The common thread with most fearmongering and propaganda is a selective presentation of facts; not that the facts themselves are inaccurate, but they are presented with a lack of context and cherry-picked for effect. Here’s a recent headline example.

The link headline read

Foreclosures Soar 93 Percent in One Year

At the time I clicked on the link, the article’s actual headline read

U.S. Foreclosures Rise Sharply in July

which is, itself, a toned-down and less fearmongering version of the facts than the original link headline was.

Both of these headlines combine factual accuracy and misleading fearmongering in an incredibly creative way, because they both omit information that would assuage fear, if it were known. You see, in paragraph five, the article notes that

The national foreclosure rate in July was one filing for every 693 households

or about one seventh of a percent (0.1443% or 0.001443) of all households. Oooh, vayweee skayweee!

The reality is that, in the U.S. market, foreclosures have almost doubled year over year, and increased about 9% month over month, to a whopping one seventh of a percent (0.1443% or 0.001443) of all households.

How about this for a suggested title that presents fact with economy of space, but without hype or fearmongering?

Foreclosure Rate Rises To 0.14% in July