Game on! Vote for Worst Star Headline of 2010

by David Safier

In 2010 I wrote close to 30 posts about headlines in the Star. Three of the posts were non-negative. The rest inspired me to coin the term, Star's Creative Headline Writing Team. They ranged from slap-your-forehead annoying to bang-your-fists-on-the-table infuriating.

I've chosen five-plus-one headlines. OK, it's six total, but the last one really isn't in contention. I'm just amazed every time I think about it, so I had to include it.

Here they are, in chronological order. Since they don't mean as much out of context, I have a short explanation of each below, complete with the headlines most other papers used for the identical story.

Vote. If you want, comment about the reason for your vote. I'll have the poll up for a few days, in case you want to mull over your choice. You can only vote once.

About the headlines:

1. Obama's budget draws bipartisan scorn on Hill

Most used headline: Obama team draws sharp questions on US budget. Nothing about scorn in other papers' headlines. Nothing about bipartisan scorn. The Star chose those words to disparage the new President.

2. Republicans still have a shot at blocking Dems' initiative

Most used headline: GOP readies Senate bid to halt health bill. The Star thought this was the sports page where you root for the home team with headlines like "UA still has a shot at the playoffs." Guess which party is the home team in the Star headline. (NOTE: Far more bad Star headlines were about the health care legislation than any other topic.)

3. Why seniors say Obamacare is bad medicine for them 

Most used headline: Seniors fear health care remake will hurt Medicare. It was rare to see the pejorative term, Obamacare, in any daily in the country (it wasn't used anywhere in the article), and unheard of to use it in a headline. The snarky phrase "Obamacare is Bad Medicine" could be seen on printed placards at every Tea Party event during the Health Care debate. I couldn't find it used in a single newspaper anywhere, ever.

4. US tax is actually down – but enjoy it while you can

Most used headline: Tax Day rhetoric aside, Americans' bills are lower. The main point of the article was that taxes were down since Obama became president. The Star's out-of-nowhere phrase,  "but enjoy it while you can," implied taxes were sure to go up again with a Democratic president and congress.

5. Disillusioned workers to Obama: 'Is the American dream dead for me?'

Most used headline: Disappointed Supporters Question Obama. The article was about a town hall where Obama was getting tough questions from supporters. One person asked, "Is the American dream dead for me?" The Star used it in the headline and suggested it was the sentiment aired, not by one person, but by many "disillusioned workers."

6. 23% of high school grads fail Army entrance test 

Most used headline: Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam. The Star headline states that almost a quarter of high school grads are too poorly educated to get into the army. The real story is, of those high school graduates who try to get into the army, 23% fail the test — not a great stat, but worlds away from the Star's gross misstatement.