Half of Americans never think they'll get COVID again

[Oopsie Daisy]

9. Ambiguous headline does not match what the article says.

"Half of Americans never think they'll get COVID again."

This headline implies that half of Americans do not consider the possibility of contracting COVID-19 again. It focuses on the idea that they don't entertain the thought of getting the virus once more.

But in the article, it says something different: "... those who think they will never again get COVID is now [at] about half of Americans." This wording emphasizes their belief or expectation that they are immune or protected from the virus in the future.

I know I'm being nit-picky (sometimes I exceed at that) and the difference may seem meaningless at first glance, it actually alters the focus. In the headline as written, it focuses on people apparently having NO thought process at all (ie: they DO NOT think about it). And in the article, they talk about people's belief or expectation that they won't get COVID-19 again (ie: they DO think about it, but they believe incorrectly)

At least it's not as bad as these:

"Man Eating Shark Captured Off the Coast" -- Is this about a shark that eats humans or a man who is eating shark meat?
"Stolen Painting Found by Tree" -- Did the tree steal the painting or was the painting found near a tree?
"Kids Make Nutritious Snacks" -- Are kids preparing healthy snacks or are they being talked about as snacks themselves?
"Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge" -- Is the delay caused by bureaucratic red tape or actual red adhesive tape?
"Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant" -- Is the juvenile court going to try a defendant accused of shooting someone or will they try shooting the defendant themselves?
"Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half" -- Are the number of high school dropouts being reduced by half or are the remaining dropouts being physically cut in half?