Here are two ways to write the same story.
One is from a conservative newspaper written by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and one is from the ultra-right Arizona Sun Times.
The first headline is from the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
The second headline is from the ultra-right Arizona Sun Times headline:
Do you immediately see the difference without even reading the article? However, you do need to read each article to see all the differences.
When you read through the article from Las Vegas Review-Journal (opens in a new tab), you’ll quickly discover that it was written from a factual, center bias point of view. In other words, just the facts please.
When you read through the article from the Arizona Sun Times (opens in a new tab), you’ll quickly discover an ultra-right point of view. Where calling out “Biden’s Genderfluid” and “Charged Again” sets the tone for the article and has nothing to do with the facts.
There are more examples of this in the second article, see if you can find them.
This way of writing ensures political discourse that keeps certain groups of people stupid. It’s a messaging war. By writing headlines and stories like the second article, that group of people will continue to be easily manipulated with outrage.
One way to stay smart on headlines and news is to check out the group Ad Fontes Media. They help folks navigate the complex and dynamic news landscape. Here is their YouTube channel to help get you started: https://www.youtube.com/@AdFontesMedia/featured.