• Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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    19 days ago

    Kidnapping is a form of extortion. The point is to give the victim back once demands are met. That is not what is happening here. This is not a kidnapping.

    • dovah@lemmy.world
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      19 days ago

      When I man snatches a child off the street with no intention of giving it back, everyone calls that kidnapping.

      • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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        19 days ago

        Okay but journalists are not “everyone”. They don’t say “not gonna lie” in the headlines and they don’t use the name of a specific crime (ie “kidnapping”) to refer to things that are not that specific crime.

        • TownhouseGloryHole@lemmy.world
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          19 days ago

          You’re absolutely right. It may seem like semantics to some, however it is an important distinction for journalists. Using colloquial language contributes to ambiguity when readers expect accuracy.