Thursday, September 12, 2013

USAT | Isn't it really the other way around?

A just-taken screenshot of USA Today's homepage captures a story headline that says, "Weather service warned about 'Biblical' rainfall."

Now, who exactly is warning the weather service?

16 comments:

  1. It's a poor hed, because it can be read two ways. But hey, at least there's no mispellings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Of course, that's what the hed meant to say.

    But without that clarifier, it can be interpreted two ways (I've added the missing word to help):

    1. Weather service (was) warned about 'Biblical' rainfall

    2. Weather service warned (others) about 'Biblical' rainfall.

    It appears that you, dear 8:27, automatically assumed the second interpretation without really reading the hed.

    Also, calling people names is extremely childish. If I was truly what you called me, then I would have been unable to write this post because I would have the mental capacity of a 3-year-old.

    Obviously, I don't.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Actually "biblical" is lower case in all uses, according to AP. So strike two--at least to us fossil copy editor types.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Biblical must mean clicks to the young geniuses at Usa Today. I expect worse.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm a Belo-ite.

    I'm AMAZED at the pettiness and nastiness on this blog. It oozes. It seems to come entirely from newspaper folks who are bitter at GCI because the industry changed. Newspapers are facing irrelevance. Deal with it. Move on. Stop the bitterness. Talk to a good counselor. I mean it - and not in an Internet troll way.

    GCI is plotting a digital future. Sadly, that means printed copies of stuff are going away. Sad but it's the truth. I don't like everything the new owners will likely do. But you have to adapt to survive. Sending your days reading (or writing) a petty blog accomplishes nothing. Frankly, it just leaves you stuck in the muck.

    This headline is fine (not great) - but behind a pair of brown-colored glasses, I guess everything looks like sh-t.

    PS: Big development today in GCI-BLC... kinda surprised it's not here. I guess nit-picking took precedence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I misspelled Spending here -- considering I had to type the comment three times because it ate it...

      Delete
    2. This blog is not petty. It's the best source of information about Gannett, a company that doesn't tell the truth. For the sake of any Belo employee, I hope Gannett's takeover does not happen. Ask any current or former Gannett employee, you do not want to be a Gannett employee.
      The company does not value people. It has destroyed quality newspapers. Is the industry changing? Yes. But Gannett management has made so many wrong decisions that it has only made a difficult situation 10 times worse.
      Good luck.

      Delete
  6. Dear Belo-ite, 10:59 p.m. here. Digital does not automatically equal mediocre, although the trend is in that direction. I apply the same standards to copy, headlines and captions for my location's web site and print product. When did a desire to be thorough and accurate become "nit-picking"? The TV stations in my market (none are Belo) could use a little more "nit-picking". Almost every day there's a misspelling, incorrect word use or incorrect graphic/B roll in their broadcasts. It's not just specific to print or digital newspapers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know what Belo-ite means. There's a lot of nit-picking that happens here. Your straw-man "definition" of it is inaccurate, probably intentionally.

      Delete
  7. Belo-ite,
    You should PRAY this merger never happens.

    Cordially,
    Gannetteer

    ReplyDelete
  8. Welcome to the family Belo-ite. It’s like Fight Club. The first rule of working for Gannett is never talk about working for Gannett.

    That’s why this blog serves such an important role. It’s the only place current and former employees can learn what the company is up to.

    It’s all within reach (around).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bitter, bitter folks. Maybe we'll like GCI -- maybe we won't. You all need help.

    ReplyDelete
  10. To Belo-ite and other members of the Belo family

    The people here may be angry, but given the number and consistency of complaints about Gannett you should consider yourselves forewarned.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Alrighty then.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Belo folks won't be working with the type of people who populate this blog, and for that they can be thankful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.