From Emily Akin's blog for writers:
Style Errors That Scream “Amateur”
By Emily Akin on September 4, 2013
Writers, show professionalism by knowing your grammar and style—and by proofreading your work. Recently, I’ve noticed obvious grammar and style errors in both print and online publications. Either they aren’t using editors or their editors are overworked.
Make sure your work is free of these marks of the amateur.
Plural for words ending with “st.” Is it guest or guests? It depends on whether you have one guest or more than one. Correct plural example: “We will have about 40 guests at the party.” I’ve seen published writing with “guest” where it should be “guests.” Remember, you must add the “s” on nouns like list, request, or mast. The rule for plurals is to add an “s” unless the word ends in “s.” See this summary.
Exclamation points. Use them sparingly!!!! Many beginning writers think they are adding emphasis by using exclamation points. However, overuse of emphasis defeats the purpose. Rachelle Gardner has a great blog post on the subject here.
All caps—avoid them altogether. The proper format for emphasis is italics or underline. All caps in a work submitted for publication will mark you as an amateur for certain. It is the typographical equivalent of shouting.
Spacing after periods. If you learned to type on a typewriter, you learned to space twice after periods or other ending punctuation marks. The computer age has changed that. Re-train yourself to space only once at the end of a sentence. When I point this out to the writers I mentor, they just don’t believe me. That’s because they have no experience in publishing. See the Grammar Girl’s article on this subject.
Its vs. it’s. The only time you’ll use an apostrophe with the word “it” is when you are using it as a contraction for “it is.” The word “it” may be the only word in the language that does not have an apostrophe in its possessive form. This error is so prevalent that it’s distressing to grammarphobes like me. For one thing, the spellchecker will not catch this error. I’ve seen it on television captions, campaign literature, and advertising signs. I even caught it on a publishing industry executive’s blog. Review the basic principles here.
Rid your writing of these marks of the amateur. It may take some effort, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Amish Newspapers Thrive - WSJ
Interesting article about the success of Amish newspapers. Here's an excerpt -- read the entire article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323608504579025273046278380.html?mod=itp
The two Amish newspapers, which their publishers say are profitable, have advantages other newspapers don't—notably a growing and captive readership, says Steve Nolt, a Mennonite history professor at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. While the use of modern conveniences varies among Amish and Mennonite groups, the most conservative Amish group, whose members limit access to technology, stands at 280,000 in the U.S. and doubles about every 20 years, he says. Families are large—averaging seven children—although one woman who recently died had 19 children and 1,140 living direct descendants, her son-in-law reported in the Budget.
The two Amish newspapers, which their publishers say are profitable, have advantages other newspapers don't—notably a growing and captive readership, says Steve Nolt, a Mennonite history professor at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. While the use of modern conveniences varies among Amish and Mennonite groups, the most conservative Amish group, whose members limit access to technology, stands at 280,000 in the U.S. and doubles about every 20 years, he says. Families are large—averaging seven children—although one woman who recently died had 19 children and 1,140 living direct descendants, her son-in-law reported in the Budget.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
If Clark Kent Tried to get a Newspaper Job Today
If Clark Kent (Superman) tried to get a newspaper job today:
http://observationdeck.io9.com/if-clark-kent-tried-to-get-a-newspaper-job-today-1163162396
http://observationdeck.io9.com/if-clark-kent-tried-to-get-a-newspaper-job-today-1163162396
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Bradley Manning Raises Style Questions on Gender References
From Poynter.org:
Bradley Manning news raises questions about how to refer to transgender people in stories
by Andrew Beaujon Published Aug. 22, 2013, The New York Times
Television reporters “weren’t immediately sure how to tell” the story of Bradley Manning’s announcement on “Today” that he identifies as a woman and will seek hormone therapy, Brian Stelter writes.
Savannah Guthrie, who broke the story, “used the pronoun ‘she’ to refer to Private Manning throughout most of the interview, but used ‘he’ when trying to emphasize the change had just been announced.”
Manning picked a bad time of the year to send journalists running to their stylebooks: The New York Times’ associate managing editor for standards, Phil Corbett? “[A]way until Tuesday, Aug. 27,” according to an auto-reply email. Washington Post standards editor Tracy Grant? “[O]ut of the office until Monday, August 26.” Los Angeles Times copy overlord Henry Fuhrmann? “I will be away from the office this week.”
“I think that’s being discussed,” says Washington Post copy editor Bill Walsh (who says he’s “away for a few days”) when asked about Post style. What’s a media reporter to do? In a later email, Grant confirmed the discussions: “We’re in the process of reviewing our style in light of the Manning situation,” she wrote.
