10 Words You Mispronounce That Make People Think You’re an Idiot
It’s been said, though we’re not sure by whom, that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. But sometimes we’ve got to open our mouths so use this handy guide to make sure, at the very least, you’re saying the words right.
» By Justin Brown
Don’t worry, I won’t waste your time with the elementary school lessons about how to accurately pronounce “library,” “February,” or “arctic”… although I will take this opportunity to note that if you’re discussing a library and still dropping the first ‘R’, there’s a very good chance that your friends and/or colleagues are laughing at you behind your back.
I won’t trouble you with a lecture covering how some of the words you use actually aren’t words at all. If you’re using words like “snuck”, “brang”, or “irregardless” (no, none of those are real words), a magazine article – much less one written by me – is not going to solve your problems.
What I will do is offer up a rudimentary form of help, in terms of how to properly pronounce relatively common words that are bound to show up in your daily life. These tips will not seal the deal in a job interview or on a date (I can especially vouch for the “date” scenario) but if pronunciation continues to be a potential chink in your armor, your problems will soon be solved.
Thus, behold, People of the Internet… the ten most important words you should learn to pronounce, if you would like to appear reasonably knowledgeable about your own language.
ATHLETE
Incorrect pronunciation: ath – a – leet
Correct pronunciation: ath – leet
This may have been more helpful before the media blitz that was the Summer Olympics but it is a very valuable lesson to have for the future. It applies to “athlete” and any derivative (biathlon, triathlon, decathlon, etc.) and, honestly, I’m sad that I even have to point this out: there is no vowel between the ‘H’ and the ‘L’ in any of these words. There never has been. Let the dream die.
ESCAPE / ESPRESSO / ET CETERA
Incorrect pronunciation: ex – cape / ex – presso / ex – set – err – uh
Correct pronunciation: ess – cape / ess – presso / ett – set – err – uh
Yes, a three-for-one deal, but only because this one is dually very common and very simple to fix. For some reason, we of the English tongue have an obsession with changing any ‘S’ to an ‘X’, if it follows an ‘E’ sound; call it the Exxon Indoctrination. These words are spelled phonetically… let’s try to respect that.
Also: the yuppie kids will really respect you, if you master “espresso” and “et cetera” – what more motivation do you need?
NUCLEAR
Incorrect pronunciation: nuke – you – lerr
Correct pronunciation: new – clee – err
I’m going to try to get through this one without a President Bush joke. All right, so, despite the fact that it’s 2008, this is a word with which we’re somehow still struggling. Like most of the words on this list, “nuclear” is spelled EXACTLY AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRONOUNCED and yet, people continue to screw it up worse than the War in Iraq… oh, dammit.
PRESCRIPTION / PREROGATIVE
Incorrect pronunciation: purr – scrip – shun / purr – ogg – uh – tiv
Correct pronunciation: pre – scrip – shun / pre – rogg – uh – tiv
Overlooking the fact that many people also seem to have precisely no idea as to the latter word’s true definition (I’ve had several conversations where people bizarrely substitute “prerogative” for words like “agenda”), this is another problem that can be attributed to ignorance in the arena of “Sound It Out, You Lummox.” The ‘R’ comes before the ‘E’ in both of these words. Please ercognize this erality. Sorry.
UTMOST
Incorrect pronunciation: up – most
Correct pronunciation: utt – most
In a bizarre twist, people actually became so certain of this word’s meaning that they alter its pronunciation to reflect that definition. Yes, “utmost” is an adjective synonymous with “greatest” (a term that immediately calls to mind some tangible Mount Olympus-type of vertical hierarchy and the word “upper”) but that second letter? It’s still a ‘T’.
CANDIDATE
Incorrect pronunciation: can – uh – dett
Correct pronunciation: can – da – dett
Mastering this word will help you at least sound educated in your excruciating political debates as we approach November 3. I cannot explain it any more simply than my second grade teacher once did: “You always want to have a good candidate for your CANDY DATE.” Candy date. It’s sweet and simple.
SHERBET
Incorrect pronunciation: sherr – berrt
Correct pronunciation: sherr – bet
This is one of those words that ultimately had to abandon its crusade for righteousness and now has been corrupted to the point where dictionaries may list the incorrect pronunciation as acceptable because of just how rampant the ignorance grew to be. But there’s only one ‘R’ in “sherbet,” America… no matter how awesome the rainbow flavor is, there’s still only one ‘R’.
