Not-terrible Star headline still watered down from original

by David Safier

I was somewhat pleased when I saw the Star headline this morning on a story about Senate Republicans filibustering debate on the financial reform bill:

Senate fails to OK potent Wall Street regs; Dems press on

Not bad, I thought. It doesn't quite make the Dems look like pathetic losers who can't get anything done. It could be much worse.

Then I did a Google search of headlines for the AP story the Star used. By far the most prevalent headline was this:

Democrats push bank controls; GOP delays action

Let's compare. The most used headline, which I'm guessing is the default head AP put on the story, says the Democrats are on the side of putting controls on the banks, but the Republicans are standing in the way. The Star headline says the Senate couldn't get the regulations on Wall Street — not on the banks, but on Wall Street — OK'd for some unknown reason, but the Democrats will continue to try.

The Star, whose Creative Headline Writing Team manufactured the headline (I couldn't find anyone else who used it) watered down the Democrats' active role in pushing bank reform and the Republicans' active role in stalling the bill's progress.

And the Star headline even gets it wrong. The vote wasn't to "OK potent Wall Street regs." It was to start debate on the bill.

I have a question for the Star publisher and editors: With your stripped-down staff after recent layoffs, don't you think you can find a better use of their time than rewriting perfectly good headlines?

Unless, of course, the purpose of the rewrite is to slant the news.

UPDATE: Daily Kos has a list of headlines about the vote from various papers. The Star's is weaker than any of them, including one in Business Week.

The Los Angeles Times:
Republican senators block debate on finance bill

The New York Times:
GOP Blocks Debate on Financial Oversight Bill

MSNBC:
GOP blocks financial reform bill

The Boston Globe:
Republicans reject advancing financial regulations bill

USA Today:
GOP blocks Senate action on financial overhaul

CBS News:
Republicans Block Debate on Financial Reform Bill

Market Watch:
Republicans block bank-reform bill

The San Francisco Chronicle:
Financial overhaul bill debate blocked by GOP

Business Week:
Republican Rejection of Finance Bill May Open Party To Attacks

The Washington Post:
Talks continue as GOP senators blocks debate of financial overhaul bill

The New York Daily News:
Reid Move Forces Real Filibuster, Traps GOP