Monthly Archives: July 2016

An old Boston media tradition is to report without question that “hundreds of thousands,” “half a million,” or even “one million” lined the banks of the Charles River for the July 4 concert of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Reports from last night’s concert had it “half a million,” as reported by WBZ (whose CBS TV station broadcast the event on TV). No reporter has ever violated the Boston rule that prohibits… Read Article →

A headline writers’ favorite is the verb “gird,” meaning get ready or prepare. It’s a classic example of journalese: a word that is used in print but rarely, if ever, spoken. When was the last time you’ve heard a politician say, “I’m girding for the next election.” The page one top story, about Gov. Charlie Baker, in the Boston Globe July 4, 2016: “Baker girding for run in 2018.” Gird,… Read Article →

I wonder if journalism schools have given up teaching that opinion and speculation should be left to the editorial pages and have no place in news stories. Newspaper editors obviously don’t give a damn. This AP story, datelined Bratislava, Slovakia, June 2, 2016, under the Boston Globe headline ” EU’s new crises raise questions about what more can be done,” is based on what “appears” to be, with “many… seeming”… Read Article →