AWRY
Incorrect pronunciation: aww – ree
Correct pronunciation: uh – rye
Up until very recently, I could not even conceive a situation where someone would mispronounce this word; it always seemed very simple, to me. However, I have heard three different people – in the world of talk radio, no less – pronounce it inaccurately in the last few months. It’s like… it’s like the mechanism that allows people to speak in an educated fashion went awry (see what I did there?).
FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES
Incorrect pronunciation: “for all intensive purposes”
Correct pronunciation: “for all intents and purposes”
All right, yes, I cheated a little bit here (for posterity’s sake, I should note that a phrase and a word are not the same thing) but this is still a very popular pronunciation mistake and one that I really feel must be addressed in a public forum. While “intensive” is absolutely a word, the clichéd saying that most people are trying to channel is all about intent. As for the rumor that I, as a younger man, frequently employed the incorrect pronunciation… no comment.
OFTEN
Incorrect pronunciation: off – ten
Correct pronunciation: off – en
If there is a bigger red flag for “I am misinformed about how to pronounce something” in our language, I have yet to encounter it. This word and its evolutionary course in American vernacular could be a cultural study unto itself.
For a while, nobody was aware that the ‘T’ was silent; this sneaky caveat had to be beaten into our brains for years and years in school. But then – in what can best be described as the greatest grammatical epiphany since someone decided that we needed a contraction to turn “I am” into a single word – people seemed to universally scream out “We get it! A silent ‘T’!”. It was a glorious day.
However, this euphoria was ultimately fleeting. At some point, the rational people of Earth decided to flip over the Buffet Table of Reason at the Banquet for Intellectual Hope and thought it best to, once again, simply start pronouncing the ‘T’ in “often.” I do not know whether this was brought on by an innate human desire to flout the rules of our world or just a collective hatred for all things associated with the establishment but it is now arguably the most frequent linguistic speed bump in the history of hyperbole. And I would like to lead the charge to restore balance.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
How do Journalists Cope After Covering Tragedies?
From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 12/26/11:
Community Voice: How do journalists cope after covering frontline tragedies?
By Mark Massé
for The News-Sentinel
With U.S. military involvement in Iraq ending and troops coming home, news coverage rightfully focuses on the lives of these men and women and their adjustment to noncombat roles. Notable stories document the challenges facing veterans who cope with physical and mental health injuries, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, what is typically missing in the analysis of postwar issues are accounts of the print and broadcast journalists who have spent extended time embedded with troops and borne witness to death and destruction while working in harm's way. Several recent research studies have documented that news media workers may suffer from stress, burnout and mental anguish, in percentages comparable to military personnel and other first responders, as a result of being brutally close to the action.
Steve Bell, former ABC News correspondent/anchor and Vietnam War reporter who recently taught at Ball State, notes: “Imagine, journalists are human, too! But until recent years, few thought about the psychological perils of experiencing and reporting on traumatic events.”
How do journalists cope after covering war, conflict, disaster and other frontline tragedies? Although most reporters are resilient to the stresses and dangers they face, crisis coverage can have significant, enduring effects. As trauma psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein states: “Resilience in the face of adversity is not, however, synonymous with immunity.”
Former Washington Post reporter Jackie Spinner's 2006 memoir, “Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq,” describes her nine months in 2004-05 as a war correspondent, having no prior experience in a combat zone.
Spinner returned to the U.S. with postwar trauma: “I did not want to talk about this with my colleagues who had been in Iraq because I feared their judgment of me as weak.”
Spinner was “angry at everything” and felt guilty about the Iraqi staff she had left behind with no promises for the future. She shunned her friends in favor of family “because they asked no questions and surrounded me in unconditional love.”
In his compelling memoir, “The Cat from Hué,” former CBS TV correspondent John Laurence described the personal cost of covering the Vietnam War. For years, he was embedded with U.S. soldiers and Marines in major battles. He wrote of the “narrow separation between life and death in this place.” As he noted in his book, “Reporters and photographers were killed and wounded in the same proportion as the frontline troops they accompanied.”
