Sequence of Tenses

Sequence of Tenses

Armey said Johnson sold 3 ounces of cocaine Thursday evening to two undercover police officers.

VS

Armey said Johnson had sold 3 ounces of cocaine Thursday evening to two undercover police officers.

 

The following is from Towards a Working Grammar for Journalists

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/documents/editors/towards_a_working_grammar.pdf

In straight news writing, use the past tense for attribution.

The moment a word is spoken, it exists in the past. Present tense sounds stylish but requires skill in order to use it properly. Once you start in present tense, be consistent. Do not switch tenses:

• The state is in serious trouble, Mr. Smith says.
• Speaking to a public meeting last night, Mr. Smith said the ingredients were . . . 

• The state is in serious trouble, Mr Smith said.
• Speaking to a public meeting last night, Mr Smith said . . .

In reported speech, the verb said is the governing verb and, therefore, controls the tenses of any subordinate verbs.

In reported speech, when the verb said is in the past tense, the primary tenses of subordinate verbs must be changed to secondary tenses. Accordingly, present is changed to past, perfect to past perfect, future to conditional, and future perfect to conditional perfect. This is called following

the sequence of tenses. Thus:

• He said he was old but energetic.
• She said she had aged but she had not lost her energy.
• He said he would go but he would be late.
• She said she would have lost her patience by then.
• He said he thought the war was immoral.

Some newspapers do not use the sequence of tenses, although it is grammatically correct. They take the position that, while attribution normally will be in the past tense, verbs within the attributed statement may well be in present tense. They would argue, for example, that someone’s

opinion, expressed to a reporter on a given day, continues to exist:

• She said she thinks the war is immoral.

Documents, which continue to exist after a reporter reads them, should be cited in present tense, and, when possible, the use of the imprecise said should be avoided:

• Court records show that Smith had been arrested twice before on assault charges.

The timeless phrase according to also may be used when writing about records.

• According to the accident report, Smith was driving along Main Road when his car’s brakes failed.

Here is a good explanation of tense sequence:

http://www.jou.ufl.edu/faculty/rrodgers/068%5B1%5D.html

Here is a quiz on Sequence of Tenses

http://www.englishpractice.com/quiz/sequence-tenses-quiz/

This is a nice explanation and shows how some publications are more conservative about this than others from “After Deadline” – a regular column on NYT style questions http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/after-deadline/

Sequence of Tenses

Several readers were puzzled last week by my criticism of the grammar in this sentence:

On Wednesday, the city of Copenhagen said that Mr. Eliasson will create a bridge there, called Cirkelbroen …

I said it should be “would create,” and indeed, that fix was made for print editions. But some commenters disagreed, thinking that “would” is only appropriate to convey a conditional sense or to indicate uncertainty.

The Times’s style, unlike that of some news organizations, is to adhere to the formal rules on tense sequences. So, for example, a verb that is present tense in a direct quotation shifts to past tense in an indirect quotation after a past-tense verb: I am going to the store becomes He said he was going to the store, not He said he is going to the store.

In such constructions, the future-tense “will” becomes “would” after a past-tense verb. In these cases, “would” is not acting as a conditional (He would go to the store if he needed something) but simply as the past-tense form of “will.”

Game Film Week 4

Parentheses vs. Brackets

This came up in class. You normally use parentheses (99.999% of the time) when you are inserting info.  You would use a bracket (and this is rare [but it could happen]) when you want to insert a parentheses inside a parentheses.

Word Usage

John James Johnson, 27, died instantly,

vs.

John James Johnson, 27, was killed instantly,

I like to say that all words carry freight – some more than others. In this case – do you see how “was killed” could imply that someone killed him – which is why I would suggest the much more neutral “died.”

Punctuation and Pronoun Agreement and Capitalization

Armey would not speculate on the reason for Johnson’s death and the Police Department said they would refer any questions to the District Attorney. think about it

Essential or Non-Essential

An accused drug dealer, who had just been arrested and handcuffed by police, fell from the 10^th-floor balcony of his hotel room Friday morning.  The writer here is saying that this clause is nonessential – which can be argued is true. But this is one of those areas where the very relevance of this info is so important to the lede and story that I would make it essential and remove the commas.

