Burying the lead is a basic journalistic no-no. News articles are supposed to lead with the mostest. News of the greatest significance should not be hidden – buried -- much, much later in the story.  But that’s not apparently de rigueur at the New York Times. Witness a July 8 article by Jerusalem correspondent Isabel Kershner about Israel preparing for a major offensive against Gaza terrorists. (“Calling Up More Troops, Israel Girds for an Escalation in Gaza Violence” page A4) In a mushy lead paragraph, Kershner tells readers that Israel and Hamas “seemed set on a collision course,” that there has been an escalation of cross-border clashes, that Hamas vows to avenge the deaths of six of its “fighters,” and that Israeli warplanes are attacking dozens of targets in the Palestinian coastal territory.” Well, fine. Tensions are on the rise and there are signs of escalation. But exactly where was the tipping...(Read Full Post)