According to Laurence, being a war correspondent was a “great adventure: fascinating, frightening, fulfilling — more high drama than I expected for a lifetime.” He wrote that at 28 he thought he was tough-minded enough to handle what he experienced as a journalist. But he was naïve. “I had no idea that my involvement was far from over, that I would be going back again and again, repeatedly, indefinitely.”
Decades after he left Vietnam, Laurence endured nightmares, anxiety and other emotional problems associated with his years of war reporting. He admitted counseling helped him cope. However, in 2003, he returned to Iraq as a freelance correspondent, and the familiar demons of depression scuttled back. “I have never felt cured,” he noted in an interview with journalist Judith Matloff in the November/December 2004 issue of Columbia Journalism Review.
Photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Molly Bingham has covered conflict, violence and tragedy across Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East for nearly two decades. She joined a “rarified group of people” who risk their lives to tell dangerous stories that otherwise wouldn't be told. In the process, she had been detained, imprisoned and threatened (“shot at is more accurate”) by both enemy and “friendly” armed forces. She says a journalist's resilience in covering difficult stories is more about the person's physical and emotional states than about professional craft attitudes or newsroom credos. Bingham also believes it is a positive development that today more journalists are willing to discuss the psychological impact of reporting on tragedy and trauma.
Major news organizations such as CNN, the Associated Press and the BBC are using the knowledge, experience and resources of advocacy groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International News Safety Institute and the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma in addressing journalist safety/welfare issues, including proactive training and postevent debriefing and counseling programs. An integral part of this international reform effort is an enhanced awareness of the emotional impact of conflict and crisis coverage on the victims, their families and loved ones, their communities, as well as on the journalists whose job it is to tell these stories.
Mark H. Massé, a professor of literary journalism at Ball State University, is the author of the recently published book, “Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm's Way.”
Community Voice: How do journalists cope after covering frontline tragedies?
By Mark Massé
for The News-Sentinel
With U.S. military involvement in Iraq ending and troops coming home, news coverage rightfully focuses on the lives of these men and women and their adjustment to noncombat roles. Notable stories document the challenges facing veterans who cope with physical and mental health injuries, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, what is typically missing in the analysis of postwar issues are accounts of the print and broadcast journalists who have spent extended time embedded with troops and borne witness to death and destruction while working in harm's way. Several recent research studies have documented that news media workers may suffer from stress, burnout and mental anguish, in percentages comparable to military personnel and other first responders, as a result of being brutally close to the action.
Steve Bell, former ABC News correspondent/anchor and Vietnam War reporter who recently taught at Ball State, notes: “Imagine, journalists are human, too! But until recent years, few thought about the psychological perils of experiencing and reporting on traumatic events.”
How do journalists cope after covering war, conflict, disaster and other frontline tragedies? Although most reporters are resilient to the stresses and dangers they face, crisis coverage can have significant, enduring effects. As trauma psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein states: “Resilience in the face of adversity is not, however, synonymous with immunity.”
Former Washington Post reporter Jackie Spinner's 2006 memoir, “Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq,” describes her nine months in 2004-05 as a war correspondent, having no prior experience in a combat zone.
Spinner returned to the U.S. with postwar trauma: “I did not want to talk about this with my colleagues who had been in Iraq because I feared their judgment of me as weak.”
Spinner was “angry at everything” and felt guilty about the Iraqi staff she had left behind with no promises for the future. She shunned her friends in favor of family “because they asked no questions and surrounded me in unconditional love.”
In his compelling memoir, “The Cat from Hué,” former CBS TV correspondent John Laurence described the personal cost of covering the Vietnam War. For years, he was embedded with U.S. soldiers and Marines in major battles. He wrote of the “narrow separation between life and death in this place.” As he noted in his book, “Reporters and photographers were killed and wounded in the same proportion as the frontline troops they accompanied.”
According to Laurence, being a war correspondent was a “great adventure: fascinating, frightening, fulfilling — more high drama than I expected for a lifetime.” He wrote that at 28 he thought he was tough-minded enough to handle what he experienced as a journalist. But he was naïve. “I had no idea that my involvement was far from over, that I would be going back again and again, repeatedly, indefinitely.”
