AP too negative with GDP report

Hal Morris, writing on his Grumpy Editor blog, takes issue with the Associated Press story about the latest Gross Domestic Product statistics, noting that it’s too negative for what the numbers show.

Morris writes, “In reporting the GDP gain in a lengthy piece, Washington-based AP economics writer Jeannine Aversa promptly gave it a negative twist by inserting a ‘but’ in the first line of the lead: ‘The economy pulled out of a dangerous rough patch in the spring, thanks largely to strong exports, but the rebound isn’t expected to last.’

Aversa continues her lead with:  ‘Economic slowdowns overseas could make exports tail off just as Americans are hunkering down after the bracing impact of rebate checks wanes, plunging the country into another rut later this year.’

“All this without attribution.

“A few paragraphs later, she works in ‘Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned the economy will be weak through the rest of 2008.'”Â

Read more here.