health care opponents target Utah judgeship in latest salvo

Let’s see a show of hands: How many health care foes do we have out there today?

Okay, let’s rephrase the question. All you “health-care opponents” say “aye.”

If the headline writers were trying desperately to find the words to fit a predetermined space on a page of paper one might be permitted a little slack for writing such a stupid headline but this is the Internet – no such space constraints. There’s plenty of room for accuracy and truth.

Fact is, nobody opposes health care. Near as I can tell, everybody is pretty much in favor of health care. Ask around and let me know what you find out.

The media know this but for reasons unknown, some choose to use headlines — the biggest and boldest of news communication vehicles — to flatly and falsely state that there are foes and opponents of health care. Mind you this isn’t a simple inference — it’s a flat out assertion. And it’s an utterly preposterous lie.

The lie, of course, is designed to impugn members of Congress who are opposed to efforts to significantly expand government control of the health care industry and how its services are delivered to patients. I know some people involved in that debate and I can assure you that none is opposed to health care. In fact, they’re rather in favor of health care. They are, however, deeply opposed to efforts to bring the heavy hand of government into a health care system that, while imperfect, does a pretty good job of taking care of sick and injured people.

Journalistic shorthand is one of the greatest banes in news today but it’s even worse when it graduates from the body copy into the headline. It would be silly if the stakes weren’t so high.