Bob McCarty Writes

First, a BBC News headline reported, Hackers target leading climate research unit. Ten days later, a new headline from the stodgy-and-liberal media outlet reads, Inquiry into stolen climate e-mails.

What’s wrong with those headlines?  They focus on something far less important than the fact that the e-mails exchanged between researchers at the UK’s East Anglia University appear to prove manipulation of climate change data on a global scale.  Why does that matter?  Because that data played — and continues to play — a significant role in the worldwide push for climate change legislation such as the soon-to-be-considered Copenhagen Treaty.

Below, I’ve prepared the headlines and lead paragraphs for five never-before-published “breaking news” articles about major events in history that mimic the aforementioned BBC News treatment of the climate change e-mails scandal:

• Loss of 70 Million Means More Room for Modern Chinese People (Oct. 1, 2009):  Quick to dismiss the loss of 70 million of the country’s citizens since Chairman Mao came to power, Chinese citizens say they are thankful to have so much extra room on the 60th anniversary of the country’s communist revolution.

• NYC Buildings Damaged by Aircraft (Sept. 11, 2001):  New York City’s skyline suffered considerable damage today after a pair of civilian airliners crashed into the World Trade Center buildings.

• Hostages Should Have Known Better (Nov. 4, 1979):  Who’s to blame for 52 people inside the U.S. Embassy in Tehran being captured by Iranian revolutionaries?

• Was Limo Driver Going Too Slow? (Nov. 22, 1963):  Many Americans were scratching their heads today, wondering if the driver of a limo should be held responsible for the chain of events that left one dead and another wounded in downtown Dallas this afternoon.

• Was Equipment Failure ‘Seed’ of Japanese Fury? (Dec. 7, 1941):  Hours after Japanese Zero aircraft waged an attack on Pearl Harbor, some are wondering whether anger about having to fly substandard equipment may have caused the Japanese navy pilots to snap.