Author Topic: I hate journalistic writing (Read 100332 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #400 on:** February 15, 2011, 09:13:53 AM »

Quote from: Porter on February 15, 2011, 08:28:35 AM

AFAIC, being able to easily and quickly identify which articles I'm interested in reading is far and away the main purpose of a headline. Any headline that makes me stop to parse it has failed.

Agreed.

The Genuine · « **Reply #401 on:** February 15, 2011, 09:15:29 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on February 15, 2011, 09:13:41 AM

Quote from: dkw on February 15, 2011, 07:59:56 AM
Are you serious that you cannot parse it, or are you just saying that it's potentially confusing?

I mean that I have no idea what "big shot Sherlock" is supposed to mean.

Like, the Holmes guy who uses clues to solve mysteries?

The Genuine · « **Reply #402 on:** February 15, 2011, 09:17:18 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on February 15, 2011, 09:13:53 AM

Quote from: Porter on February 15, 2011, 08:28:35 AM
AFAIC, being able to easily and quickly identify which articles I'm interested in reading is far and away the main purpose of a headline. Any headline that makes me stop to parse it has failed.

Agreed.

It's "good" in the same way those annoying HeadOn commercials are.

Porter · « **Reply #403 on:** February 15, 2011, 09:23:47 AM »

I guess I technically agree with that.

dkw · « **Reply #404 on:** February 15, 2011, 10:56:22 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on February 15, 2011, 09:13:41 AM

Quote from: dkw on February 15, 2011, 07:59:56 AM
Are you serious that you cannot parse it, or are you just saying that it's potentially confusing?

I mean that I have no idea what "big shot Sherlock" is supposed to mean.

Over-hyped finder of answers.

Jonathon · « **Reply #405 on:** February 15, 2011, 11:11:48 AM »

Yeah, I see it now. I think it was just awkward enough that it put me off and made me not want to put forth the effort to figure it out.

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #406 on:** February 17, 2011, 06:00:38 PM »

It doesn't matter, Jonathon -- it's alliterative!

Kate Boots · « **Reply #407 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:33:49 PM »

Quote from: Zalmoxis on February 17, 2011, 06:00:38 PM

It doesn't matter, Jonathon -- it's alliterative!

There is a common sarcastic phrase, "no s***, Sherlock", that (usually young) people use when someone has said something obvious. Like, "no kidding, Genius". Maybe the headline writer has the sound of this in his head when he came up with the headline?

Jonathon · « **Reply #408 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:55:22 PM »

Possibly. The funny thing is that this is far from the first time that I've read something really strange, awkward, or outright unintelligible on CNET, only to find that it was written by this particular author.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #409 on:** March 01, 2011, 06:01:36 AM »

Link.

I think Annie has permanently ruined the word "temblor" for me.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #410 on:** March 01, 2011, 06:22:07 AM »

It wasn't me, it was the journalists.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #411 on:** March 14, 2011, 10:19:38 AM »

Just to save Anneke the trouble:

temblor temblor temblor temblor temblor

Sheesh!

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #412 on:** March 14, 2011, 10:48:18 AM »

I know. The articles were too traumatic for me to repost, though.

Every few hours throughout the day lately I think of Japan and get sad

pooka · « **Reply #413 on:** March 15, 2011, 08:36:20 PM »

"Teachers pay be based on scores?"

It's so close to a well formed ebonics phrase, it had me sort of laughing.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #414 on:** March 17, 2011, 11:47:42 AM »

Quote

I am shocked that the church would support a bill that literally sacrifices 50,000 Utah children, who are the victims of identity theft, for the benefit of illegal aliens

Ok, it's not a journalist, it's someone they're quoting. But priceless nonetheless.

pooka · « **Reply #415 on:** March 18, 2011, 01:17:28 PM »

Yeah, definitely one of the stupidest iterations of "literally" I've ever seen.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #416 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:57:33 PM »

OK, weirdest story lead-in ever:

Quote

Cougs go to the Big Easy...time for a primer on a New Orleans legend
A BYU music professor's research profiles some revolutionary recordings of jazz legend Louis Armstrong, a native of BYU basketball's Sweet 16 destination.

"We have an article on Louie Armstrong."

"Link it to the BYU basketball team."

"How?"

"I don't care, just do it."

BlackBlade · « **Reply #417 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:37:06 PM »

Ha! Seriously.

Jonathon · « **Reply #418 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:39:08 PM »

Ugh. Awkward.

Brinestone · « **Reply #419 on:** April 03, 2011, 08:00:17 AM »

From a headline on MSN's website, apparently "Kate Middleton was bullying victim."

It would have worked so much better if they'd stuck with the shorter, "Kate Middleton was bullied."

BlackBlade · « **Reply #420 on:** April 04, 2011, 12:42:56 PM »

Or placed victim then the word of before bullying.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #421 on:** April 04, 2011, 03:53:22 PM »

No idea how long this link will show the typo,

"Bodies from an Air France flight that crashed two years have been found in the plane's wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, a French government minister said Monday."

That plane took a very long time to complete crashing.

Jonathon · « **Reply #422 on:** April 04, 2011, 03:56:17 PM »

Maybe it crashed on a time-shifting island. That happens sometimes, you know.

Brinestone · « **Reply #423 on:** April 04, 2011, 04:00:13 PM »

Jonathon for the win!

BlackBlade · « **Reply #424 on:** April 04, 2011, 04:45:52 PM »