Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Annoying news updates

Things that cause unnecessary teeth-grinding and hair-pulling upon a browse over the newly updated home page:

Chaos and death filled the flaming night sky as rescuers tried to comfort two musicians who miraculously escaped the blaze in Learjet No. N999LJ that consumed four others.

Faith is not a strategy, prayer is not a research method, miracles are not a DOT-approved emergency procedure. Restrain reporting of news stories to the empirical world. Leave miracles to the church.

A cheerleader at Wake Christian Academy was arrested Monday on felony drug charges after a state ABC officer searched her BMW and found the prescription drugs hydrocodone and oxycodone.

Let's review the bidding for a moment here. The arrest of one teenager yesterday in a city 160-some miles away, which you don't cover (and where you don't circulate), is the top story under "More from the Newsroom" for exactly what reason?

Actually, don't answer that. If the answer is "because cheerleaders don't do that sort of thing," somebody's going to suggest you weren't paying attention in high school. And if it's "because people at religious schools don't do that sort of thing," see answer No. 1. Let the Raleigh paper cover Raleigh trivia, and don't let your own newsroom's biases turn somebody else's trivia into your news.

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3 Comments:

Blogger The Ridger, FCD said...

Christian school cheerleader charged! If that's not a major news story, then ... at least it's almost a tongue-twister.

And it's a pretty crappy miracle that kills four people and leaves two others badly burnt and screaming on the ground... .

2:40 PM, September 23, 2008  
Blogger Strayhorn said...

But, but, but . . . cheerleaders!

In other news, AP sez to use initials for academic degrees (J.D., Ph.D., etc) but no guidance on such things as "CLU" and "CFP" which are apparently gained in financial planning training (or matchbook covers).

I'd rather not put initials after a name unless they at least come with a sheepskin and hazy memories of a misspent youth. But I'm being overruled and was wondering about your thoughts.

3:05 PM, September 23, 2008  
Blogger Andy Bechtel said...

The new McClatchy math:

Raleigh = Charlotte.

8:30 PM, September 23, 2008  

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