Decades after he left Vietnam, Laurence endured nightmares, anxiety and other emotional problems associated with his years of war reporting. He admitted counseling helped him cope. However, in 2003, he returned to Iraq as a freelance correspondent, and the familiar demons of depression scuttled back. “I have never felt cured,” he noted in an interview with journalist Judith Matloff in the November/December 2004 issue of Columbia Journalism Review.
Photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Molly Bingham has covered conflict, violence and tragedy across Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East for nearly two decades. She joined a “rarified group of people” who risk their lives to tell dangerous stories that otherwise wouldn't be told. In the process, she had been detained, imprisoned and threatened (“shot at is more accurate”) by both enemy and “friendly” armed forces. She says a journalist's resilience in covering difficult stories is more about the person's physical and emotional states than about professional craft attitudes or newsroom credos. Bingham also believes it is a positive development that today more journalists are willing to discuss the psychological impact of reporting on tragedy and trauma.
Major news organizations such as CNN, the Associated Press and the BBC are using the knowledge, experience and resources of advocacy groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International News Safety Institute and the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma in addressing journalist safety/welfare issues, including proactive training and postevent debriefing and counseling programs. An integral part of this international reform effort is an enhanced awareness of the emotional impact of conflict and crisis coverage on the victims, their families and loved ones, their communities, as well as on the journalists whose job it is to tell these stories.
Mark H. Massé, a professor of literary journalism at Ball State University, is the author of the recently published book, “Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm's Way.”
Friday, December 23, 2011
Authorship and Changing Lightbulbs
AUTHORSHIP AND CHANGING LIGHTBULBS
How many publishers does it take to change a light bulb?
Three. One to change it and two to hold down the author.
How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
"Do we have to get author's approval for this?"
Two, one to change the bulb and one to issue a rejection slip to the old bulb.
How many proofreaders does it take to change a light bulb?
Proofreaders aren't supposed to change light bulbs. They should just query them.
How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two. One to screw it in almost all the way in and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.
How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to change the bulb and one to tell a long story about it.
How many literary critics does it take to change a light bulb?
Literary critics don't know how, but rest assured they'll find something wrong with the way you do it.
How many publishers does it take to change a light bulb?
Three. One to change it and two to hold down the author.
How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
"Do we have to get author's approval for this?"
Two, one to change the bulb and one to issue a rejection slip to the old bulb.
How many proofreaders does it take to change a light bulb?
Proofreaders aren't supposed to change light bulbs. They should just query them.
How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two. One to screw it in almost all the way in and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.
How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to change the bulb and one to tell a long story about it.
How many literary critics does it take to change a light bulb?
Literary critics don't know how, but rest assured they'll find something wrong with the way you do it.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Magazine Launches up 24% in 2011
Good news for those who'd like to freelance for magazines!
Magazine Launches Up 23.8 Percent in 2011
Total number of new titles rose from 193 in 2010 to 239 this year.
By Ioanna Opidee
12/14/2011
The number of magazines launched in 2011 jumped 23.8 percent, from 193 to 239, compared to 2010, according to magazine database Mediafinder.com. Meanwhile, the number of closures fell 13.6 percent, from 176 in 2010 to 152 this year.
Like last year, the food category saw the biggest gains, with 25 new titles joining the 28 from last year. Also like last year, regional magazines followed with the second-highest number of launches, at 20, though the category also saw the largest number of closures, with 21 titles folding. Bridal publications took the second-biggest hit, with 19 titles shuttered, including regional editions of Condé Nast’s Brides as well as Atlanta, Georgia-based Get Married.
The b-to-b sector appears to have seen a much healthier 2011, with 62 new titles expanding the segment, compared to just 34 in 2010. Last year, b-to-b saw more magazines fold than launch, with 47 closures in 2010 compared to 38 this year.
High-profile launches this year include crossover brands such as Hearst’s HGTV Magazine, an offshoot of the television network, and Condé Nast’s Style.com/Print, an extension of a formerly-standalone website.
Magazine Launches Up 23.8 Percent in 2011
Total number of new titles rose from 193 in 2010 to 239 this year.
By Ioanna Opidee
12/14/2011
The number of magazines launched in 2011 jumped 23.8 percent, from 193 to 239, compared to 2010, according to magazine database Mediafinder.com. Meanwhile, the number of closures fell 13.6 percent, from 176 in 2010 to 152 this year.
