In our continuing series on annoying journalism word blunders, we come to one of my favourites ... or should that be most despised. This is a primary school error that I still read or hear from written and broadcast journalists on a regular basis. Even experienced writers continue to perpetuate this irritating piece of tautology.
I'm talking about the phrase "general consensus". Amateur writers or rookie journalists can, if they ask nicely, be forgiven. However, there should be no excuse for seasoned journalists who insist on using phrase in sentences such as "the general consensus is that there will be elections next month". Grrrrr!
Stop! This is a numbing piece of redundancy because we all know that the word "consensus" itself implies that it is general. You do not need to put "general" in front of it.
I am sure that the same people who pepper us with general consensus are also responsible for the equally reprehensible "general public". As opposed to what other public?
Anyway, now you know. Let us draw a line under our past follies involving general consensus and general public and, from now on, writers and journalists all over the English-speaking world will restrict their use of the word "general" to military issues or other general matters.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
News writing for developing stories
 |
| Lex and students in the background. |
As a story develops, new information comes to light and the article must change to reflect fresh scenarios, updated figures or changing viewpoints of the players, among other factors.
When teaching how to write a news story, sometimes I use information of a story that is at an highly developed stage. So, the other day in my Media Writing Class, I asked students to identify potential angles from a single set of notes.
They did a fine job of extracting angles, some of which were relevant to when the story was at an early stage. However, they struggled when I asked them to tell me what the difference is between two angles, one involving immediate information and the other containing updated material.
All I was looking for was an answer related to time and it was Lex (that's her email name) who finally managed to get it right after about 15 minutes of probing.
Lex's correct answer helped her to win this week's Cadbury's Fruit & Nut chocolate bar prize. This, by the way, is the best chocolate in the world.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
When facts breed opinions
News writing, ideally, involves reporting the facts as they happen, focusing on nouns and verbs and allowing the readers to form considered opinions based on the information in the article.
Of course, writers are able to influence opinion by focusing on certain facts and data while ignoring others. However, a hard news story would never include an opinion from the writer itself.
This is something I like about news articles because offering views is difficult. It is much easier to simply lay the facts on the table and let the reader wonder off into opinion-land.
However, my newest gig involves offering views and opinions on financial instruments. I have to write about certain companies and then tell the reader what I think about its prospects.
I have to admit, it wasn't easy for my first assignment. It took me a long time to write just one article because I was totally untrained on making judgments based on data. All I did before was report the facts. I was also worried that I would make a fool of myself.
However, after looking at similar articles, I realised that many other writers offer diverse and opposing views on the same piece of information. So anyone following what I say has an equal chance of being right or wrong.
In any case, it is a decent gig and I'm confident the more I do the more proficient I'll get at writing nonsense ...er, I mean eye-opening analyses that could change lives.
Of course, writers are able to influence opinion by focusing on certain facts and data while ignoring others. However, a hard news story would never include an opinion from the writer itself.
This is something I like about news articles because offering views is difficult. It is much easier to simply lay the facts on the table and let the reader wonder off into opinion-land.
However, my newest gig involves offering views and opinions on financial instruments. I have to write about certain companies and then tell the reader what I think about its prospects.
I have to admit, it wasn't easy for my first assignment. It took me a long time to write just one article because I was totally untrained on making judgments based on data. All I did before was report the facts. I was also worried that I would make a fool of myself.
However, after looking at similar articles, I realised that many other writers offer diverse and opposing views on the same piece of information. So anyone following what I say has an equal chance of being right or wrong.
In any case, it is a decent gig and I'm confident the more I do the more proficient I'll get at writing nonsense ...er, I mean eye-opening analyses that could change lives.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
How to write: the enormity of an evolving language
Teaching people how to write a news story, or any other kind of article, often requires upholding a purist stance. This is especially so when it involves words that have been bastardised.
Some words have been skewed to such an extent that it is impossible to convince those who utter such heresy that they are part of a linguistic conspiracy that would drastically change the way we communicate. Dramatic? Definitely, but someone has to stand up for tradition.
The focus of our irritation today is the word "emormity". How often are we bombarded by phrases such as "he has not really appreciated the enormity of his achievement" for a person who may have won a sporting title for the umpteenth time.
However, enormity, in its original meaning, does NOT mean huge. It is not the noun for enormous, which is actually "enormousness". Enormity means the quality of being outrageous, or wickedness. A phrase such as "we don't understand the enormity of war until we experience it ourselves" would be more appropriate.