Support for Lead or Hed

A man jumped to his death from the 10^th floor balcony of his hotel room early Friday morning after being arrested and handcuffed by the police.  Did he jump? With headlines and leads we always need to ensure the text of story supports the hed or lede.

Modifiers

Which is correct?

1.   a 3-foot wide patio

2.   a 3-foot-wide patio

3.   a 3-feet wide patio

4.   a 3-feet-wide patio

5.   a 3 foot wide patio

6.   a 3 foot wide patio

AP Style

Which is correct?

1.   Johnson had sold 3 ounces of cocaine

2.   Johnson had sold 3 ozs. of cocaine

3.   Johnson had sold three ozs. of cocaine

4.   Johnson had sold three ounces of cocaine

See link on Sequence of Tenses

Parentheses vs. Brackets

You normally use parentheses (99.999% of the time) when you are inserting info. You would use a bracket (and this is rare [but it could happen]) when you want to insert a parentheses inside a parentheses.

Game Film Wk. 3

Intense lab but we covered a lot today. Study this for next week's quiz at start of lab. 


Here is that book I talked about = On Writing Well

Proofreader Marks Used by Editors Link

These can come in handy. Often when you are working with a long story, you will print it out and give its first read with pencil in hand. They are old fashioned by still useful.

Verb Tenses

The archaeologists found worn-out shoeshine equipment, such as shoe brushes and empty shoe-polish bottles. ßthat would be the perfect tense (have found) since this is going on as we read. It is not yet in the simple past tense.

Essential or Non-essential? Think about it.

Archaeologists, looking for a glimpse of 19th century U.S. Army life, are digging at San Francisco’s Presidio Army

Shattered plates including ceramics from Japan and China­ indicate who was

During the excavation, artifacts from the Ohlone Indians, dating back hundreds of years, were also unearthed.

Compound Modifiers

a glimpse of 19^th  century U.S. Army life (you will run into editors who say always hyphenate compound modifiers and others just the opposite. I fall somewhere in between. I would say a hyphen after 19^th.

Concision (think about it)

digging around in the earth

Shattered plates, including ceramics from both Japan and China, indicate

Focus Focus (can you spot the problem?)

Once evacuation has been accomplished at the site

at San Francisco’s Presidio Army base in what was once the sight used to dump the garbage

Attribution 
Don’t let the word "said" fool you into missing two sentences

"It’s not as regimented," he said, "people had to forage on their own and get the things they needed for their life...that weren't provided by the quartermaster."  
two independent clauses connected by a comma? 
The buried said

• today, Leo Barker, an archaeologist with the National Park Service said. (you would need a comma before said because the clause before said is what kind of clause?)
• However, even though New Yorker magazine uses said like this all the time – and it drives me crazy – avoid it. In news style, say : today, said Leo Barker, an archaeologist with the National Park Service. 

followed by appositive

In the 19th century, military life was very different from today, Leo Barker said, an archaeologist with the National Park Service.

 that flows out of paraphrase

other households used, "the fancy stuff that you would expect on the table of the wives of the officers.”  
according to vs. said

“The phrase "according to" can be used in attributing reported speech, but do not use it more than once with any single speaker. Although it is usually a neutral term, not suggesting either belief or disbelief, if you use it too often it can give the impression that you doubt the information the speaker has given.” This is from newsmanual.net – I carry this a bit further given the accusative connotation that “according to” can have. I say avoid and just say “said” 99.9999% of the time. Reserve “according to” for such things as reports, documents, laws, etc.

Last Week the M Dash – This Week the Ellipsis

AP on ellipsis ( ... ) In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces, as shown here. For more …

for their life…that weren't (wrong)

for their life. … that weren't (wrong)

for their life … that weren't (right)

Odd Antecedent

Once the excavation has been completed, it will be restored to its pre-historic state as a wetlands marsh. WHAT IS THE ANTECEDENT TO “IT” ?

