Reporters’ classic anonymous source has been identified simply as a source. Often, he or she is a well-informed source. Or a source close to…whoever the story is about. We have a section in our Journalese Dictionary devoted to “Source Sorcery.” The sources range from Analyst to Watcher. But there’s a popular new source: “people with knowledge of the matter.” For example: “people with knowledge of the matter” are given n… Read Article →
Monthly Archives: February 2021
Valentine’s Day, ain’t it romantic
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and it’s time to get romantically involved. That’s wonderful journalese: “romantically involved.” It could also be romantically linked or romantically entangled. Often, it’s a politician who is romantically involved. Or a famous preacher, who had been condemning sinners for years, and you know who I mean. Anyhow, newspapers and TV and radio can’t report in plain English what the romantic folks were doing. It’s wink-wink, nudge-nudge… Read Article →