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Posted by Tommy Thomason on January 23, 2012
So take a break from reporting and editing and enjoy some jokes only a copyeditor or an English professor could appreciate – bar jokes that hinge on the finer points of grammar, punctuation or linguistics.
Don’t let anyone see you reading these or your newsroom nerd status will be set in stone.
These were circulated on a national grammar listserv.
Here goes:
A comma splice walks into a bar, it has a drink and then leaves.
A dangling modifier walks into a bar. After finishing a drink, the bartender asks it to leave.
A question mark walks into a bar?
Two quotation marks “walk into” a bar.
The bar was walked into by the passive voice.
Three intransitive verbs walk into a bar. They sit. They drink. They leave.
What...
Posted by Jason Fochtman on January 19, 2012
Even though it can sometimes be difficult to get a decent exposure in a high school gym, no matter what high school you’re at, I’ve found one thing remains constant:
Unbelievable access.
If you’ve ever shot college or professional basketball, you know you’re told where you can shoot, or more specifically the long list of where you can’t.
With high school basketball, the only direction I’ve ever received from any official body is to be aware of where the referees are and give them space to move around the baseline.
As a photographer, that opens up a wide variety of angles and opportunities to make images.
I’m going to share my process to approaching basketball games.
ACROSS THE COURT: Shooting...
Posted by Mac McKinnon on January 13, 2012
As many small town newspapers know, when a major news events happens, you become the center of information. The demise of Dublin Dr Pepper was not as big an event as many towns have had to deal with (such as ElDorado) but it was major news and attracted a lot of attention from large dailies as well as metro TV stations.
Many use the newspaper as a source of background information as well as a prop for their newscast. Having been with major dailies as well as one TV station, I like to help out as I want them to have the right information.
Unfortunately, some strike out on their own and somehow don’t get all the information. Many of the out-of-towners sought information before it was available and kept calling, but that also helped me...
Posted by Chip Stewart on December 20, 2011
Q: We are doing a feature this week on the history of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. (actually pretty interesting... another marketing ploy by corporate giant) Anyway, I am thought I might scan in the cover of a little Golden Book about the flying mammal and use it as my artwork for the story. The book is copyright 1958 and has been out of print for years. Am I trudging on infringement issues?
A: First, it’s good that you stop to ask. Often, news staffs scan and use without even giving a second thought to copyright issues, simply presuming that if it can be found, then it is fair use. This is not always the case, of course, and that’s when the Copyright Scrooges can come calling.
Chances are that the...
Posted by Chip Stewart on December 6, 2011
Question: Under the Open Meetings Act, what can I do if a government body goes into executive session under a vague “personnel matters” exception every meeting, even if the body is doing other things such as receiving reports or discussing other matters about high-level government employees during this closed session?
Answer: First, to be clear, a government body can go into executive session to discuss personnel matters (551.074). To comply with the notice requirements under 551.001, the government body must (a) meet in open session and announce that a closed session will be held and (b) state the exception under which the body is going into executive session. So, technically, a city council that meets in open session and states that it...