Editors: "I want positive headlines only! The boss says he's been getting calls from the Trump people about all the negative headlines!"
Journo: "Gotcha!"
And it’s just the literal truth— no value judgments needed in the headline, readers can decide for themselves if it’s a good thing or not.
Carefully choosing the exactright level of disapproval in their adjectives is not what’s needed from the media. Presenting the unvarnished facts will be fine.
It’s a very fair point! there’s no such thing as value-free language.
On the other hand, few people would say that calling (say) Stalin a “strongman” or a “dictator” was (mainly)expressing a value judgment— at this point that’s just considered an accurate description….
And it seems like describing what’s being done and said these days reasonably literally, without euphemism, is going to sound like a value judgment. “Trump calls for expelling Gazans to other countries and building resorts on their land”—- plenty horrifying, no adjectives needed.
“Trump sends billions of gallons of water into Northern California fields—despite his claims, it will never reach LA”… just the facts, no tsk-tsking, res ipsa loquitur.
You’re right —every word has value, depending on context.
I’d call “relocating” a euphemism when forcibly removing people from their homeland. “Expelling” is a more “neutral” description to me, in the sense of “doesn’t actively downplay this act’s inherent brutality”
Split hairs as you will. "Strongmen cheer" is a decidedly negative title that does not sit on the sidelines. It is a literal counterpoint to the text of your post.
Lol Trump is issuing vague incoherent threats to Iran if they try to take him out while DISMANTLING USAID... They are more likely to throw him a parade at this point
Comments
Journo: "Gotcha!"
Carefully choosing the exactright level of disapproval in their adjectives is not what’s needed from the media. Presenting the unvarnished facts will be fine.
On the other hand, few people would say that calling (say) Stalin a “strongman” or a “dictator” was (mainly)expressing a value judgment— at this point that’s just considered an accurate description….
I’d call “relocating” a euphemism when forcibly removing people from their homeland. “Expelling” is a more “neutral” description to me, in the sense of “doesn’t actively downplay this act’s inherent brutality”