Misleading AP Headline

The Associated Press posted a story this morning with the headline, "Gay Marriage Ban Rejected in Arizona." Apparently this is an accurate statement. But it is misleading because the story says that "Arizona became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage". The news is not just that a state rejected a gay marriage ban, but that it is the first state to do so. Without reading the story someone might form the idea that efforts to ban gay marriage are not faring well at the polls. According to the story the opposite is true:

Arizona broke a strong national trend by refusing to change its constitution to define marriage as a one-man, one-woman institution. The measure also would have forbid civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Eight states voted on amendments to ban gay marriage: Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin approved them. Similar amendments have passed previously in all 20 states to consider them.

I found plenty of news stories about the fact that eight states had gay marriage ban issues on their ballots in this election, and I'm sure there are local news stories announcing the results, but I could find no national stories with any of these headlines:

• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in Colorado
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in Idaho
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in South Carolina
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in South Dakota
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in Tennessee
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in Virginia
• Gay Marriage Ban Approved in Wisconsin

And certainly not: Gay Marriage Bans Passed in 27 of 28 States Considering Them.

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