Still, as mentioned before, English is an evolving language and enormity has been so ingrained into the lingo as the noun for enormous that even dictionaries appear to have given up the fight. Indeed, I have seen some dictionaries using both definitions for the word enormity.
A big kick in the guts for the traditionalists. But we continue the protest.
Some words have been skewed to such an extent that it is impossible to convince those who utter such heresy that they are part of a linguistic conspiracy that would drastically change the way we communicate. Dramatic? Definitely, but someone has to stand up for tradition.
The focus of our irritation today is the word "emormity". How often are we bombarded by phrases such as "he has not really appreciated the enormity of his achievement" for a person who may have won a sporting title for the umpteenth time.
However, enormity, in its original meaning, does NOT mean huge. It is not the noun for enormous, which is actually "enormousness". Enormity means the quality of being outrageous, or wickedness. A phrase such as "we don't understand the enormity of war until we experience it ourselves" would be more appropriate.
Still, as mentioned before, English is an evolving language and enormity has been so ingrained into the lingo as the noun for enormous that even dictionaries appear to have given up the fight. Indeed, I have seen some dictionaries using both definitions for the word enormity.
A big kick in the guts for the traditionalists. But we continue the protest.
Friday, February 10, 2012
News carrier still going strong in Hong Kong at 86
Newspapers and the people they employ change over time. The folks who deliver newspapers, however, sometimes remain the same. I was recently in the city I grew up in, Hong Kong, and was delighted to see that the man who used to deliver our papers was still plying the corner of Hankow Road and Peking Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.Mr Tam (pictured), who says he is 86 years old, is of small size but always muscular. He was often seen hauling huge piles of newspapers that would have a man twice his size wobbling at the knees. He still looks as fit as a fiddle even though he leaves some of the heavy lifting to his assistants.
The English newspapers he has carried for the past 40 years, in my memory at least, have changed quite a bit. The Hong Kong Standard is now a free tabloid, having once been a paid-for broadsheet and a strong rival to the former British colony's leading daily, the South China Morning Post.
The SCMP remains a broadsheet but its news agenda has changed significantly since Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in 1997. The news is heavily political and the design has veered towards allowing for more white space. I'm not sure if I like the new look.
As late as the 90s, there was heavy and healthy competition between the two newspapers but, from my brief reading of one edition, I think the Standard can no longer offer any real threat.
Whatever the case, there is room in Hong Kong for two English-language dailies and, hopefully, Mr Tam will be around for many more years to carry the news.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
What writing fee denotes a 'Money-scavenger'?
Greetings Fellow Freelance Journalists
Surely there needs to be solidarity among us to prevent these kinds of job ads. At $1 an article, who is the scavenger?
(Seen in online ad)
Hello Freelancers!
Here is a project for all of you.
I am going to make a team of writers and I have a perfect plan in My Mind to do that.
This project is for all those who wanna join my team.
But You "MUST AGREE" to the following terms before bidding.
I need Quality writers not Money-scavengers.
You Should be able to produce 8-10 articles of 500 words daily.
You Should be able to follow the rules and regulations and be strict to them.
You have to prove your ability for joining my team.
Payments will be made via MoneyBookers, PayPal or Freelancer.com as best suits.
Payments are $1/500 words at the start and I will increase the rates according to the good quality of the articles.
No Milestone or Escrow Payments.
These Rates will continue for 2 weeks and In that Period, I will select the best of the writers from those.
If you are agree to the above terms then you are welcome to bid otherwise please don't BID here and go somewhere else.
Happy Bidding!
Surely there needs to be solidarity among us to prevent these kinds of job ads. At $1 an article, who is the scavenger?
(Seen in online ad)
Hello Freelancers!
Here is a project for all of you.
I am going to make a team of writers and I have a perfect plan in My Mind to do that.
This project is for all those who wanna join my team.
But You "MUST AGREE" to the following terms before bidding.
I need Quality writers not Money-scavengers.
You Should be able to produce 8-10 articles of 500 words daily.
You Should be able to follow the rules and regulations and be strict to them.
You have to prove your ability for joining my team.
Payments will be made via MoneyBookers, PayPal or Freelancer.com as best suits.
Payments are $1/500 words at the start and I will increase the rates according to the good quality of the articles.
No Milestone or Escrow Payments.
These Rates will continue for 2 weeks and In that Period, I will select the best of the writers from those.
If you are agree to the above terms then you are welcome to bid otherwise please don't BID here and go somewhere else.
