Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Pakistani whispers

CNN's portal news feed to Netscape is dramatically illustrating attempts to keep Bin Laden in the news as a "threat" and "fugitive" while not actually having any new information to impart. CNN reports on a BBC interview with the Pakistani President who claims:

"There was a time when the dragnet had closed and we thought we knew roughly the area where he possibly could be."

Not only is the information second-hand in terms of source (BBC via CNN), the period he is discussing was "maybe about eight to 10 months back", and the language is overly qualified with adverbs to the point where there is no definite statement being made at all, only the semblance of one. The only "real" information contained is that

"[the] comments confirmed Pakistani intelligence officials' claims that the trail of the world's most wanted man has gone cold. Senior officials close to the hunt have told The Associated Press they have received no information on his whereabouts for months and have no indication of any specific attack he is planning."

So the headline "Forces Almost Caught Bin Laden" belies the reality that there is no new information, and no new threats, while managing to give the misleading impression of exactly the opposite.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 4:15 pm ::