Like last year, the food category saw the biggest gains, with 25 new titles joining the 28 from last year. Also like last year, regional magazines followed with the second-highest number of launches, at 20, though the category also saw the largest number of closures, with 21 titles folding. Bridal publications took the second-biggest hit, with 19 titles shuttered, including regional editions of Condé Nast’s Brides as well as Atlanta, Georgia-based Get Married.
The b-to-b sector appears to have seen a much healthier 2011, with 62 new titles expanding the segment, compared to just 34 in 2010. Last year, b-to-b saw more magazines fold than launch, with 47 closures in 2010 compared to 38 this year.
High-profile launches this year include crossover brands such as Hearst’s HGTV Magazine, an offshoot of the television network, and Condé Nast’s Style.com/Print, an extension of a formerly-standalone website.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Crucial Reference Works
From Jerry Jenkins' blog:
Crucial Reference Works
Almanacs and atlases are wonderful, inexpensive investments. A world almanac is a must for any serious writer, and if you can find one you like on disk, so much the better; you’ll be relieved of the tiny print in the paperback versions, and you’ll decrease look-up time.
World almanacs list about anything you could ever want for basic research. I use them even for character names. When naming a foreign character, I’ll look up his country of origin, scan the current government leaders for a last name, combine that with the first name from the country’s history (say, a war hero), and bingo, I have a legitimate, ethnically accurate name.
I use a world atlas, primarily because my characters travel the globe, and to be believable, I have to know time zones, current country names, monetary units, populations, average temperatures, and the like.
Atlases provide detailed maps, and Internet atlases even offer street maps — crucial to realistic action scenes. But almanacs also give the gross national product, offer tourism tidbits, and list major industries and resources. In the Left Behind series, I set some scenes in Greece, a country I hadn’t visited (until last year). The almanac told me one of Greece’s natural resources is lignite. A couple of more keystrokes in Google, and I discover that lignite is a type of coal used to generate electricity. I needed an occupation for a wealthy Greek. So he became a lignite magnate.
Almanacs also show which countries are on the metric system, so when my character is racing through a metrics-using country in a rental car, he’ll buy fuel in liters. Getting minuscule details right makes for a more entertaining read. And when you get them wrong, suddenly they’re no longer minuscule.
You can find free almanacs, dictionaries, and encyclopedias online. Simply Google almanac or dictionary and investigate your options. Some sites require a subscription, but before you pay, make sure you’ll actually use the product.
I use an electronic thesaurus, which is a good aid but also merits a caution: Never let it be obvious you’ve consulted a thesaurus.
Novice writers tend to seek the most exotic word, when the best use of a thesaurus is to remind yourself of alternative ordinary words. Avoid the obtuse and find the ordinary one that best conveys your meaning.
Believe me, readers can tell when you’ve fallen into a rut and overused a favorite word. They’ll let you know.
Crucial Reference Works
Almanacs and atlases are wonderful, inexpensive investments. A world almanac is a must for any serious writer, and if you can find one you like on disk, so much the better; you’ll be relieved of the tiny print in the paperback versions, and you’ll decrease look-up time.
World almanacs list about anything you could ever want for basic research. I use them even for character names. When naming a foreign character, I’ll look up his country of origin, scan the current government leaders for a last name, combine that with the first name from the country’s history (say, a war hero), and bingo, I have a legitimate, ethnically accurate name.
I use a world atlas, primarily because my characters travel the globe, and to be believable, I have to know time zones, current country names, monetary units, populations, average temperatures, and the like.
Atlases provide detailed maps, and Internet atlases even offer street maps — crucial to realistic action scenes. But almanacs also give the gross national product, offer tourism tidbits, and list major industries and resources. In the Left Behind series, I set some scenes in Greece, a country I hadn’t visited (until last year). The almanac told me one of Greece’s natural resources is lignite. A couple of more keystrokes in Google, and I discover that lignite is a type of coal used to generate electricity. I needed an occupation for a wealthy Greek. So he became a lignite magnate.
Almanacs also show which countries are on the metric system, so when my character is racing through a metrics-using country in a rental car, he’ll buy fuel in liters. Getting minuscule details right makes for a more entertaining read. And when you get them wrong, suddenly they’re no longer minuscule.
