The writer was told there'd be no math

[Dinsdale]

Local news site story, or the good part:

One in three Oregon schools fall short of goals


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- New data suggests that just 61 percent of Oregon schools are meeting federal academic goals

I take it the writer went to one of those 39% of the schools (aka 1/3rd)?

[Mikey]

Local news site story, or the good part:

One in three Oregon schools fall short of goals


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- New data suggests that just 61 percent of Oregon schools are meeting federal academic goals

I take it the writer went to one of those 39% of the schools (aka 1/3rd)?

It's called rounding to the nearest fraction. 39% is closer to 1/3 than it is to 1/2 or 1/4.
They're just dumbing down the headline to make it understandable to their average dumbass reader, who probably understands "one in threee" better than 39%.

Would you object to calling 34% "one in three"?

How about 33%?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Good point. A mathematical equation as the headline would've been awkward journalism.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Headlines are about attention grabbing. If you want to learn stuff, I'd suggest reading the actual articles.

[Mikey]

Really. Accuracy should never get in the way of a good headline.

Actually, the headline understated the number of failing schools by either 6% or by 18%, depending on how you look at it.


And...

Accuracy is relative, as we all know.

[Mikey]

Most of my relatives aren't Liberal, so I guess that means Liberal isn't relative.

[Dinsdale]

Accuracy should never get in the way of a good headline.

From the same site today:

Hot August nights indeed: expect big heat today


TRIPLE DIGIT HIGHS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE PORTLAND-SALEM AREA TODAY

Almost 1PM, and it just hit a whopping 80 degrees.

[Mikey]

They did say "possible", right?

That's called hedging.

The "official" forecast is still for a high of 95.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapCli ... 3&map.y=39" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[WolverineSteve]

I have a buddy in the newspaper biz. He once told me that the writers write the stories and someone else writes the headlines.

[Mikey]

And Barry Manilow writes the songs that make the whole world sing.

[War Wagon]

In Mikeys' world, Barry Maniblow ranks one slot lower than Neil Diamond, one slot higher than Sir Elton John.

In other news, the forecast for tomorrow is for partly cloudy skies. How this differs from mostly sunny, I'm not really sure.

But it has been hot enough here lately to fry eggs on the sidewalk, or so the old adage goes.

[Dinsdale]

Police tight-lipped about quadruple stabbing in Mt. Angel


Story Updated: Aug 11, 2008 at 8:17 PM PDT
By Melica Johnson & News Services Video MOUNT ANGEL, Ore. (AP) - Police in Mount Angel say five people have been stabbed in what's believed to be gang-related violence.

Most assuredly "tight-lipped" because both the victims and suspects have about a 98% chance of being illegals in that neck of the woods... and I do mean "neck."