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Words You Can't Say on WGN Radio

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by 21, Mar 11, 2010.

  1. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Tribune CEO Randy Michaels compiled this list of words/expressions that 'make you sound like you’re reading, instead of talking — that shatter the image you’re speaking knowledgeably to one person. By not using ‘newsspeak,’ you enhance your reputation as a communicator.'

    Some are outstanding: 5 am in the morning, mute point, senseless murder.
    Some are a little picky: alleged, guys, legendary.

    Interesting guidelines, but colleagues are supposed to keep a log of violations and and report the perpetrators.


    http://blogs.vocalo.org/feder/2010/03/memo-puts-wgn-news-staffers-at-a-loss-for-words/17374



     
  2. WolvEagle

    WolvEagle Well-Known Member

    21 - There's already a thread on this - "Stupid Editor Tricks" on sports and news. Sorry about that.

    http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/76573/
     
  3. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Huh.

    Seemed like a journo topic, didn't look at sports and news.

    :-[
     
  4. jojoblack

    jojoblack Active Member

    This guy has too much time on his hands. Every supervisor I've ever had has hyperventilated about enforcing a ban on usage of some phrase that is not necessarily grammatically incorrect or unclear otherwise. We would even have to kill pages because the offending passages would get in and someone would crap in their pants at the thought that the boss would see his pet peeves in print. Meanwhile, real issues went unaddressed.
     
  5. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    How about the phrase "mental masturbator", which fits so, so well, in this context?
     
  6. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    OK, as a Class A style nitpicker, when I first saw this story headline (without reading it), I thought, oh, boy, it's going to be something stupid about 119 words that could offend somebody somewhere.

    Now, after reading the list, hell, it looks like one of my style memos.

    Three obvious differences: 1) I didn't do 119 at once, but I've done a few of these over the years; 2) I didn't ask anybody to rat out co-workers for violations; 3) I'm a middle manager whose job includes paying attention to such things, not a freakin' CEO.

    But he's got some pretty good points on here.
     
  7. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Sure. You take that many swings, you're going to have some hits.

    But I challenge ANY news-oriented on-air personality to successfully steer away from the content of that list, in toto.

    Either Load Michaels is trying to fire a bunch of high-priced talent for "cause",
    or he's trying to drive everyone to the Funny Farm.
     
  8. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    Yeah, hard to argue the overload aspect of it, I admit.
     
  9. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Jim Rome would be in trouble... Err allegedly...
     
  10. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    This list reads much like one I've had hanging next to my desk for 10 years, from then VF-editor Graydon Carter.

    Eatery is a terrible word!
     
  11. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    brilliant!
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/waitwait/2010/03/in_which_i_try_to_use_all_of_w.html
     
  12. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    At least "Semi Truck driver" and Jumbo shrimp did not make list.
     
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