Gongol.com Archives: August 2024
August 9, 2024
Sometimes, we become so used to the syntax of professionally-written, objective journalistic headlines that we have to re-read them to really digest what's happening. The viewpoint neutrality so highly valued can create a smokescreen for sinister motivations that are worth revealing. ■ For example, today we have this headline from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "Death Toll In Ukraine Supermarket Strike Rises To 14 As Rescue Effort Suspended". RFE/RL is a respectable, reputable source of news, and this headline would pass scrutiny as being factual without lending moral judgment. ■ But when drained of that moral judgment, the headline also loses a critical component of its humanity. The real story behind the headline is encapsulated in this alternative: "Russia launched a missile to blow up a supermarket in Ukraine and kill the innocent people inside. 14 of them are now dead." ■ Still factual, but projected through a lens of moral expectations. And what that latter headline would say is scathing.
