Richard Beddie's take on simplifying the world we live in
Posts tagged Misleading Headlines
Stupid headline (and question)
03 years ago
Today the NZ Herald has the Headline Will Telecom Survive?
That’s easy: YES. Regardless of the XT issues, the “f&*% you” texts, it will. The later being nothing at all (the quote, ‘f*** you” scandal’ was one staff member (or maybe two) saying something highly inappropriate. No scandal.
Anyway .. back to this headline. The answer is easy. YES. End of story. The story the Herald runs actually isn’t much about the headline anyway, its more a history lesson, almost unrelated. It fails to answer the question posed by the headline. Even if the whole XT network collapsed Telecom would survive, even if their broadband business died it would. It might kill it’s share price, it might drain it of a bunch of cash, but it would survive. While the XT issue is going to hit it’s customer base it will FAR from kill it.
Black and White Version: Yes, Telecom will survive.
The PM didnt say that! (about the NZ flag)
83 years ago
The NZ Herald today has the headline Let’s have the silver fern, PM says. Ummmm, no he didn’t!
Even the text (repeated below) in the article makes that clear. Or even better watch the YouTube clip.
Not withstanding that I have said that I would keep the New Zealand flag [as it is] just simply because there are probably bigger issues to sort of deal with, my personal view is if you had an alternative … I would go with [the silver fern]
One of the better examples of the media making a headline to get attention about a story that isn’t there. The PM actually thinks “Let’s keep the flag the same for now” – nothing to see here, no story!
On a side note, I happen to think the silver fern is an EXCELLENT idea for the next NZ flag. I also think now IS the time to change it (or nowISH). As has been pointed out, the silver fern predates both Pakeha and Maori, and is something both groups can related to, as well as being uniquely Kiwi.
Black and White Version: The silver fern would make an excellent flag (IMHO), but that’s NOT what John Key said.
Lost your phone? This won’t help coz you won’t use it
03 years ago
More non news today when the NZ Herald reported about a gadget with the headline “Losing mobile may be a thing of the past”
All I can say is RUBBISH. There is so much wrong with the headline, and the story.
- The device doesn’t stop you LOSING your phone, it helps you FIND it (so the headline is just wrong).
- I doubt anyone with a nice new shiny phone (especially an iPhone) will attach one to it. For this to work it needs to be BUILT into the phone.
- The article says Laurie Penix, co-founder and president of Zomm, came up with the idea for the gadget last year after a friend’s husband lost his third iPhone. Well maybe Laurie (or her friends husband) has never heard of the Find my iPhone function introduced as a part of MobileMe. It already exists!
- The technology also already exists to do this within most phones via bluetooth. Here is the product in reverse (it locks your computer if your phone goes out of range of it).
Black and White Version: YAWN. More non-news.
