A tale of two ledes....

I almost never read the New York Times anymore, although I'll frequently glance at the headlines.

I quit trusting their editorial judgment during the lead up to the Iraq invasion, so obvious was their slant in favor of Bush and the war. The Jayson Blair scandal confirmed my low opinion. Then they started to charge for op-eds. I finally reached my point of no return with Judith Miller's martyred posturing in prison and the paper's passionate defense of her.

Take a look at this headline and lede from today’s edition.

Militants' Raid on Israel Raises Gaza Tension

JERUSALEM, June 25 — In an ominous development, Israel threatened strong military action on Sunday after eight Palestinian militants in Gaza, including members of the governing faction Hamas, emerged from a secret tunnel dug 300 yards into Israel, killed two soldiers, wounded three and kidnapped another.

Compare it to the headline and lede on the same story in today’s (UK) Guardian.

Palestinians hunt for Israeli hostage

Palestinian security forces under the command of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas were desperately searching today for the Israeli soldier kidnapped by militants the previous day, as the army massing on Gaza's border stood poised to invade.

It's a mild, but noteworthy example of what bothers me about the NYT. The Guardian’s story conveys a strong sense of disorder, desperation and vulnerability on the part of the Palestinians. While the NYT gives the impression of two near equals, Israel and Palestine, poised in a military stand-off.

Which do you think is closest to the truth?

It only confirms my decision not to waste my valuable time on the formerly praiseworthy flagship publication.

The NYT story here and Guardian here.