General Question

dkranzberg's avatar

What is your favorite example of a newspaper headline gone wrong?

Asked by dkranzberg (534points) November 20th, 2010

Newspaper and internet news headlines can be downright hysterical when they are written in an ambiguous or equivocal way.
What is your favorite example?
Here are a few of mine:
—Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
—Defendant’s Speech Ends in Long Sentence
—Hershey Bars Protest
—Political Left Waffles on Bill
—Policeman Helps Dog Bite Victim
—Miners Refuse to Work after Death
—Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
—Teens Make Nutritious Snacks
—City High School Dropouts Cut in Half
—Sex Ed. Delayed, Teachers Request Training
—Denver Voters Approve Urban Renewal By Landslide
—Mayor Swears in Town Council

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12 Answers

Lightlyseared's avatar

Something went wrong in jet crash, expert says

wenwen's avatar

‘County to pay $250,00 to advertise lack of funds’

Lightlyseared's avatar

Big Ugly Woman Wins Beauty Pageant (Newspaper in town of Big Ugly, WV)

OK so theres a chanve this is just an internet meme but it’s still funny

gailcalled's avatar

The giant headline that declared Thomas Dewey the next president of the United States. Here’s a picture of President Elect Harry Truman holding up that newspaper (Chicago Daiy Tribune). “Dewey Defeats Truman.”
http://www.myptsmail.com/hotdog256/blog/?p=2272

marinelife's avatar

My favorite comes from a newspaper in Pennsylvania (a very Catholic state):

“Nun Beats Off Attacker”

flutherother's avatar

How about “Small Brown Ring Discovered Around Uranus”

chyna's avatar

We have a town in WV named Big Ugly.
This is a true headline: Big Ugly woman dies in car wreck.

janbb's avatar

“Sled Dogs Forced to Evacuate in Alaskan Territory” on cnn.com

UScitizen's avatar

“Fertile woman dies in Climax”

In North Western Minnesota there are two towns called Fertile
and Climax that are about 10 miles apart. The headline was on
a story about a woman from Fertile, MN who died in a car
accident in Climax, MN.

UScitizen's avatar

Large cracks appear in planned Auckland brothel

—The building was getting cracks in the front wall.

GracieT's avatar

@UScitizen, you couldn’t have asked for a better example! I can’t help but wonder, however, if the person writing that in the paper phrased the notice that way on purpose!

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