Author Topic: I hate journalistic writing (Read 100481 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #200 on:** May 16, 2008, 11:29:46 AM »

I've heard that both the amount and the idea that it all needs to be water are bunk.

Neutros the Radioactive Dragon · « **Reply #201 on:** May 16, 2008, 11:39:41 AM »

Yes.

Jonathon · « **Reply #202 on:** May 16, 2008, 11:45:38 AM »

So then where is she getting nine from?

Neutros the Radioactive Dragon · « **Reply #203 on:** May 16, 2008, 12:58:14 PM »

I wonder about her credentials:

Quote

Food Network dietitian Ellie Krieger

That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. What I had heard was not as specific. She hasn't sited any sources or studies that we can check.

And why didn't she just say 72 oz. instead?

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #204 on:** May 17, 2008, 07:05:55 AM »

Because Americans have no idea how much an ounce is?

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #205 on:** May 20, 2008, 08:50:49 AM »

I think the reason that dieticians tend to recommend that it be all water is because so many other beverages have so many useless calories - even non-processed options like milk and juice. Most Americans already have a problem with too many calories, so using sugar water to stay hydrated doesn't help much.

JT · « **Reply #206 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:10:27 PM »

Quote

Arena ball isn't the NFL: the field is 28 yards wide and 50 yards long, roughly half the size of an NFL field...

I get that very few writers have math backgrounds, but they should've all taken geometry.

Porter · « **Reply #207 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:12:40 PM »

That's a very common error. I've been known to make it myself.

Porter · « **Reply #208 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:13:43 PM »

On second thought, I'm not sure whether it really constitutes an error or not, since "size" isn't well defined.

JT · « **Reply #209 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:14:15 PM »

Agreed. I don't think that makes it excusable, though. This guy is a professional sports journalist working for the premiere sports magazine in the world. Plus he has an editor.

Size is only confusing when you're talking about 3-dimensional bodies, because it could either refer to area or volume. When it's referring to a 2-dimensional body I don't see what else it could reasonably be inferred to mean.

Jonathon · « **Reply #210 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:18:57 PM »

Yeah, I'd expect better from Sports Illustrated.

Porter · « **Reply #211 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:38:48 PM »

Quote

Size is only confusing when you're talking about 3-dimensional bodies, because it could either refer to area or volume. When it's referring to a 2-dimensional body I don't see what else it could reasonably be inferred to mean.

Diameter.

Jonathon · « **Reply #212 on:** May 28, 2008, 12:41:28 PM »

The thing is that it's really easy to pick a different word besides "size."

JT · « **Reply #213 on:** May 28, 2008, 01:02:17 PM »

Quote

Quote
Size is only confusing when you're talking about 3-dimensional bodies, because it could either refer to area or volume. When it's referring to a 2-dimensional body I don't see what else it could reasonably be inferred to mean.
Diameter.

You know that a football field is rectangular, right? You're saying that he might have meant diameter? Or just disputing my general statement?

If the latter, I'll amend to say 'rectangular 2-dimensional bodies'.

Porter · « **Reply #214 on:** May 28, 2008, 01:13:33 PM »

I was responding to the sentence I quoted.

2 (and 3)-dimensional entities are described as having a size of a length measurement all the time.

"Size" is not a technical term, and without context, you can't really know what it means.

Such as with a non-square rectangle.

Of course, that means that "half the size of on NFL field" doesn't mean much.

Porter · « **Reply #215 on:** July 15, 2008, 07:39:06 AM »

Odd headline of the day:

Mormons make missionary position clear

rivka · « **Reply #216 on:** July 15, 2008, 08:40:14 AM »

That has to have been done on purpose.

. . . and the article was very badly proofread. Rather key "not" missing.

Jonathon · « **Reply #217 on:** July 15, 2008, 11:53:16 AM »

Quote

That has to have been done on purpose.

I agree. Headline writers have a weakness for bad puns.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #218 on:** July 18, 2008, 04:52:04 PM »

Cast of 300 Advises Obama on Foreign Policy

My kid saw this headline on the front page of today's New York Times and asked me why a bunch of movie actors would be advising the politicians.

Porter · « **Reply #219 on:** July 18, 2008, 05:12:19 PM »

That was the same question that went through my head.

Except I wouldn't have bothered asking the question, assuming that I knew the answer, it being that people in Hollywood have an overinflated opinion of how important they and their opinions are.

Porter · « **Reply #220 on:** July 30, 2008, 09:16:48 AM »

Headline: "Can't sleep? Blame all those glowing gadgets"

Article: "For now, researchers don't believe the low levels of blue light emitted by gadgets is enough to change our sleep patterns."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25920811/

goofy · « **Reply #221 on:** July 30, 2008, 10:45:18 AM »

Headline: Chinese 'takes more brainpower' - Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.

Article: "It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech." No mention of "more brainpower" at all.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3025796.stm

Brinestone · « **Reply #222 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:27:18 PM »

Not sure if this is strictly a journalistic problem, but I hate it when links to articles and titles (and content) of articles don't match up. It happens all the time that a link will say something eye-catching that isn't at all what the article is about.

Last night I came across a link that said, "Don't Let Demons Raise Your Kids." Morbidly curious, I clicked the link and found this. One word makes such a difference.

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #223 on:** February 18, 2009, 10:05:06 AM »

Yeah. Like those teasers for the 10 o'clock news and you stay up and watch the story and realize that you had already seen it on the Internet (sometimes on Snopes) three years ago.

Noemon · « **Reply #224 on:** February 25, 2009, 10:28:52 AM »

Cop Makes Arrest in Bathroom after Smelling Crack