Is This One Of The Worst Headlines Ever?

[agchristie]

Should The Times make an apology?

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/20/times-apologise-rochdale-sex-grooming-town-murder-imam

[Peter Pedant]

I dont allow headlines to get into my head to be honest

every one knows todays papers are tomorrows fish wrappers

and whoever said that a koran reader is a qari - thank you - I have learnt something

[agchristie]

PP > every one knows todays papers are tomorrows fish wrappers

Maybe, but the police could have been dealing with a flashpoint due to the headline!

[Peter Pedant]

erm erm not sure
and not sure about how many times readers there are in Rochdale

the muslim community seem to be dealing with sex grooming with as much enthusiasm as the ctholic church dealt with child abuse in ireland ....

as for Gunchester not many of us take to the streets with the call
'Oh come on there arent that many guns in Manchester'

[joeluke]

'Imam beaten to death in sex grooming town'

Imam beaten to death? Check

Sex grooming town? Check

Can't see the problem here

[ichkeria]

"Imam beaten to death in Rochdale" would have been equally accurate and more informative. As it is, the headline seems to assume there is some connection between the "sex grooming" in Rochdale and the attack, when there is none proven. The stuff of tabloid (as in gutter press headlines) maybe but has no place in the Times.
That said, headline writers deal in the melodramatic often, and while this was clearly most unfortunate, it was probably unlikely of itself to cause rioting on the streets of Rochdale or anywhere else, especially as it was on an inside page. Nonetheless it was plainly offensive, and given that complaints have been made, if I was the Times I would feel there was no option but to own up and say sorry.