Headline FAIL Trifecta Now In Play

I only had a few minutes with the DMN‘s print product this morning, but right there on the front page we had this:

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The one death was in Houston, and the kid had prior medical problems. Fort Worth’s panicky (over-re)action has nothing to do with the death. You’d never know that. Nice touch with the Outbreak style photo, taken in Irving, which is neither Houston nor Fort Worth, if wikipedia’s entry on the ‘burb is correct.

And right below the panic news we get Mr. Obama’s assessment of what is his favorite subject and his first and utmost priority, himself.

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Comments

  1. amanda says:

    Yeah, the local school has the kids whipped into a frenzy. I also found the FWISD reaction to be over-the-top. My exchange student reports at least 2 Pearce students walking around (during “TAKS week”) wearing masks (hate to be those kids trying to get prom dates…)

    The only thing I’m left to conclude: WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE.

  2. Dallasite says:

    The state has can canceled all UIL activities this weekend. My niece, who won her district and was scheduled to run in three track events at the regional finals, is now finished for the season.

    WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE.

  3. and not a moment too soon…..

  4. Daniel says:

    Obama still hasn’t helped out with my bills. Bitterly. Disappointed.

  5. Tom says:

    Scary headlines boost “rack sales.” Whoever laid out that page will get a gold star for putting all that “above the fold.”
    Newspapers are so 20th century.

  6. Daniel says:

    Actually, the headline is rather vague. “Boy dies in Texas” could be a headline every day.

  7. El Rey says:

    I am very mixed on this issue.
    Is this just a Rahm Emmanuel “Never waste a good crisis” type event? How much overhype is it really? Doesn’t the regular flu kill thousands every year, too? I think ‘pandemic’ is being used too often, especially when the WHO has not classified it as a pandemic.

    Chaos caused by the Swine Flu: The Egyptian is slaughtering all swine, Russians have stopped importing American food, no open restaurants in Mexico City, FW ISD cancelling classes (I think it has something to do with avoiding TAKS testing), Doctors prescribing prophylactic prescriptions for Tamiflu, News Alerts every five minutes, etc…

  8. amanda says:

    @El Rey…my kid said yesterday, “I don’t think it’s a real pandemic. It’s more like an extra spring break.”

    Out of the mouths of babes.

  9. Frank R says:

    The fine line between fomenting panic and keeping people informed has been crossed. The press is never happy until “somebody, usually meaning public officials, do something,” especially if it has to do with what the press perceives to be public safety.

    Obama’s ego is awesome. Does he really need opinion polls? His serene self confidence is unshakeable in spite of his lack of acumen and ineptitude.

  10. Daniel says:

    He lacks both acumen and ineptitude? That’d make him average-to-mediocre, I suppose. Mission accomplished!

  11. towski says:

    36,000 people die every year in the United States from the regular flu, and every year the flu spreads from region to region, globablly.

    And yet, this particular outbreak is worth closing schools for? Why, because it isn’t February?

    The DMN just called to find out if we are closing the museum.

    I’m getting married in two weeks. If I have one out of town relative call and cancel because of the flu, so help me…

  12. towski says:

    I’m not sure what globablly is, but the word I was attempting to use is GLOBALLY. I must have mad cow disease.

  13. Daniel says:

    People need a scapegoat, and microbes have been trotted out for a reprise of their career-defining role.

    It’s much easier for people to blame the flu for killing them than to blame themselves for some of the regrettable decisions they’ve made. Oh, sure, that’s it, it was the flu — it’s not because you had window valances until the year 2000!

  14. amanda says:

    But wait…”Students missing class”? When did this happen? Like they ever even had any…

  15. keith johnson says:

    “How much overhype is it really? Doesn’t the regular flu kill thousands every year, too? I think ‘pandemic’ is being used too often, especially when the WHO has not classified it as a pandemic.”

    When did Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend become experts on this?

  16. The comments here exceed the original post in quality by a factor of 10.