Corbett’s email refers reporters to Greg Brock, the Times’ senior editor for standards, who sent Poynter the Times’ stylebook entry, which he says he’s sending “to those who might be working on the coverage.”
transgender (adj.) is an overall term for people whose current identity differs from their sex at birth, whether or not they have changed their biological characteristics. Cite a person’s transgender status only when it is pertinent and its pertinence is clear to the reader. Unless a former name is newsworthy or pertinent, use the name and pronouns (he, his, she, her, hers) preferred by the transgender person. If no preference is known, use the pronouns consistent with the way the subject lives publicly.{new 3/05}
A few minutes after that email, Corbett emailed to say pretty much the same thing: In general, he writes, “We use the names and pronouns preferred by the subject. And we would refer to someone’s transgender status only if it is relevant to the story.”
Here’s the Associated Press’ style:
transgender: Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.
And here’s GLAAD’s style, from its media reference guide:
Transgender An umbrella term (adj.) for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexuals, cross-dressers and other gender-variant people. Transgender people may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF). Use the descriptive term (transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, FTM or MTF) preferred by the individual. Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.
Some more from GLAAD:
Problematic: “transgenders,” “a transgender”
Preferred: “transgender people,” “a transgender person”
Transgender should be used as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not say, “Tony is a transgender,” or “The parade included many transgenders.” Instead say, “Tony is a transgender man,” or “The parade included many transgender people.”
Problematic: “transgendered”
Preferred: “transgender”
The adjective transgender should never have an extraneous “-ed” tacked onto the end. An “-ed” suffix adds unnecessary length to the word and can cause tense confusion and grammatical errors. For example, it is grammatically incorrect to turn transgender into a participle, as it is an adjective, not a verb, and only verbs can be used as participles by adding an “-ed” suffix.
Problematic: “sex change,” “pre-operative,” “post-operative”
Preferred: “transition”
Referring to a sex change operation, or using terms such as pre- or post-operative, inaccurately suggests that one must have surgery in order to transition. Avoid overemphasizing surgery when discussing transgender people or the process of transition.
Here’s the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association’s stylebook entry:
transgender: An umbrella term that refers to people whose biological and gender identity or expression may not be the same. This can but does not necessarily include preoperative, postoperative or nonoperative transsexuals, female and male cross-dressers, drag queens or kings, female or male impersonators, and intersex individuals. When writing about a transgender person, use the name and personal pronouns that are consistent with the way the individual lives publicly. When possible, ask which term the subject prefers.
Fuhrmann, who is attending the Asian American Journalists Association’s annual convention in New York City, emailed as this post was being published:
We’re in the process of drafting an update to our guidelines, which date to about 2003. Not having a copy of either version at hand, I can say generally that we refer to subjects by their chosen gender identification, in line with the guidelines recommended by GLAAD and NLGJA and with AP style. We use the name and personal pronoun that conform with how a person lives publicly.
Later in the afternoon, I heard from Valentina Djeljosevic, the Chicago Tribune’s deputy editor of Editing & Presentation. “The Chicago Tribune follows AP style,” she wrote in an email. “We’ll say Bradley Manning on first reference since that’s the name readers know. We’ll add that Manning identifies as Chelsea, and we’ll use ‘she’ when a pronoun is needed.”
Bradley Manning news raises questions about how to refer to transgender people in stories
by Andrew Beaujon Published Aug. 22, 2013, The New York Times
Television reporters “weren’t immediately sure how to tell” the story of Bradley Manning’s announcement on “Today” that he identifies as a woman and will seek hormone therapy, Brian Stelter writes.
Savannah Guthrie, who broke the story, “used the pronoun ‘she’ to refer to Private Manning throughout most of the interview, but used ‘he’ when trying to emphasize the change had just been announced.”
Manning picked a bad time of the year to send journalists running to their stylebooks: The New York Times’ associate managing editor for standards, Phil Corbett? “[A]way until Tuesday, Aug. 27,” according to an auto-reply email. Washington Post standards editor Tracy Grant? “[O]ut of the office until Monday, August 26.” Los Angeles Times copy overlord Henry Fuhrmann? “I will be away from the office this week.”
“I think that’s being discussed,” says Washington Post copy editor Bill Walsh (who says he’s “away for a few days”) when asked about Post style. What’s a media reporter to do? In a later email, Grant confirmed the discussions: “We’re in the process of reviewing our style in light of the Manning situation,” she wrote.
