Dumb Headline of the Week
Sometimes, the headline copywriter just gets it wrong.
When initial unemployment claims fell 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 311,000, it led to this headline:
Labor Market May Be Stronger Than Believed
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119029143351333789.html
Except for the first sentence, which stated "Jobless claims fell last week, a hint the employment picture may not be as bleak as last month's decline in payrolls suggested" the gravamen of the article was that many indicators were negative.
The writer mentioned that LEIs fell yet again, as weakness in consumer confidence, jobless claims, stock prices and building permits took a toll. More than a quarter of the firms said they are scaling back employment and capital-spending plans because of deterioration in the construction industry and financial-market uncertainty.
This sort of stuff must make reporters nuts . . .
Friday, September 21, 2007 | 01:30 PM | Permalink
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Good one. We could have a separate spot on the site for dumb headlines of the day. As more thoughtless, contradictory headlines are highlighted for public viewing, perhaps repeat offender commentators, reporters and the like will start to put some more thought and critical analysis in their pieces. Am not even going to get into the ones written with obvious intent to distort...
Posted by: Stuart | Sep 21, 2007 1:47:39 PM
Sign of the times as another one bites the dust.
HSBC PLC will close its standalone U.S. subprime-mortgage business and take $945 million in related charges ...
The London banking giant will close Decision One Mortgage, which originates nonprime mortgages through brokers. Instead, the company will focus on loan origination and servicing through its HFC and Beneficial bank branches.
Posted by: Stuart | Sep 21, 2007 1:49:15 PM
Hello! This blog that it was difficult as for the English for the Japanese who watched blog of English study in various ways now that it came from Japan was interesting
Posted by: suzuki | Sep 21, 2007 2:21:15 PM
[Latka pays Louie a coin]
Louie De Palma: What's this?
Latka Gravas: It's a kebble.
Louie De Palma: What's a kebble?
Latka Gravas: 110 kebble make a lithnitch.
Louie De Palma: What's a lithnich?
Latka Gravas: 270 lithnich make a matta.
Louie De Palma: What's a matta?
Latka Gravas: I don't know, what's the matter with you?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077089/quotes
Posted by: curmudgeonly troll | Sep 21, 2007 2:29:27 PM
Great quote at the end. One simple line to sum up what's unfolding.
However, Wood predicted that investors would soon realise that the sub-prime crisis is simply the catalyst of a much wider breakdown, arguing that it has been the “Archduke Ferdinand assassination event” that sparks a bigger calamity.
“This is not a sub-prime crisis. Sub-prime has merely exposed the bigger scam of structured finance; a scam that is about pretending that bad credit is good credit,” he said.
Posted by: Stuart | Sep 21, 2007 2:30:47 PM
We could go back to before the Fed rate cut for some great WSJ headlines about how a rate cut would help the dollar (as noticed early this week in this most excellent blog.)
Can someone please change the Wikipedia entry for 'Strong Dollar Policy?'
...unless, of course, Dick Cheney 'doesn't see it that way.'
Posted by: VennData | Sep 21, 2007 2:46:40 PM
there's weakness in stock prices?
Posted by: a guy called john | Sep 21, 2007 3:12:12 PM
My favorite headlines of the week in my local business section. There are only two articles and headlines on the page. Top article headline.
"Market Gains on Optimism" with a sub headline of "Stocks rise as investors expect boost to profits, economy in general"
Directly below:
"Housing ills spark recession talk" with a sub headline of "Lawmakers are told real estate downturn could get much worse".
I didn't know "recession talk" normally sparked optimism in the markets. I wonder if the person laying out the page did that on purpose to point out the aburdity of all of this.
Posted by: 12th percentile | Sep 21, 2007 4:07:13 PM
