2-year-old boy does NOT suffer fractured skull "during parents' fight"; he was ASSAULTED by his father (Baltimore, Maryland)

How to write a completely misleading headline and article on child abuse and domestic violence, 101.

1) Write a headline describing how a 2-month-old baby got his head fractured during his "parents' fight" or "argument." Conjures of exciting images of two people duking it out, doesn't it? Plus the fathers rights people will love you for it. They just crave headlines and stories on how domestic violence is "mutual."

2) As long as you can delay it, avoid any details as to the real story. Notice here that even in paragraph #2, we're making references to a "domestic complaint."

3) Now if you really, really have to report the story, do it at the end after most casual newspaper readers have stopped looking and are thinking to themselves, "Tisk, tisk. Some parents are just not fit to breed. Probably those people were colored or something."

Now we can safely reveal that the baby was in his mother's arms during what was clearly a one-sided assault (and was subsequently treated as such by the police). Not a "parents' fight." Not an "argument." AN ASSAULT. Mom couldn't swing very well if she was holding the baby, could she? Also observe the following:

Only parent with reported injuries: Mom, with a cut lip

Injuries reportedly inflicted on the father: None

Only parent charged: Dad, with assault, reckless endangerment, 2nd-degree child abuse, resisting arrest, other related charges

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2010/03/2monthold_boy_suffers_fracture.html

March 2, 2010
2-month-old boy suffers fractured skull during parents' fight

A 2-month-old boy was airlifted last night to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. after suffering fractures to his skull during an argument between his parents, police said.

The boy’s condition was not immediately known; police couldn't say and the hospital refused to disclose it. [UPDATE: Police say the boy is in critical condition.] Detective Kevin Hagan, a Baltimore police spokesman, confirmed that police were called at about 11:10 p.m. Monday to the boy’s home in the 2900 block of Spelman Rd., in Cherry Hill, for a domestic complaint.

The boy was in his mother’s arms, and both had been struck by his father during an argument, police said. The boy suffered a skull fracture and had subdural bleeding, and the mother had a cut lip.

Hagan said they were initially taken to Harbor Hospital, with the boy later transported to Children’s National Medical Center. Hagan said that the transport to DC was necessary because Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Medical Center did not have available beds.

A law enforcement source said the father was arrested at the scene; Court records show 19-year-old Daryl Taylor was charged this morning with assault, reckless endangerment, second-degree child abuse, resisting arrest, and related charges.