Big Words

Once excavation is accomplished
Here is a bonus question re big words. What is the biggest word in the English language? ___________________________________________

Passive to Active Whenever Possible

even bones from meat eaten by the soldiers

One Minute Feedback
You will recall this is the last thing I would like you to do before you leave class – or you can do later in day and drop off in yellow envelope outside my office. They don’t have to be signed.

One Minute Feedback:  Complete this, print, drop off at my desk, in the folder outside my office or in my mailbox before the end of the day. No name needed. à See responses below

Trademarks

First, don’t use if you don’t know the product is that trademarked product. Also, here are a couple of helpful links from blog:  Trademarks & Trademarks - Eds Discuss Use of Brand Names 
 

What does BC mean? 

 BC is used to indicate that the story may be used by morning or afternoon newspapers. In other words Both Cycles – that AM and PM. For more, see …

Ellipsis (AP's rules)

ellipsis ( ... ) In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces, as shown here.
Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of one or more words in condensing quotes, texts and documents. Be especially careful to avoid deletions that would distort the meaning.
An ellipsis also may be used to indicate a thought that the speaker or writer does not complete. Substitute a dash for this purpose, however, if the context uses ellipses to indicate that words actually spoken or written have been deleted.
Brief examples of how to use ellipses are provided after guidelines are given. More extensive examples, drawn from the speech in which President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, are in the sections below marked CONDENSATION EXAMPLE and QUOTATIONS.
SPACING REQUIREMENTS: In some computer editing systems the thin space must be used between the periods of the ellipsis to prevent them from being placed on two different lines when they are sent through a computer that handles hyphenation and justification.
Leave one regular space – never a thin – on both sides of an ellipsis: I ... tried to do what was best.
PUNCTUATION GUIDELINES: If the words that precede an ellipsis constitute a grammatically complete sentence, either in the original or in the condensation, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis. Follow it with a regular space and an ellipsis: I no longer have a strong enough political base. ...
When the grammatical sense calls for a question mark, exclamation point, comma or colon, the sequence is word, punctuation mark, regular space, ellipsis: Will you come? ...
When material is deleted at the end of one paragraph and at the beginning of the one that follows, place an ellipsis in both locations.
CONDENSATION EXAMPLE: Here is an example of how the spacing and punctuation guidelines would be applied in condensing President Richard Nixon's resignation announcement:
Good evening. ...
In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the nation. ...
... However, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in Congress.
... As long as there was a base, I felt strongly that it was necessary to see the constitutional process through to its conclusion, that to do otherwise would be ... a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future.
QUOTATIONS: In writing a story, do not use ellipses at the beginning and end of direct quotes:
"It has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base," Nixon said.
Not "... it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base ... ," Nixon said.
SPECIAL EFFECTS: Ellipses also may be used to separate individual items within a paragraph of show business gossip or similar material. Use periods after items that are complete sentences.

Game Film Week 2

Weekly Game Film for Week 2:

Assure / Ensure / Insure

with a degree and a good set of clips assuring a spot in a newsroom somewhere. (AP speaks to this.)

Sentences

If you are not sure what is wrong with two following sentences, go review Sentences on the Editing Worksheets on class blog)

Charles had been there all day and now way into the night, he felt embarrassed.

“But I just haven’t found that perfect sneaker yet, maybe I should go somewhere else or come back tomorrow.”

M dashes – a dash the width of a capital M:

comes source gathering-- “footwork” as we call it (those are two hyphens. You need space before the dash. You want an M dash – you can get that by hitting control and minus on the number tab.

house—an activity reporters  (also, this is not an M dash that is used in journalism)

When to capitalize after a colon

but one thing is for sure: blogging is just as common as putting one foot in front of the other. Sitting at a desk and typing no longer define blogging: it is traveling and doing, and sharing.

It is a timeless notion: the world needs more self-motivated, adventurously enterprising people.

Even for the established journalist, the essay serves as a reminder of the one of the most basic tenets of the field: the boss doesn’t always have the answer.

