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Good, Bad, and Ugly

Reader reaction to Reuters news

April 22nd, 2008

Ambiguous headline

Posted by: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Editor
Tags: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, , , ,

U.S. forces free AP photographer in Iraq after 2 yrs

release-180.jpgBAGHDAD (Reuters) - A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer working for the Associated Press in Iraq was freed from U.S. military custody on Wednesday after being held without charge for two years, the news agency said.

Your headline should have read, “U.S. forces release AP photographer in Iraq after 2 years.” Funny how this small change makes what really happen so much clearer. Was this “Spin” to obscure the real facts, or an oversight?

Bill S. An oversight, and you make a fair point. Our original headline was ambiguous, and readers could have concluded that someone else was holding the photographer until U.S. forces rescued him. We subsequently issued the story with the headline you suggested: GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Andrea Comas

2 comments so far

thank you

- Posted by rose cummings

thank you to all of your staff for showing the real meaning of the word HELL. I am grateful for all that I have after knowing what others are going thru. Your journalist are fantastic and should have every gratitude . Showing what humans are capable of good and bad makes me realize the magnatude of our world . THANK YOU

- Posted by rose cummings

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