Textbook Example of a Misleading Headline

Here's an article from the KRNV (Reno NBC affiliate, Channel 4) website, which I assume is just a result of ignorance. The article, titled "Nine wounded Nevada National Guard soldiers denied Purple Hearts" makes one think, "Damn! Nine brave soldiers wounded in battle are being capriciously denied their deserved honors by an unchecked bureaucracy/uncaring military/Bush Family/neo-con conspiracy" (depending on your specific level of anti-idiotarianism). However, if you continue into the actual story, it turns out that the medals haven't been "denied" (which means the paperwork has been routed through channels, and the award turned down by competent authority); rather, the paperwork is making its' way through the military bureaucracy. Although I am personally unhappy that it seems to take much longer for an average grunt's personal awards to get through the bureaucracy than it does for, say, someone on a flag staff, I don't think it rises to the level of writing shrill headlines about it. As one of my favorite sayings goes: "Never attribute to malice that which can be ascribed to sheer incompetence."