Capitalize the word after colon if what comes after a colon is a complete sentence (an independent clause).

Just Because

It widens the spectrum of their interests as well, because people in different places can have a variety of perspectives and experiences on the same topic.

Everything Hubbard says applies to students as well, because the qualities that make for a superior employee are very similar to those that make for an outstanding student.

We are now told that it would benefit to have some knowledge of the business side of the field, because we are going to have to be entrepreneurial in how we do our journalism business.

 (I am one of those many editors who says no comma before because. I know, I know. They teach that in high school and English departments. On the other hand, I am not sure they even do that these days.)

Who & Whom

Hubbard introduces a character named Rowan who he describes as the epitome of what every employee should be. (that would be whom)

Spelling

no matter how great or miniscule  ACCKKK!

Hubbard touts the worth of a self-dependant, hard-working man (what does dependant mean?)

Word Usage

He asks a myriad of questions (Look up how myriad is used and what did it originally mean?)

Agreement (noun-pronoun in this case)

I am a big believer in the idea that the value of a person is based on their sense of responsibility and ability to be self-reliant.

Philosophy

I suppose I speak from the biased position of a young journalist. Given the state of the industry, I know I can only find success through the belief that this is a higher calling. (Actually, that has always been the case.)

Class Info

Ronald R. Rodgers, Ph.D.
3058 Weimer Hall

352/392-8847

rrodgers@jou.ufl.edu

http://editingmonks.blogspot.com/

L-Drive Log-On How Do

• The initial password is set to microsoft and you will be prompted to change the password upon the initial login.
• The password can be whatever you want, just try not to forget what it is
• The logon ending in 00 is reserved for the instructor. For example, with Section 2672 the instructor of the course designated to be jou4201 would log in to the computer using the login name jou4201c00. (It would be C because it is the third of four labs)
• You should test the new password the first day of class. That is, log on to change the initial password then log out.
• The next step is to log back on to make sure the new password works.
• The next step is to test print a short document.

Interpretation and Other Non-Objective Stuff

Question from a journalist in training:
He asks if the following is editorializing and does it have a place in a news story:
The quip from the NY Times today, which is conveniently not featured online, was in the article about Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan to extend insurance to everyone in California. It started with a quote from him and ended with something along the lines of  "'Everyone in California must have health insurance,' he said in a manner that was almost as much a threat as it was a promise."

My answer (what do you think?):
It may not be editorializing per se - but it is certainly interpretive and it is an interpretation from a very subjective nuance of speech - probably based on a context of background knowledge on the part of the reporter. As you note, it was redacted in online version, so it looks like an editor questioned how the reporter would know this - just like a photo where you say someone is smiling - facial expressions can also be a very subjective interpretation. You might check out the following:


New York Times Readers’ Guide

Following is a note from the Times' Web site, which then linked to the explication of different kinds of news coverage. This offers an excellent explanation of these distinctions.
- RRR

The Times has introduced several design changes in its daily news pages to underscore the distinctions between straightforward news coverage and other journalistic forms that provide additional perspective on events.

---

In its daily news pages, The Times presents both straightforward news coverage and other journalistic forms that provide additional perspective on events. These special forms — news analysis articles, columns and others — adhere to standards different from those of the editorial and Op-Ed pages. The news and editorial departments do not coordinate coverage and maintain a strict separation in staff and management.
All articles, columns, editorials and contributions in the newspaper are subject to the same requirements of factual accuracy.

