Archive for the ‘Journalism’ Category
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 56: All heroes are “unsung” up until the moment they appear on morning network television.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 55: A person is “well-known” if spell-check doesn’t underline his or her name in red.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 54: “At first glance” means we started with this lede, but the reporting didn’t pan out.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 53: Any place that isn’t New York, Boston, Los Angeles or San Francisco is “the heartland.”
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 52: All suburbs are “leafy.” They always have “well-manicured lawns.”
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists
Rule No. 51: When we describe something as “cutting edge,” we mean we don’t know how it works.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists (Cont’d)
Rule No. 50: If the bullet wound is anywhere above the shoulders, the victim was shot “execution style.”
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists (Cont’d)
Rule No. 49: An “expert” is anyone who has been quoted on a subject more than once.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists (Cont’d)
Rule No. 48: If one analyst or expert disagrees, it’s a controversy.
The Reader’s Guide to Journalists (Cont’d)
Rule No. 47: If an editor mentions it, then “everyone is talking about it” and you should consider it an assignment.
M. Alex Johnson - Journalist at Large 