Source: Sputnik Mundo
What it’s about: The content of the article itself is harmless. It gives an overview of new Paraguayan President Marito Abdo Benitez’s inauguration, his agenda as president, and the challenges facing Paraguay.
What’s misleading about it: We don’t take issue with the content of this article, but it’s headline on the Sputnik Mundo “América Latina” page is extremely misleading. Whereas President Abdo Benitez actually pledged solidarity with the people (“pueblos”) of Nicaragua and Venezuela, Sputnik published the headline “New Paraguayan President promises ‘solidarity’ with Nicaragua and Venezuela” (“Nuevo presidente paraguayo promete ‘solidaridad’ con Nicaragua y Venezuela”). For the average reader, who may be simply skimming the headlines, this seemingly innocuous tweaking of words completely changes the meaning of President Abdo Benitez’s quote to make it seem like the new president pledged the exact opposite: solidarity with the governments of Nicaragua and Venezuela. Below is a screenshot of the headline as it appeared on Sputnik Mundo‘s “América Latina” page as of 4:30pm eastern on August 15, 2018.
