Self-contradictory headline:

Study: Abstinence doesn’t delay sex.”

Hint to headline writers: even though you’ve got limited space, there are certain words you cannot leave out. Like the subject of the sentence, for example. In this case, “abstinence” is actually an adjective modifying the word “programs.” Leave out “programs” and abstinence becomes the subject of the sentence itself, leaving you with a headline that says, in effect, “Not having sex doesn’t delay sex,” when, obviously, it does. Why, if you remain abstinent, you could go your whole life without having sex. Remarkable, but true.

(But maybe I’m being too hard on the headline-writer, considering the first paragraph of the story proper begins “A long-term study of abstinence ordered by Congress …”, again leaving out the necessary word “programs,” which doesn’t appear until later on.)

Where’s an editor when you need one?

Permanent link to this article: https://edwardwillett.com/2007/04/self-contradictory-headline/

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