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Example of How News Outlets Spin the Facts

I thought this was interesting, and a good example of how news outlets will spin the facts in order to get the headline they're after to further their agenda. The topic is the federal deficit / congressional spending reports that were released today. Both articles are written about this report and the numbers that are in it.

Both of these articles are completely factual. There are no incorrect statements in either article -- but the headlines, AND the text of each article, inspire polar opposite reactions towards the way our government has been spending money.

Article A: Federal Deficit Running Lower This Year (Associated Press)


Article B: Budget Deficit Jumped in August (Wall Street Journal)

The moral of the story is that you can't just read a headline to understand the news. You have to carefully consider what information was compiled to create the story, and what the author might be trying to teach you despite what the facts say.

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