Corbett’s email refers reporters to Greg Brock, the Times’ senior editor for standards, who sent Poynter the Times’ stylebook entry, which he says he’s sending “to those who might be working on the coverage.”
transgender (adj.) is an overall term for people whose current identity differs from their sex at birth, whether or not they have changed their biological characteristics. Cite a person’s transgender status only when it is pertinent and its pertinence is clear to the reader. Unless a former name is newsworthy or pertinent, use the name and pronouns (he, his, she, her, hers) preferred by the transgender person. If no preference is known, use the pronouns consistent with the way the subject lives publicly.{new 3/05}
A few minutes after that email, Corbett emailed to say pretty much the same thing: In general, he writes, “We use the names and pronouns preferred by the subject. And we would refer to someone’s transgender status only if it is relevant to the story.”
Here’s the Associated Press’ style:
transgender: Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.
And here’s GLAAD’s style, from its media reference guide:
Transgender An umbrella term (adj.) for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexuals, cross-dressers and other gender-variant people. Transgender people may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF). Use the descriptive term (transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, FTM or MTF) preferred by the individual. Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.
Some more from GLAAD:
Problematic: “transgenders,” “a transgender”
Preferred: “transgender people,” “a transgender person”
Transgender should be used as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not say, “Tony is a transgender,” or “The parade included many transgenders.” Instead say, “Tony is a transgender man,” or “The parade included many transgender people.”
Problematic: “transgendered”
Preferred: “transgender”
The adjective transgender should never have an extraneous “-ed” tacked onto the end. An “-ed” suffix adds unnecessary length to the word and can cause tense confusion and grammatical errors. For example, it is grammatically incorrect to turn transgender into a participle, as it is an adjective, not a verb, and only verbs can be used as participles by adding an “-ed” suffix.
Problematic: “sex change,” “pre-operative,” “post-operative”
Preferred: “transition”
Referring to a sex change operation, or using terms such as pre- or post-operative, inaccurately suggests that one must have surgery in order to transition. Avoid overemphasizing surgery when discussing transgender people or the process of transition.
Here’s the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association’s stylebook entry:
transgender: An umbrella term that refers to people whose biological and gender identity or expression may not be the same. This can but does not necessarily include preoperative, postoperative or nonoperative transsexuals, female and male cross-dressers, drag queens or kings, female or male impersonators, and intersex individuals. When writing about a transgender person, use the name and personal pronouns that are consistent with the way the individual lives publicly. When possible, ask which term the subject prefers.
Fuhrmann, who is attending the Asian American Journalists Association’s annual convention in New York City, emailed as this post was being published:
We’re in the process of drafting an update to our guidelines, which date to about 2003. Not having a copy of either version at hand, I can say generally that we refer to subjects by their chosen gender identification, in line with the guidelines recommended by GLAAD and NLGJA and with AP style. We use the name and personal pronoun that conform with how a person lives publicly.
Later in the afternoon, I heard from Valentina Djeljosevic, the Chicago Tribune’s deputy editor of Editing & Presentation. “The Chicago Tribune follows AP style,” she wrote in an email. “We’ll say Bradley Manning on first reference since that’s the name readers know. We’ll add that Manning identifies as Chelsea, and we’ll use ‘she’ when a pronoun is needed.”
The Joy of Christian Journalism
Here's a little excerpt from an excellent column by Marvin Olasky of WORLD magazine. To read the entire article, click on this link: http://www.worldmag.com/2013/08/the_joy_of_christian_journalism/page1
Many media organizations, sadly, include journalists bored with life, which they see as purposeless. Not all secular journalists are that way: David Halberstam, who wrote about wars and politics but also baseball, said shortly before he died, “The legwork of reporting is critical and most of the fun. Think of it as part of a continuing education; we’re paid to learn. It isn’t just getting a byline that drives you; it isn’t just where the story lands in the paper. Fifty-two years later, I still like what I do.”
Christian journalists especially should have that attitude. We know human interest is important because every human is created in God’s image. Over 3,000 years ago the Egyptian Ptahotep gave career advice: “Be a scribe! You sit grandly in your house, beer is poured copiously. All who see you rejoice in good cheer. … Happy is the heart of him who writes; he is young each day.” How much more so should Christians relish the joy of journalism, making it part of a life’s goal: As the Westminster Catechism states, our chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”—and forever begins right now.
To enjoy fully our craft, Christian journalists often need two crucial understandings. One is that the children’s song “It’s a Small World (After All)” is dumb. It’s not a small world: It’s a large one, with millions of nooks and crannies and opportunities for adventure. In Robert Boynton’s book, The New New Journalism, writer Susan Orlean recalls with excitement an article she wrote about a gospel singing group: “It was astonishing for me to glimpse a world that was so fully developed—with its own stars, sagas, myths, history, millions of devotees—that I, in my narrow life, I had no idea existed.”
The second necessary understanding comes from pastor Tim Keller’s analysis of the parable of the prodigal son. Keller argues (The Prodigal God, 2008) that the parable should have a plural in its name: sons. We remember that the younger brother, of course, takes his inheritance, runs, and eventually finds that that his existence is truly oppressive. But the elder brother also has a problem: He is self-righteous and lacks joy. He works by the sweat of his brow and is angry with the younger brother for not doing his share, and then angry with the father for celebrating the prodigal’s return
When Christian journalists become solemn like some full-of-themselves pundits, we are not truly following Jesus, who regularly in the gospels flashes His sense of humor.
Many media organizations, sadly, include journalists bored with life, which they see as purposeless. Not all secular journalists are that way: David Halberstam, who wrote about wars and politics but also baseball, said shortly before he died, “The legwork of reporting is critical and most of the fun. Think of it as part of a continuing education; we’re paid to learn. It isn’t just getting a byline that drives you; it isn’t just where the story lands in the paper. Fifty-two years later, I still like what I do.”
Christian journalists especially should have that attitude. We know human interest is important because every human is created in God’s image. Over 3,000 years ago the Egyptian Ptahotep gave career advice: “Be a scribe! You sit grandly in your house, beer is poured copiously. All who see you rejoice in good cheer. … Happy is the heart of him who writes; he is young each day.” How much more so should Christians relish the joy of journalism, making it part of a life’s goal: As the Westminster Catechism states, our chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”—and forever begins right now.
To enjoy fully our craft, Christian journalists often need two crucial understandings. One is that the children’s song “It’s a Small World (After All)” is dumb. It’s not a small world: It’s a large one, with millions of nooks and crannies and opportunities for adventure. In Robert Boynton’s book, The New New Journalism, writer Susan Orlean recalls with excitement an article she wrote about a gospel singing group: “It was astonishing for me to glimpse a world that was so fully developed—with its own stars, sagas, myths, history, millions of devotees—that I, in my narrow life, I had no idea existed.”
The second necessary understanding comes from pastor Tim Keller’s analysis of the parable of the prodigal son. Keller argues (The Prodigal God, 2008) that the parable should have a plural in its name: sons. We remember that the younger brother, of course, takes his inheritance, runs, and eventually finds that that his existence is truly oppressive. But the elder brother also has a problem: He is self-righteous and lacks joy. He works by the sweat of his brow and is angry with the younger brother for not doing his share, and then angry with the father for celebrating the prodigal’s return
When Christian journalists become solemn like some full-of-themselves pundits, we are not truly following Jesus, who regularly in the gospels flashes His sense of humor.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Were You Thinking About Working in Television?
TV Guide‘s Stephen Battaglio and Michael Schneider tally up the highest-paid talent in television for this week’s magazine. The highest paid on-air individual in all of TV is syndicated judge “Judge Judy” Sheindlin, who rakes in an estimated $45 million a year for her eponymous program.
In the world of TV news, NBC “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer leads the way, drawing an estimated $22-25 million every year. The highest-paid anchor on ABC News is “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer, who pulls in an estimated $12 million a year, while “CBS Evening News” anchor Scott Pelley leads that network with $5 million a year.
On cable, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is king, drawing an estimated $17 million a year, while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow leads her channel with a $7 million a year deal. CNN’s Anderson Cooper tops that channel with an estimated $10 million a year deal.
Other notable names: Megyn Kelly‘s new deal is estimated to be worth $6 million a year, twice what Hoda Kotb draws, and more than three times as much as ABC’s Josh Elliott. Ann Curry is still one of the highest-paid reporters at NBC, drawing $5 million a year, while Sarah Palin‘s new FNC contract is believed to be in the $250,000 range.
In the world of TV news, NBC “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer leads the way, drawing an estimated $22-25 million every year. The highest-paid anchor on ABC News is “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer, who pulls in an estimated $12 million a year, while “CBS Evening News” anchor Scott Pelley leads that network with $5 million a year.
On cable, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is king, drawing an estimated $17 million a year, while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow leads her channel with a $7 million a year deal. CNN’s Anderson Cooper tops that channel with an estimated $10 million a year deal.
Other notable names: Megyn Kelly‘s new deal is estimated to be worth $6 million a year, twice what Hoda Kotb draws, and more than three times as much as ABC’s Josh Elliott. Ann Curry is still one of the highest-paid reporters at NBC, drawing $5 million a year, while Sarah Palin‘s new FNC contract is believed to be in the $250,000 range.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
