Politico, please define “walked into”
Written by Eric Boehlert
Published
I want to write headlines for Politico. I really do. Because when you write headlines for Politico you can literally create any “news” story that catches your fancy. You're imagination is free to run wild and you don't have to be bothered with any of the traditional restraints (re: guidelines) that generations of journalists have adhered. Why? Because headlines don't have to match the story and they don't have reflect the actual content. Editors don't mind. In fact, they seem to encourage the misinformation.
The latest comes in the form of this headline: “Obama walks into window,” complete with the the caption “D'oh!” The item itself references a New York Daily News piece about the supposed blunder. Here's what the NYDN actually wrote [emphasis added]:
On the way back to the Oval Office Tuesday, the President approached a paned window, instead of the actual door -- located a few feet to his right.
Did Obama walk into a window? No. Does Politico let the facts get in the way of the story it wants to tell? Almost never.