This has got to be the most misleading headline I've ever seen

[tbyg52]

And it continues the misdirection for several paragraphs.

My only experience in journalism is when I signed up for the class in high school and dropped it almost immediately when the teacher told us to write some specified kind of story on the first day and gave us no instruction whatsoever.

But even *I* can tell what's wrong with this!

NYT regrets moveon.org ad on Petraeus

NEW YORK (AFP) — The New York Times has expressed regret about publishing a paid advertisement that contained an attack against the commander of US forcers in Iraq, General David Petraeus.

The full-page add by the liberal group MoveOn.org appeared in the paper on September 10, the day Petraeus appeared before Congress to testify about the war in Iraq, under the provocative headline "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"

It sparked outrage among Republicans and some Democrats.

On Sunday, New York Times public editor Clark Hoyt said "the ad violated The Times's own written standards, and the paper now says that the advertiser got a price break it was not entitled to."

It takes them until the FOURTH PARAGRAPH to actually state what the story is really about! I though I was all out of outrage at the media, but this is in a class of its own.

More:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hSiPbnw2k7CRkhZacD2CszpNq0wg

Link to the organization (never heard of them before):
http://www.afp.com/english/home/

[NMDemDist2]

1. Agence France-Presse is like the AP for France

they are a very believable source

[tbyg52]

4. Oh. My. God.

And they can't distinguish (in the headline and first three paragraphs anyway) between the NYT's regret at not charging the full price (as they should have for a guaranteed run date) and their *lack* of expressed regret at the content of the ad.

Edited to say that I'd like to have been a fly on the wall and know if this was deliberate. My initial reaction is that it *had* to be. Then I'd like to know who did the deliberate misleading, and why. (Besides general corporate control of the world, I mean.)

[fenriswolf]

5. do they state

that moveon.org paid them the full price after the fact.

[tbyg52]

6. Yeah, after a headline and three paragraphs of misdirection. nt

[progpen]

2. Mainstream media just doesn't have a clue anymore.

Freedom of speech is good, no, it's bad, but it's good sometimes, but no it's just bad, unless AWOL tells us it's good, but then it's REALLY bad.

[tbyg52]

7. Hi progpen!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[progpen]

9. Thank you!

That's one thing I've noticed about this forum, is that the members seem noticeably more courteous and friendly than in some others.

[Whisp]

8. oh, but they do have their clues, and cues.

this was obviously intentional, the misleading headline.

[truedelphi]

3. Ithink that MSM does have a clue - they know most people

Do not read past the headline and therefore they LOVE to misstate something so that
it has the same effect as the opposite but untrue story.

[Kurovski]

10. K&R. (nt)