Wednesday, October 03, 2007

How a headline can mislead

Now when I saw this headline in today's Times - 'U-turn on showing of Al Gore climate change film in school' - I thought, oh, they have stopped schools from showing the film to their pupils, I wonder why.

So I read the article, only to discover that far from not stopping the film being shown, schools have simply been issued with new guidance about how to present the film, because some thought that the film was 'brainwashing' and 'too political'.

Now I'm all in favour of things being balanced, and of all sides and points of view being presented equitably, which the new guidance is supposedly going to assist with; but a headline like that is, to say the least, rather misrepresentative of the underlying story.

I'll bet that sometime before this day is over, someone will tell me that they've stopped showing 'An Inconvenient Truth' in schools; "it's definitely true, I saw it in The Times".

ADDENDUM (From Junkk Male) - I agree on the headline. But still have to wonder about the logic behind it all and how it has been handled, especially with many more up to date accounts soon on offer (on this very blog).

Telegraph - Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' can be shown to schools

BBC - Climate film allowed in schools


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