Here’s a recent PBS headline:
Trumps considers limiting media access to the White House.
An average reader might interpret this as the President-Elect planning to reduce the press’s access to himself, his cabinet and his staff. After all, that’s what “the White House” is colloquially understood to mean.
The reality, however, is that Trump is considering moving the meeting location for the White House press corps to a larger space in order to accommodate more journalists (in particular, non-traditional ones e.g. bloggers). The fact that the meeting location being considered is in a different building allows PBS to make a statement that is literally correct but grossly misleading. How? They replace the colloquial understanding of “White House” with the more literal “the building known as the White House” meaning. But, they don’t bother to tell anyone, requiring the reader to parse the article in order through their subterfuge.
Sure, they decry this move as reducing the presence of the Press in the White House (in their last sentence), but they don’t offer any evidence that this would actually be the case. And, it is a reality that many people don’t read past headlines, and many more don’t read all the way to the end of an article.
Some people assign greater credence to PBS and NPR, because they are “not-for-profit” organizations and profits are deemed dirty and corrupting. Articles such as this do little to validate that assignment.
The editors should be embarrassed.
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I think you know that the editors will not be embarrassed by their lie. I also think it is time that the taxpayers should no longer provide funding to NPR/PBS. They can either survive or die on their ability to raise enough funds from those who voluntarily give them money.
The problem, Steve, is that ALL media spin things to fit their agenda. The spin doctors work really hard to get the most nods from their preferred customers. I’ve been hearing the spin ever since President Trump first decided to run. When he stated at his presidential campaign announcement “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” it was quickly spun by nearly every news media outlet and nearly every pundit as “Trump says all Mexicans are rapists.” Sadly, this happens on both sides of the aisle. That is why “spin doctors” are paid so well.