Happy Bidding!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Chocolate bar for Media Writing Skills student
It was an important class because students were taught the fundamental structure of a news story as used in major outlets in the world such as Bloomberg, Reuters and Wall Street Journal.
During the class, I asked the students to identify the main function of one of the key layers in a standard news article. They struggled for a long time, coming close on many occasions. However, it was Fajjar who came up with the correct answer.
For this, he received a bar of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut chocolate, which I insist is the best chocolate in the world. That's me on the left and Fajjar on the right.
Next week, the students will watch the move, The Paper, after which they will be asked to write a news article based on the events of the movie using the system they learned today.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
How to write: avoid getting into a dilemma
Writing to a set style is not always easy. Every publication or outlet has its own style guide, many of them endless lists of words and spellings that make for laboured reading.
It is not always easy or practical to remember how every single word in your company's guide is spelled or in what context it should be used.
I remember there was a time in the newspaper I worked for that even the sub-editors, the supposed guardians of style, had become weary of ensuring we were right every time. It seemed we were changing every day. I once asked a colleague: "What is our style for 'fufill' [one 'l' or two]?" He sighed and replied: "Today ... it's two."
Despite this, I am a big fan of style guides because, when followed, it brings consistency to a publication and enhances its identity. Whether it is American or British style does not really matter (I use British, mostly). The main thing is that there must be consistency across all media platforms.
Today, I'm starting a series on style. This is not really about spellings or meanings, it is mostly about words that are often misused. I get riled when I see words, phrases or even suffixes used wrongly when journalists and copywriters, above all people, should know better.
Before I start, however, a word about bastardisation. This is the process in which a word is misused so often for so long that even the protectors of the language, whoever they may be, have resigned themselves to its new meaning.
An example is the word "awful". This word is derived from "awe". However, awful these days is something negative whereas it was originally a word that expressed admiration for something.
English is a living, breathing and evolving language and some of the words I highlight may already have been bastardised. But I don't care. I'm a traditionalist!
Anyway, the first word in the annoying list is ... dilemma.You see it all the time. For example: He faces a dilemma on whether he should go to Harvard or Yale. Many writers think that if a person has two choices or more, it is referred to as a dilemma. I've also read dilemma being written as synonymous with problems.
Actually, dilemma is when you have only TWO choices and both are UNDESIRABLE. So, if you have to choose between walking through a pit full of venomous snakes or a river full of hungry crocodiles, you are in a dilemma.
If you have a choice between a promotion in your job or more money with another offer, then this is not a dilemma because both paths are attractive.
Stay tuned for the next annoying writing habit. Your comments are welcome.
It is not always easy or practical to remember how every single word in your company's guide is spelled or in what context it should be used.
I remember there was a time in the newspaper I worked for that even the sub-editors, the supposed guardians of style, had become weary of ensuring we were right every time. It seemed we were changing every day. I once asked a colleague: "What is our style for 'fufill' [one 'l' or two]?" He sighed and replied: "Today ... it's two."
Despite this, I am a big fan of style guides because, when followed, it brings consistency to a publication and enhances its identity. Whether it is American or British style does not really matter (I use British, mostly). The main thing is that there must be consistency across all media platforms.
Today, I'm starting a series on style. This is not really about spellings or meanings, it is mostly about words that are often misused. I get riled when I see words, phrases or even suffixes used wrongly when journalists and copywriters, above all people, should know better.
Before I start, however, a word about bastardisation. This is the process in which a word is misused so often for so long that even the protectors of the language, whoever they may be, have resigned themselves to its new meaning.
An example is the word "awful". This word is derived from "awe". However, awful these days is something negative whereas it was originally a word that expressed admiration for something.
English is a living, breathing and evolving language and some of the words I highlight may already have been bastardised. But I don't care. I'm a traditionalist!
Anyway, the first word in the annoying list is ... dilemma.You see it all the time. For example: He faces a dilemma on whether he should go to Harvard or Yale. Many writers think that if a person has two choices or more, it is referred to as a dilemma. I've also read dilemma being written as synonymous with problems.
Actually, dilemma is when you have only TWO choices and both are UNDESIRABLE. So, if you have to choose between walking through a pit full of venomous snakes or a river full of hungry crocodiles, you are in a dilemma.
If you have a choice between a promotion in your job or more money with another offer, then this is not a dilemma because both paths are attractive.
Stay tuned for the next annoying writing habit. Your comments are welcome.
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