You can find free almanacs, dictionaries, and encyclopedias online. Simply Google almanac or dictionary and investigate your options. Some sites require a subscription, but before you pay, make sure you’ll actually use the product.
I use an electronic thesaurus, which is a good aid but also merits a caution: Never let it be obvious you’ve consulted a thesaurus.
Novice writers tend to seek the most exotic word, when the best use of a thesaurus is to remind yourself of alternative ordinary words. Avoid the obtuse and find the ordinary one that best conveys your meaning.
Believe me, readers can tell when you’ve fallen into a rut and overused a favorite word. They’ll let you know.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Lee Enterprises Files for Bankruptcy
Newspaper group Lee Enterprises files for bankruptcy
6:03 p.m. EST, December 12, 2011
(Reuters) - Lee Enterprises Inc , which publishes 48 daily newspapers including St. Louis Post-Dispatch, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to refinance nearly $1 billion in debt, as newspapers struggle with falling advertisement dollars and dwindling readership.
In a filing with Delaware bankruptcy court, Lee Enterprises listed liabilities of $994.5 million and assets of $1.15 billion.
The bankruptcy filing plan comes two months after the company had reached an agreement with most its lenders to refinance $769.5 million of its distressed loans.
Most local newspaper publishers in the United States have been hit by dropping circulation and falling advertising revenue, forcing them to sell off or shut several publications.
Tribune Co, the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune newspapers, had earlier filed a third reorganization plan with the U.S. bankruptcy court.
Lee was founded in 1890 in Ottumwa, Iowa, by A.W. Lee. Most of the company's newspapers trace their beginnings to the mid-1800s. Among Lee's alumni are Mark Twain, Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder.
The case is: Lee Enterprises, Case No. 11-13918, U.S. bankruptcy court, District of Delaware.
6:03 p.m. EST, December 12, 2011
(Reuters) - Lee Enterprises Inc , which publishes 48 daily newspapers including St. Louis Post-Dispatch, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to refinance nearly $1 billion in debt, as newspapers struggle with falling advertisement dollars and dwindling readership.
In a filing with Delaware bankruptcy court, Lee Enterprises listed liabilities of $994.5 million and assets of $1.15 billion.
The bankruptcy filing plan comes two months after the company had reached an agreement with most its lenders to refinance $769.5 million of its distressed loans.
Most local newspaper publishers in the United States have been hit by dropping circulation and falling advertising revenue, forcing them to sell off or shut several publications.
Tribune Co, the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune newspapers, had earlier filed a third reorganization plan with the U.S. bankruptcy court.
Lee was founded in 1890 in Ottumwa, Iowa, by A.W. Lee. Most of the company's newspapers trace their beginnings to the mid-1800s. Among Lee's alumni are Mark Twain, Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder.
The case is: Lee Enterprises, Case No. 11-13918, U.S. bankruptcy court, District of Delaware.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Court: Blogger not Journalist
Court Says Blogger Isn’t a ‘Journalist’ — Implications for Hyperlocal
1 Comment and 0 Reactions 06 December 2011 by Brian Dengler
A federal judge in Portland, Oregon has declared that a local “investigative blogger,” doesn’t qualify as a journalist — calling into question whether online hyperlocal news publishers should be treated differently than traditional media.
Chrystal Cox calls herself an “investigative blogger” and runs sites “exposing corruption.” Obsidian Finance Group filed a $10 million defamation claim against Cox in Portland, alleging that she made several defamatory postings against Obsidian and its co-founder, Kevin Padrick. Cox defended herself in federal court but lost. According to a report by Seattle Weekly, she faces a $2.5 million judgment.
Cox claimed her information for the Obsidian postings came from a confidential source, and, therefore, Oregon’s Shield Law protected her from disclosing her source at trial. In an opinion filed on November 30, 2011, Federal Judge Marco Hernandez disagreed, ruling that Oregon’s Shield Law was limited to traditional media like newspapers, broadcast stations, magazines, and news services — but not to an “investigative blogger” who was not affiliated with traditional media.
