One of the most useful words in headlines is “irk,” a verb meaning to annoy, bother, irritate, bug, tee-off, peeve, irritate, and, well, there’s a long list of synonyms. It’s true journalese. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m really irked at…”? Or, “That guy really irks me.” Probably never. The word is short and punchy, which makes it most useful in a headline. Like this one, over a New… Read Article →
Monthly Archives: September 2020
News and views from the crystal ball.
The New York Times boasts it publishes “All the news that’s fit to print.” Great. Except that the paper’s definition of news includes its own opinions, agenda, guesswork, imagination and speculation. Great example was in a Sept. 3, 2020, story headlined (in the Boston Globe): “Democrats game out an early Trump lead.” The story says that Democrats (only two are named) are thinking of what happens after the election. What… Read Article →