Blues Clues News

I have long had a My Yahoo page and on it I've got, among other things, Reuters: Top Stories and AP: Top Stories.

This, you might say, is redundant. Sure, I could get The Guardian: Top Stories, or something else that offers a broader context than our US-centric news wires but, hey, I'm a true Amurican: I barely get through a few headlines much less read whole stories about distant lands!

Besides, I often find it interesting to compare Reuters and AP. There are subtle differences in the way they deliver their stories. You have to be a detective to pick up on it but put your Blues Clues magic flea collar in place (or whatever Blue uses [okay, I've never watched the show I just liked the rhyme]) and see if you can suss out what I'm talking about.

For example, as I write this the top two stories for both of these are: 1) Obama's status as of yesterday's voting and 2) Ted Kennedy's medical crisis.

Here's how they cover these...

Reuters:
Obama takes big step, focuses on McCain
AP:
Obama inching ever closer to nomination

Reuters:
Sen. Kennedy exits hospital, family legacy discussed
AP:
Kennedy leaves hospital and returns to Cape Cod

See that?? AP has Obama "inching" while Reuters has him taking a "big step". In Reuters' version, the words/ideas Kennedy and legacy are linked. To AP, Kennedy could be Amy Winehouse.

Which just confirms my belief that there is no unbiased press. Right, left, take your pick. There are righter and lefter and righterer and lefterer news organizations but there is no unbiased reporting.