The court further concluded that Cox was not entitled to claim other defenses against damages that could be raised by traditional media because she failed to prove she was a bona fide journalist. “Defendant fails to bring forth any evidence suggestive of her status as a journalist,” Judge Hernandez wrote. Hernandez ruled that Cox failed to show, among other things, that she had any education in journalism or “any credential of proof of any affiliation with an recognized news entity.” Cox told Seattle Weekly that she plans to appeal the ruling.
Last June 2011, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a journalist’s posting on an online discussion board was not entitled to protection under New Jersey’s Shield law. The court concluded that message boards were not similar to traditional new organizations protected by the law.
Although Cox was not a hyperlocal news publisher, the decisions raise concern on whether online hyperlocal news sites, some of them published in blog format, should be viewed and treated differently than traditional media. That question remains unresolved, but it serves as a reminder that getting the facts right is paramount in avoiding trouble.
This article is provided for information only and does not provide legal advice.
1 Comment and 0 Reactions 06 December 2011 by Brian Dengler
A federal judge in Portland, Oregon has declared that a local “investigative blogger,” doesn’t qualify as a journalist — calling into question whether online hyperlocal news publishers should be treated differently than traditional media.
Chrystal Cox calls herself an “investigative blogger” and runs sites “exposing corruption.” Obsidian Finance Group filed a $10 million defamation claim against Cox in Portland, alleging that she made several defamatory postings against Obsidian and its co-founder, Kevin Padrick. Cox defended herself in federal court but lost. According to a report by Seattle Weekly, she faces a $2.5 million judgment.
Cox claimed her information for the Obsidian postings came from a confidential source, and, therefore, Oregon’s Shield Law protected her from disclosing her source at trial. In an opinion filed on November 30, 2011, Federal Judge Marco Hernandez disagreed, ruling that Oregon’s Shield Law was limited to traditional media like newspapers, broadcast stations, magazines, and news services — but not to an “investigative blogger” who was not affiliated with traditional media.
The court further concluded that Cox was not entitled to claim other defenses against damages that could be raised by traditional media because she failed to prove she was a bona fide journalist. “Defendant fails to bring forth any evidence suggestive of her status as a journalist,” Judge Hernandez wrote. Hernandez ruled that Cox failed to show, among other things, that she had any education in journalism or “any credential of proof of any affiliation with an recognized news entity.” Cox told Seattle Weekly that she plans to appeal the ruling.
Last June 2011, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a journalist’s posting on an online discussion board was not entitled to protection under New Jersey’s Shield law. The court concluded that message boards were not similar to traditional new organizations protected by the law.
Although Cox was not a hyperlocal news publisher, the decisions raise concern on whether online hyperlocal news sites, some of them published in blog format, should be viewed and treated differently than traditional media. That question remains unresolved, but it serves as a reminder that getting the facts right is paramount in avoiding trouble.
This article is provided for information only and does not provide legal advice.
Monday, December 5, 2011
AP Does Xmas
12/05/2011
AP Advisory
AP compiles Holiday Style Guide
The Associated Press has compiled a Holiday Style Guide of words, phrases and definitions to help its members and subscribers with spelling and usage of traditional terms for religious and cultural holidays in December and January. The guidance, compiled by the AP Stylebook and Lifestyles teams, encompasses Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s festivities. Some terms are taken from the AP Stylebook. Others are common usage in holiday stories transmitted by AP. Below, see a list of traditional terms sent in an advisory Dec. 5 to AP members and subscribers.
#
Advent
The four Sundays preceding Christmas.
“Auld Lang Syne”
Sung to greet the New Year, poem by Robert Burns set to Scottish music.
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) --
Dateline for AP stories from the biblical site of Jesus’ birth.
Bible
Capitalize in reference to the Scriptures; lowercase biblical in all uses.
Boxing Day
Post-Christmas holiday Dec. 26 In British Commonwealth countries.
Champagne
Capitalize sparkling wine from the French region uncorked to celebrate New Year’s.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Capitalize Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 Christian feast marking the birth of Jesus.
Christmastime
One word.
Christmas tree
Lowercase tree and other seasonal terms with Christmas: card, wreath, carol, etc. Exception: National Christmas Tree.
dreidel
Toy spinning top for Jewish celebrations.
hallelujah
Lowercase the biblical praise to God, but capitalize in composition titles: Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus.
