Planned churnalese

Churnalese is the stuff reporters and editors churn out when they copy press releases, with no checking or editing. Great example of this was in a Boston Globe story, Jan. 9 , 2022, about a construction project that’s been underway for four years in Boston’s Bulfinch District in the city’s West End. It involves demolishing a parking garage and building high-rises on the site. One high-rise is complete, a second is near-completion, and a third’s construction is starting. The Globe story is about closing a subway station for a week-end “…as a result of planned demolition work, according to transit officials. ….The demolition of the garage… has been ongoing as a result of planned redevlopment of the Bulfinch Triangle area…” The cutline of a photo of the garage repeats the “planned demolition….” description.

Planned? Now it would be huge news if a project this size were unplanned. Just thrown up. Grown like Topsy. Ad hoc. Slap-dash. Blueprints? Never heard of ’em. Build, brothers, build! Who needs plans? Just tear down that garage. Outa’ our way.

Oh, no way! We plan the job. Developers, transit officials, builders and the so-called BPDA (Boston Planning and Development Agency, which officially is still the BRA, Boston Redevelopment Authority ) want you to know they are serious planners. The Globe makes sure you get their message.