How To Spot Fake News Headlines

Friday, February 09, 2007

How To Spot Fake News Headlines

Apparently, reporters have a fetish for the number 19.

Why would journalist throw this number 19 in their headlines?

You can't make this stuff folks... or can you!:

2007

• At least 19 killed in bus crash in northern India [2/7/2007]
• WorldOne Russian killed, at least 19 injured in Italian bus crash [2/5/2007]
• Search for victims after deadly Fla. storms... At least 19 killed, but death toll might not be known for days [2/3/2007]
• Wall Collapse In India Kills At Least 19 [2/3/2007]
• Huge explosions rock Baghdad, at least 19 killed [1/25/2007]
• At least 19 U.S. servicemen killed in day of violence in Iraq [1/20/2007]
• Car Bombings in Baghdad Kill at Least 19 Iraqis [1/18/2007]
• At Least 19 Killed In Nation-Wide Ice Storms [1/14/2007]
• At Least 19 Dead In Calif. Storms [1/11/2007]


2006

• Drug gangs unleash havoc in Rio as 19 die [12/29/2006]
• At least 19 killed in Indonesian landslide [12/25/2006]
• At least 19 Iraqi civilians, including seven women and eight children, were killed Friday in U.S. air strikes northwest of Baghdad, Iraqi police and officials said. [12/8/2006]
• Bulgaria bus, truck crash kills 19 [12/7/2006]
• Children among 19 killed by Israeli tank fire [11/8/2006]
• State one of at least 19 offering sedatives to death row inmates [11/8/2006]
• Cycling Chief Seeks Bans for at Least 19 Riders in Blood Probe [10/2/2006]
• 19 Russians, Puppets Killed in 36 Hours in Chechnya [9/29/2006]
• Gunman Kills One, Wounds 19 in Shooting Spree at Montreal College [9/14/2006]
• Bombs kill at least 19 in Baghdad, gunfights in Basra and Mosul [8/16/2006]
• Villagers in Dongzhou Reveal That at Least 19 Have Died in the Recent Conflict [8/12/2006]
• South Lebanon Closed; Strikes Kill 19 [8/9/2006]
• Baghdad blasts kill at least 19 [8/8/2006]
• At least 19 dead and scores injured in China earthquake [7/23/2006]
• At least 19 killed in Iraq, 11 in Baghdad mosque bombing [6/16/2006]
• Flash floods kill at least 19 in southwest China [6/14/2006]
• Gunmen Attack Bus Near Baghdad, At Least 19 Killed [6/5/2006]
• At least 19 more waterways may need mercury advisories [5/2006]
• At least 19 killed in Baghdad bombing [5/26/2006]
• At least 19 killed in Baghdad attacks [5/22/2006]
• Urgent: At least 19 dead in Baghdad blast [5/20/2006]
• 19 killed in Iraq [5/11/2006]
• At least 19 killed by US storms [4/6/2006]
• Storms kill at least 19 in Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois [4/3/2006]
• Insurgents kill at least 19 Iraqis in rural area [3/4/2006]
• Religious mobs kill at least 19 more in Nigeria [2/23/2006]
• Clashes in southern Afghanistan kill at least 19 [2/4/2006]


2005

• At least 19 dead as seaplane crashes off Miami [12/20/2005]
• At least 19 dead in Iraq car bomb [11/25/2005]
• At Least 19 Sony BMG Titles Including Trey Anastasio And Our Lady Peace "Protected" By Controversial Rootkit Software [11/11/2005]
• Indiana tornado kills at least 19 [11/7/2005]
• Bali blasts death toll at 19 [10/2/2005]
• Typhoon Damrey kills 6, leaves at least 19 missing in Vietnam [9/28/2005]
• At least 19 killed in Hamas rally explosion [9/24/2005]
• At least 19 killed in Tunisian ATR crash. [8/6/2005]
• Utah Code gives at least 19 ways for agents to lose their licenses [7/9/2005]
• At Least 19 Dead in Guerrilla Violence [6/4/2005]
• At least 19 dead in Colombia conflict [4/18/2005
• Plant explosion injures at least 19 [3/24/2005]
• At least 19 people injured after rebels bombed a train in Thailand [2/19/2005]
• Four explosions kill at least 19 in Iraq [2/19/2005]
• At Least 19 Are Hurt as Small Jet Skids Off New Jersey Runway [2/5/2005]
• Insurgent attacks kill at least 19 [1/28/2005]


2004

• Mosul Rocket Attack Kills At Least 19 American Soldiers - Single Package Bomb Blows Up Tent Halliburton Maybe Was Supposed To Replace By Christmas [12/21/2004]
• 19 killed, 15 wounded in Baghdad car bomb attack [11/11/2004]
• Japan Quake Kills At Least 19 [10/25/2004]
• At Least 19 Die as Violence Continues to Surge in Iraq [6/6//2004]
• Lassa fever kills at least 19 in southern Nigeria. [5/5/2004]
• At least 19 killed in Najaf clash: report [4/4/2004]
• Official Says At Least 19 Killed, 26 Injured In Blasts [4/4/2004]


2003

• 19 killed, 50 injured in commuter train blast in Stavropol Region today [12/5/2003]
• At Least 19 Hurt in California Prison Riot [12/3/2003]
• Suicide bomber kills at least 19 in Israel [10/5/2003]
• Twisters kill at least 19 in Kansas and Missouri [5/5/2003]
• Three bombings claim at least 19 lives [3/5/2003]
• At Least 19 Killed in Strong Earthquake in Mexico [1/22/2003]


2002

• At least 19 killed in train derailment in Andhra Pradesh [12/22/2002]
• Ukraine Mine Blast Kills At Least 19 [8/1/2002]
• At Least 19 Killed In Spin Boldak Blast [6/28/2002]
• Passover bomber kills at least 19 Israelis [3/28/2002]
• Japan: Fear of forcible return, At least 19 Afghan asylum-seekers. [3/12/2002]
• At least 19 people injured by stray bullets at new year celebrations in Puerto Rico [1/2/2002]


2001

• Jerusalem terrorist attacks claim at least 12 dead [12/2/2001]
• At least 19 Islamic extremists passed through Japan [9/18/2001]
• At least 19 Japanese nationals at trade center missing [9/12/2001]
• Tornado slams Colorado town; at least 19 injured [5/21/2001]


2000

• CATA wrecks injure at least 19 [9/20/2000]
• At least 19 killed in tornadoes in Southeast America [2/15/2000]


1999

• Twisters kill at least 19 [5/4/1999]


1996
• At least 19 killed in Jerusalem bombing [3/3/1996]
• Human cytomegalovirus clinical isolates carry at least 19 genes not found in laboratory strains. [1/1996]


1990
• Car Bombs Kill at Least 19 In 2 Bogota Shopping Malls [5/13/1990]


Whenever there is a staged event (like this), the media lets the "criminals" know the mission was successful by adding the phrase, "At least" in the headline.

For example:
At least 19 killed in shooting
At least 13 killed in tornado
At least 19 killed in Iraq bombing

And on and on... seriously... whip out your newspaper and look for the phrase "at least." -- the AP (Associated Press) codes their headlines with "at least" all of the time.

Of course, the newspapers can defend this by saying they're not sure of the count... but when you look on websites from over 27 years ago, you'll still see the headlines with "at least xxx killed".

By the way... this is one of the most important posts I've ever discovered...

... And it's for this reason I recommend you let your friends know about it -- strength in numbers... once the criminals know we're on to them, we might be able to get real news put back into the media again.

Pass this post along to your friends... the URL is:
http://frogsinhotwater.blogspot.com

3 comments:

Alice Inwonderland said...

Why 19? Is that the number with the most hits returned when Googled? Are you saying the government bullshits regarding numbers? How can you prove they are legitimately illegitimate?

Markus Allen said...

Hello Alice,


Actually, I'm not exactly sure about the number 19 per se, but I am certain about the pattern of words preceeding the number 19... it's the phrase "at least".


What's up with that?

Jay said...

Jerusalem terrorist attacks claim at least 12 dead [12/2/2001]

Guess u nissed that one.