Hanukkah
Eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights starting Dec. 20 this year.
Jesus, Jesus Christ
Pronouns referring to him are lowercase, as is savior.
happy holidays, merry Christmas, season’s greetings
Such phrases are generally spelled lowercase, though Christmas is always capitalized.
Holy Land
Capitalize the biblical region.
Kriss Kringle
Not Kris. Derived from the German word, Christkindl, or baby Jesus.
Kwanzaa
African-American and Pan-African celebration of family, community and culture, Dec. 26-Jan. 1.
Magi
Three wise men who brought gifts to the infant Jesus at Epiphany, celebrated Jan. 6.
menorah
Candelabrum with nine branches used for Hanukkah.
Messiah
Capitalized in references to Jesus or to the promised deliverer in Judaism.
Nativity scene
Only the first word is capitalized.
New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day
Capitalized for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
North Pole
Mythical home of Santa Claus.
poinsettia
Decorative plant for Christmas; note the “ia.”
regifting
Passing along an unwanted present to someone else.
Santa Claus
Brings toys to children in a sleigh pulled by reindeer on Christmas Eve.
“A Visit From St. Nicholas”
Beloved poem by Clement Clarke Moore that begins, “ 'Twas the night before Christmas ...”
"The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Spell the numeral in the Christmas carol.
yule
Old English name for Christmas season; yuletide is also lowercase.
Xmas
Don’t use this abbreviation for Christmas.
AP Advisory
AP compiles Holiday Style Guide
The Associated Press has compiled a Holiday Style Guide of words, phrases and definitions to help its members and subscribers with spelling and usage of traditional terms for religious and cultural holidays in December and January. The guidance, compiled by the AP Stylebook and Lifestyles teams, encompasses Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s festivities. Some terms are taken from the AP Stylebook. Others are common usage in holiday stories transmitted by AP. Below, see a list of traditional terms sent in an advisory Dec. 5 to AP members and subscribers.
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Advent
The four Sundays preceding Christmas.
“Auld Lang Syne”
Sung to greet the New Year, poem by Robert Burns set to Scottish music.
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) --
Dateline for AP stories from the biblical site of Jesus’ birth.
Bible
Capitalize in reference to the Scriptures; lowercase biblical in all uses.
Boxing Day
Post-Christmas holiday Dec. 26 In British Commonwealth countries.
Champagne
Capitalize sparkling wine from the French region uncorked to celebrate New Year’s.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Capitalize Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 Christian feast marking the birth of Jesus.
Christmastime
One word.
Christmas tree
Lowercase tree and other seasonal terms with Christmas: card, wreath, carol, etc. Exception: National Christmas Tree.
dreidel
Toy spinning top for Jewish celebrations.
hallelujah
Lowercase the biblical praise to God, but capitalize in composition titles: Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus.
Hanukkah
Eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights starting Dec. 20 this year.
Jesus, Jesus Christ
Pronouns referring to him are lowercase, as is savior.
happy holidays, merry Christmas, season’s greetings
Such phrases are generally spelled lowercase, though Christmas is always capitalized.
Holy Land
Capitalize the biblical region.
Kriss Kringle
Not Kris. Derived from the German word, Christkindl, or baby Jesus.
Kwanzaa
African-American and Pan-African celebration of family, community and culture, Dec. 26-Jan. 1.
Magi
Three wise men who brought gifts to the infant Jesus at Epiphany, celebrated Jan. 6.
menorah
Candelabrum with nine branches used for Hanukkah.
Messiah
Capitalized in references to Jesus or to the promised deliverer in Judaism.
Nativity scene
Only the first word is capitalized.
New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day
Capitalized for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
North Pole
Mythical home of Santa Claus.
poinsettia
Decorative plant for Christmas; note the “ia.”
regifting
Passing along an unwanted present to someone else.
Santa Claus
Brings toys to children in a sleigh pulled by reindeer on Christmas Eve.
“A Visit From St. Nicholas”
Beloved poem by Clement Clarke Moore that begins, “ 'Twas the night before Christmas ...”
"The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Spell the numeral in the Christmas carol.
yule
Old English name for Christmas season; yuletide is also lowercase.
Xmas
Don’t use this abbreviation for Christmas.
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