It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

CNN seems to think so. "North Korea 'reverses' on talks" is the headline. The lede:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il says his country is willing to resume talks with its neighbors and the United States if Washington "would show trustworthy sincerity and move (its stance)," Pyongyang's official news agency has announced.

"We will go to the negotiating table anytime if there are mature conditions for the six-party talks thanks to the concerted efforts of the parties concerned in the future," the state news agency KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

Of course the reality is a bit more fuzzy. Just as the dramatic "We have nukes" announcement of a few days back wasn't really all that significant a change from what DPRK officials had been saying for months, stating that North Korea will come back to the table if the incentives are sufficient isn't all that new or startling either.

But in our shallow headline-driven media, sound-bite perception trumps complex reality any day of the week. So I suppose it is a "reversal." Tuesday's

announcement is the latest twist in a series of heated accusations and statements over the past week and a half, which sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity.

They got that right.