Is a Denver Post "Dog Bite" Death Story Headline Wrong?

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Errors»

The Denver Post’s headline on an Associated Press story about the death of Larry Armstrong stated the headline “Autopsy: Dog bites killed NM man attacked by pack.”  But, read on in the story, and you’ll learn that medical investigators didn’t know if Armstrong was even conscious when he was “mauled.”

In fact, Armstrong may have had a seizure before the dog attack. According to the AP’s story, Armstrong was found unconscious and had been to the hospital the day before the attack because of his seizures. The story read:

“Medical investigators wrote in their report that they didn’t know whether Armstrong suffered a seizure before the dogs attacked or whether he was conscious when they started mauling him.”

In this case, the medical opinion contradicts the headline. If Armstrong may have died because of the seizure, the headline on the AP report, at least as it appeared in the Denver Post, that states that the man died from “dog bites” is wrong.  iMediaEthics is writing the paper to ask for a correction and will check if headline from from AP or written by the Denver Post.

Submit a tip / Report a problem

Is a Denver Post “Dog Bite” Death Story Headline Wrong?

Share this article:

Comments Terms and Conditions

  • We reserve the right to edit/delete comments which harass, libel, use coarse language and profanity.
  • We moderate comments especially when there is conflict or negativity among commenters.
  • Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *