Suffolk Journal made a huge mistake

A placeholder subhead that included "dumb fuckers" slipped through the editing process and wound up in the paper.

http://jimromenesko.com/2012/02/02/suffolk-journal-apologizes-for-profane-headline/

 

Oooooooooooooooooooops...

 

That's known as a "career ending mistake"

 

At a college paper? Come on.

 

Oops ... thought it was a regular daily.

Sorry folks, my copy editor cap doesn't come on until 3 p.m.

Still, as a rule, it's better to use xocbxhcxyasnsco as your placeholder hed.

 

Agreed, but it's one of the greatest things about the news business that people don't do that.

 

Do placeholders work XXX or curse word make a difference? We had a screw-up where a soccer all-star team ran with the templated bug that said "boys hockey." The desker said he'd make sure he changed the template to xxx so it wouldn't happen again. I said so the paper just would have said xxx instead of hockey?

 

It'd be better to have the "XXXXX" or "hyhyhy" (my standard) because at least you're not misleading readers. And the "hyhyhy" or "XXXXX" is also a hell of a lot easier to notice as wrong.

Also, that Suffolk Journal error is mostly funny. It's a college paper. Everyone in college has heard "fuck," and there aren't many if any young children reading the paper.

 

1) XXXXXXXXXX is embarrassing to the paper but isn't misleading to the reader or downright offensive -- and in the infamous case of "Dixon sucks donkey dicks," libelous -- to the subject.

2) You put XXXXXXXXXX because as you're scanning the final proofs, it's going to jump out at you. "Boys' hockey," as you're giving it a final once-over, just looks like type.

 

Hilarious.

 

Oops times 50.

 

this.

"Ganter wants Michigan State head job" just doesn't jump out at you on proofs.

Trust me.