Insert [hot topic] here

[NEOWatcher]

How many times have you read stories that tell you absolutely nothing, because the same is true about anything.
Example:
Buy In Bulk To Save On Organic Products (http://www.newsnet5.com/money/14372737/detail.html)
Or:
Buy in Bulk to Save on "X"

This particular one sounds more like an advertisement for the linked organic-ization.

[Noclevername]

Newstainment is in the business of staying in business. And to do that, they need advertisers' dollars. "News On-- apply directly to the wallet!"

[Fazor]

A good example is any of the "Eating too much [x] can lead to obesity". Well, duh.

[KaiYeves]

Most people must be indifferent to this, but
"Ancient x discovered in Egypt/Isreal/Greece" always makes my heart beat faster. In a mainstream paper, however, it's usually just a blurb that, again, tells you nothing.

[Noclevername]

"Crime rates higher in poor neighborhood."

[tdvance]

add to this the "duh" headlines--"study proves overeating causes obesity" types of things that pop up in the news so often.

Or badly misleading headlines--they seem to give information, but they give the wrong information. I remember a recent one that is something along the lines of (not this, but analogous--I forgot what it really was):

"man arrested for showing face in store" when he was arrested for robbing the store, but identified because he took his ski mask off before leaving the store and was recognized. It was something of that ilk that made me think "police being really bad here" and reading the article shows, "no, the reporter is being really bad here".

[Maksutov]

_____ Crisis in _____ Threatens _____. Details at _____.

[Neverfly]

(snip)
"man arrested for showing face in store" when he was arrested for robbing the store, but identified because he took his ski mask off before leaving the store and was recognized. It was something of that ilk that made me think "police being really bad here" and reading the article shows, "no, the reporter is being really bad here".

I dunno. I know some people that should be arrested for showing their face.

[Noclevername]

"Dog bites man: dog said to be in stable condition". :D

[tdvance]

and one on this forum somewhere else:

"Gasoline prices keep going up"--well, given that the economy is (possibly naturally, but also ) encouraged by the FEDS to be slightly inflationary, that's like saying "time keeps ticking".

Todd

[KaiYeves]

"Exhibition about evolution opens in X, organization X protests."

[Noclevername]

"Results of new study prove controversial".

[The_Radiation_Specialist]

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more

No comment

[NEOWatcher]

No comment
At least that one is intended for an audience that is close to the issue.

It's when mainstream says:

_______, an entertainer, claims that _______, is _______ during an interview for his/her new movie/book/series.

[Fazor]

Anything that starts with the words "Studies Show". Not only are the headlines generally inane, but badscience is sure to follow.

Particularly health articles. For instance, my g/f was reading that "studies show that taking too many vitamins may be bad for your health." and went on to say that a study found that "Men who take more than one one-a-day vitamin tablet are 22% more likely to develop prostate cancer".

Oh no, excess vitamins cause cancer!.... ...or, men who have health issues and/or know that cancer run in their families, and are therefore higher risk of developing cancer, take more vitamins because of this knowlege, in the belief that it might help them stay healthy. Oh wait, why would someone that's high risk think more about health than someone like me that's low risk...naw that makes too much sense.

The reason it annoys me so much is that the average reader sees a statement like that and doesn't think about it any deeper than "they take [x]. They got caner. [x] causes cancer".

[NEOWatcher]

At least that one is intended for an audience that is close to the issue.
Ooops; spoke too soon. It's one of the top CNN headlines (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/10/22/books.potter.dumbledore.ap/index.html) right now.

[Noclevername]

Bread, meet Circus. Circus, Bread. Together, you will be... The Distractors! Keep that fuzzy focus on trivia, people!