Power-full-of-it

Remember the schoolyard bully who was so scared and insecure that he went around hitting all the other kids to prove his strength?

During my last few sessions of aimless channel surfing, I've landed on Fox News for a few minutes. I heard one phrase repeated multiple times: "The most powerful name in news."

Since when does "power" have anything to do with the objective reporting of news? How is the adjective "powerful" manifest in a news organization, and how do viewers benefit? Did that slogan replace "fair and balanced" when people began to understand what this outfit is all about?

Another example: Powerline, which I seem to remember reading was named "blog of the year" by someone or something. Exactly what does "power" have to do with a blog, of all things? Do the writers fantasize from behind their keyboards that they're in charge of something really powerful, like an aircraft carrier or a nuclear sub? The USS Powerline, maybe?

Of course, when you're churning out kneepadded, semi-literate nonsense like this, you'll risk "protesting too much" to convince people that you've got game. That's where muscle-flexing words like "power" come in; veracity and honesty (and good writing, apparently) are too threatening.

Language---and the context in which it is used---often reveals more in terms of the user's insecurities and self-perception than the actual message he's trying to communicate.