We have previously remarked on the pheonomenon of reflexive reporting - the tendency of journalists to use stock words or phrases to describe events or people in the news, in lieu of any real thought or analysis. Today's example is the invariable use of either "loner" or "drifter" (or both) to describe the perpetrators of infamous crimes. The first example is from the online London Telegraph, describing John Hinckley: "The loner who shot Ronald Reagan in 1981 is said by his doctors to have been cured of the mental illness that led to his assassination attempt."
The second comes from the Associated Press, via the Boston Globe: "Ohio plant gunman described as a loner -- The man who opened fire at an auto parts factory, killing a co-worker and then himself, didn't socialize at work and lived with his parents, spending his free time shooting at targets, his mother said."
Exhibit 3 comes from the Kansas City Star: "GALVESTON, Texas - Morris Black was described by acquaintances as a volatile loner and drifter who lived in a cramped, $300-a-month apartment in this Gulf Coast community. . ."
The last one is hilarous: "Hitler, a sociopathic loner, manipulated those around him to achieve his goals. He cared little for the people he led, more entranced by his idealized vision of Germany." - from a review of a new book about, of all things, Hitler's management style. The author does not seem to realize that the idea of a "loner" who has a compelling personal hold on those around him is incongruous.
More:
"Churchill and Hitler Savvy Managers -- In Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership (Weidenfeld & Nicholson), Andrew Roberts studies the two Second World War leaders in terms of whether their personal management techniques contributed to their success or failure. The British historian makes a convincing case that things such as attitudes toward subordinates, willingness to listen to dissenting views and how much they micromanaged, influenced the direction and outcome of the war."
Despite the characterization of Hitler as a "sociopathic loner", the review discloses that he always remembered his secretaries' birthdays.
11:05:30 PM 
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