PR 101 Daily Rant #25 Will somebody please teach television reporters proper English
Jeff Cole | June 23, 2010This might be too easy of a target, but I am getting really frustrated with television reporters and their complete inability to even come close to proper English. Now, I am not talking about using slang or regional expressions. That’s different. Slang and regional expressions often become accepted English.
Let me set the scene for what set me off this time. The western suburbs of Milwaukee were hit hard by tornadoes Monday night. There was extensive damage, but thankfully no one was killed or serious injured.
Of course, the local television stations were all over the story. Although I often criticize local news coverage of weather because it is over-hyped, this is one instance where the coverage was mostly justified. Although at one point last night, I did turn to my wife and note that we wouldn’t know if the US had decided to bomb Iran. The local weather took precedence over all other news.
What set my teeth on edge when one reporter noted that some buildings were “destroyed beyond repair.” Someone badly needs a dictionary. Or when another reporter noted that a building was “totally flattened.” Is there an alternative?
The reporters go on and on like this. I could listen dozen of other examples. As I said, I am not looking for Shakespearean actors here. I just want someone who knows how to put six words together into a sentence.
While I am on the subject, another reporter asked a person whose house was damaged by the storm how they felt. That almost made me throw something at the television.
Now, for those of you don’t know, I spent 26 years as a print reporter. I covered plane crashes, major car accidents, multiple murders, all kinds of natural disasters and even ship sinking. Not once did I ever ask someone how they felt. It might be the dumbest possible question any reporter can ask. How does one feel after finding out a relative was dead or having a home destroyed? What do they expect people to say?
“Well gosh Biff, I feel great that Aunt Henrietta got swept away by the storm. We are in the will. We can pay for that trip to France we always wanted to take.”
Of course, what television people are looking for is emotion. Tears look much better on the evening news than someone dispassionately discussing how they are going to rebuild their lives.
I could go on with this, but you get the idea how I feel about reporters who don’t do their jobs.
Good rant Jeff. It drives me crazy too, so much I can’t even watch local news. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard one of them say “irregardless” !
Oh good Lord, I could go on for hours on this! The number 1 thing that seems to have crept into reports and conversation is the use of “less” when “fewer” is appropriate. People assume that because you’ve made it to the “big time” (e.g., a reporting or presenting job in journalism), what you say and how it’s said is correct. More often than not, it isn’t
Now if CNN can just find a closed-caption typist that knows the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re!”
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HI Jeff,
This is something am sure most of us come across on a daily basis.. Your views were correctly analyzed and crisp.
Surely there has to be someone to put a tab on this. As to make a story more interesting incorrect adjectives are being used, no one cares what the story says.. its just about grabbing the eyeballs.
Most if the TV crew is selected basis their good looks and a talking ability with a nice accent. Whereas i also would believe that a TV reporter should be even with the subject he/she is to talk about rather than rushing to the spot and making headlines out of it.
regards,
Sumit
I agree with you. It really annoys me too. The culture of adding unnecessary superlatives or adjectives is now common place.
Oh and just for the record, there is a typo in para 5:
” I could listen dozen of other examples” – could you list them or actually listen them?
People in glass houses, eh?
My husband and I talk about this all the time but see it spreading to the all news media nationwide. Our number one peeve is when the anchor shifts to the reporter. Almost every time the reporter answer “Yah, Mike” what happened to “Yes” or Thank You Mike”? My husband also has problems with the use of “Cops” instead of Police Officer or Officer.
Losing battle I’m afraid.
The one that drives me crazy is “comin up…” Please, people, if you can’t say “next”, at least put the “g” where it belongs.
In the UK, the call the people on TV “news readers” — it is good to distinguish them from journalists.
I have to agree with rmuch of television eporting. It is primarily why I rarely watch the news. I do admit to being tired of the negative reporting and prefer to get my news via NPR each morning, or from a local radio station that covers our county.
Thanks for the rant!