Misbehaving Headlines
Trump tries to villainize Fauci, distort pandemic history
Washington Post article by Matt Viser and Yasmeen Abutaleb
Sir and Madam, One question and one comment:
The subtitle to your story reads “His GOP allies minimize former president’s role in handling of health crisis.”
The article’s first paragraph begins: “Donald Trump and his Republican allies have spent the last few weeks trying to rewrite or distort the history of the pandemic, attempting with renewed vigor to villainize Anthony S. Fauci while lionizing the former president… “
So, which is it? Was the headline writer on a bender? Do you luv a a badass?
And to close: Writing gurus recommend avoiding ‘tries to…’ and I’m always catching it in my own writing. Trump didn’t try to villainize Fauci, he indeed villainized Fauci.
Though we all try, as my ninth grade journalism teacher, Ms. Yates tried telling me.
Sincerely, Bill Evans
