Monthly Archives: May 2019

If there were a journalism prize for mind-reading, speculation and opinion — in the guise of a news story — The New York Times would be the sure winner. Take this one paragraph sentence in a Mary 24, 2019, story about “the war of words” between President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “But her decision to dramatize the fight also represented an embrace of Trump’s own signature political tactic: an… Read Article →

A rule of journalese requires that all parking garages or old buildings the reporter doesn’t like, and which a favored developer wants to replace with condos (luxury, of course), must be described as “hulking.” The Boston Globe violated this rule recently when Wynn Resorts announced a ferry service to its Encore casino in Everett, adjoining Boston. The casino is expected to open in June. The Globe reported: “The service will… Read Article →

TV anchors’ millions. An obscure law of journalese requires TV anchors, in their teaser introduction, to report how many millions of Americans will be affected by a predicted storm, flood, forest fire or other catastrophe. How the anchors predict the number of millions is a trade secret. For example, Tom Lallas, of ABC News on May10, 2019, reported: “40 million people are bracing for extreme weather…” Amazing that knew that… Read Article →