Thursday, March 20, 2008

Is There a Copy Editor in the House?

The expression is "espresso." The company is listed in the local telephone book as Serenity Espresso. Just because the business columnist spells by ear in his lead instead of double-checking doesn't give the copy desk license to do the same.

Later in the same column: A business's new sign is sure to "catch the eye of the many cars that drive by."

Later in the same column: A new store will be stocked with "fishing and things that people look for in a corner market."

The Web headline reads: Local whistle blower opts for private cell.
The story's lead characterizes the inmate as a "whistle blower," but the reporter provides no evidence that the prisoner uncovered or reported fraud or other wrong doing in government or business. There's no evidence of whistle blowing in the story because the person did not blow the whistle.

A reasonably awake copy editor should have noticed as he read the story that the prisoner is in jail for violating her probation after being found guilty of practicing law without a license.

Remember, just because the reporter said it that doesn't make it so. As a matter of fact, if a Sun reporter said it, double check. Twice.



Over in Let's Go, the
entertainment tab, copy desk editors added this delicious headline.

OWW would like to know: what do the English taste like? Chicken, maybe?


3 comments:

  1. The Sun has no copy editors. But it does have proofreaders. They make $7 or $8 per hour, aren't trained and are barely supervised.

    As they say, you get what you pay for.

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  2. No, no, no! English _sounds_ like a chicken. It tastes like a freight train.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ... ah yes, the quiet neighbors who kept to themselves ...

    ReplyDelete