FROM THE ARCHIVE -- The spelling system of any language is, at best, only an approximation of pronunciation. Writing is, in fact, a totally arbitrary system of symbols and marks meant to convey the sounds of a language; and compared to modern gadgetry, a very primitive way of recording speech.
Language changes with time. What is agreed on as a convenient and conventional way of recording speech with certain symbols may, in a few years, no longer accurately represent the way people speak. Modern English orthography more nearly represents the pronunciation of Queen Elizabeth I than the current monarch. Nevertheless, we retain the spelling system because it would be neither feasible nor practical to republish all the books and re-educate all the people. In one generation, several hundred years worth of books would be unreadable.
The point is this: Despite the inconsistencies in English orthography and the sometimes wide disparity between spelling and pronunciation, the use of "standard" written forms remains a mark of literacy and education. And that allows you to achieve other goals, one being the smooth communication of ideas. In the writing biz, we are judged by our product; the symbols representing words, which we commit to paper.
MORAL: Pronounce as you wish, but hew to the spelling conventions.
TEA PARTY ECONOMICS -- Free the Fortune 500!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Government and media
DOMINATION -- We often hear the claim that the so-called "liberal" media are dominated by the government, and "only lets the public know what government wants the public to know." If so, how is it that there is so much negative, embarrassing information published about government? The complaint is usually registered by Republican conservatives, when Democrats are in power. But newspapers also publish plenty of information about Republican activities. So, if the "liberal" media are so biased in favor of Democrats, how is it we know so much about Sarah Palin? How to explain GOP success? How is it that Richard Nixon was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote, carrying 49 states? Remember also Abu Graib, Guantanamo, My Lai, Watergate, and the failure of pre-9/11 intelligence, not to mention the current spate of information outed by Wikileaks. With all the information critical of both sides available, the claim of "liberal domination" and influence on the electorate falls.
There are many things that can be said about the news media in America, but lack of independence is not one of them. Incompetence, sometimes, yes. But the same can be said about politicians. Not all politicians are independent and/or competent.
Edwin Newman once said that the Constitution guarantees a free press; it does not guarantee a fair press. Nor, I would add, does it guarantee a competent press. For many years, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, newspapers were often rabidly, even proudly, partisan in their coverage. One way to ensure competence in any profession would be through licensing, as is done with plumbers, electricians, and medical professionals. However, if government can issue a license, it can also take away a license. In journalism, that's too high a risk to take.
FIVE C's OF GOOD WRITING -- Clear, Concise, Consistent, Complete, and Correct.
DUMBEST INTRO AWARD -- In a report on the weather and declining temperatures, the NBC presenter in Philadelphia said, "It feels like the end of November out there!" The date was Nov. 27. Duh!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -- There's a thin line between news and gossip. As David Brinkley defined it, "News is something worth knowing." Even so, defining what is worth knowing is subjective. To some folks, knowing what Snooki and the Kardashians are up to is more important than foreign policy, the stock market, pollution or the latest Middle East crisis.
There are many things that can be said about the news media in America, but lack of independence is not one of them. Incompetence, sometimes, yes. But the same can be said about politicians. Not all politicians are independent and/or competent.
Edwin Newman once said that the Constitution guarantees a free press; it does not guarantee a fair press. Nor, I would add, does it guarantee a competent press. For many years, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, newspapers were often rabidly, even proudly, partisan in their coverage. One way to ensure competence in any profession would be through licensing, as is done with plumbers, electricians, and medical professionals. However, if government can issue a license, it can also take away a license. In journalism, that's too high a risk to take.
FIVE C's OF GOOD WRITING -- Clear, Concise, Consistent, Complete, and Correct.
DUMBEST INTRO AWARD -- In a report on the weather and declining temperatures, the NBC presenter in Philadelphia said, "It feels like the end of November out there!" The date was Nov. 27. Duh!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -- There's a thin line between news and gossip. As David Brinkley defined it, "News is something worth knowing." Even so, defining what is worth knowing is subjective. To some folks, knowing what Snooki and the Kardashians are up to is more important than foreign policy, the stock market, pollution or the latest Middle East crisis.
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