Here are descriptions of the various forms:
IN THE DAILY NEWS SECTIONS

• Man or Woman in the News: A portrait of a central figure in a news situation. It is not primarily analytical, but highlights aspects of the subject’s background and career that shed light on that figure’s role in the current event.
• Reporter's Notebook: A writer’s collection of several anecdotes or brief reports, often supplementing coverage of a major news event like a summit meeting or an important trial. The items provide glimpses behind the scenes that flesh out the reader’s sense of a major story.
• Memo: A reflective article, often with an informal or conversational tone, offering a look behind the scenes at issues or political developments. The article (with a title like Political Memo, White House Memo or Memo From London) may draw connections among several events, or tell the reader who or what shaped them.
• Journal: A sharply drawn feature article focusing on a place or event (and labeled with the place name, whether foreign, national or regional). A Journal article is closely observed and stylishly written, often light or humorous in tone. It is intended to give the reader a vivid sense of a place and time.
• News Analysis: A close examination of the ramifications of an important news situation. It includes thorough reporting, but also draws heavily on the expertise of the writer. The article helps the reader understand underlying causes or possible consequences of a news event, but does not reflect the writer’s personal opinion.
• Appraisal: A broad evaluation, generally by a critic or a specialized writer, of the career and work of a major figure who has died. The article often accompanies the obituary.
• Review: A specialized critic’s appraisal of works of creativity — movies, books, restaurants, fashion collections. Unlike other feature writers, critics are expected to render opinions in their areas of expertise.
• News-Page Column: A writer’s regularly scheduled essay, offering original insight and perspective on the news. The column often has a distinctive point of view and makes a case for it with reporting. (Columns in the newspaper are displayed with the writer’s name and the column’s title inset into the text.) The news sections also present a number of regular feature articles that carry labels indicating the topics – for example, the Saturday Profile in the foreign pages and Market Place in Business Day.

IN THE OPINION PAGES

• Editorial:A sharply written, generally brief article about any issue of public interest. Editorials are written by the editorial board of The Times, which includes the editorial page editor, the deputy and assistant editors, and a group of writers with expertise in a variety of fields. While the writers’ opinions are of great importance, the editorials also reflect the longtime core beliefs of the page. Unlike the editors of the news sections, the editorial page editor not only reports to the publisher, but consults with him on the page’s positions. Editorials are based on reporting, often original and in-depth, but they are not intended to give a balanced look at both sides of a debate. Rather, they offer clear opinion and distinct positions.
• Editorial Observer: A signed article by a member of the editorial board. These articles have a more distinct personal voice than an editorial. They often reflect personal experiences or observations, and may be written in the first person. These articles are not intended to be policy pronouncements, but do not contradict the board’s positions.
• Op-Ed Column: An essay by a columnist on the staff of The Times, reflecting the opinions of the writer on any topic. Columnists are expected to do original reporting. Some travel extensively. Op-Ed columns are edited only for style and usage, not for content. Columnists do not submit their topics for approval, and are free to agree or disagree with editorial positions.
• Op-Ed Contribution: An article by a person not on the staff of The Times, reflecting opinions about a topic on which the author is an expert or has provocative and well-reasoned ideas. These articles, most of which are solicited by the editors, are not intended to reflect the positions of the editorial board. Indeed, the Op-Ed page is seen as a forum to air diverse and challenging viewpoints.

No-S**T Headlines

‘Bong bill’ affects head shops

http://www.alligator.org/news/local/article_e844548e-a7c9-5fbb-a3d4-9fc9e6650643.html

 

Skeptical Editing

By Reid MaCluggage

THE ISSUE: Our biggest weakness is not the occasional dishonest reporter. Our biggest weakness is unchallenged information.

A reporter in Owensboro, Ky., says she fabricated five columns about her struggle with cancer to hide the fact she really has AIDS. And now she says she doesn't have AIDS, either.

Two newspapers in Colorado get a press release claiming a sexual harassment lawsuit is about to be filed against two local radio stations. They write a story about it and find out later it isn't true. The press release is a phony. Then the editors blame the reporters for doing a sloppy job.

Someone slips the television program "60 Minutes" an official-looking document about drug-smuggling on the California-Mexico border, and Mike Wallace has another exclusive. The problem is, it isn't true. The document is a fake. So is an earlier document used to support another "60 Minutes" exclusive on drug smuggling from Colombia to England. Maybe "60 Minutes" should just say no to the next drug story.

Frogs in the United States, Central America and Australia are found with extra deformed legs, and the predominant speculation in our newspapers is that ozone depletion or pesticides are to blame. Now we find out the culprit might be a tiny worm parasite.

Congress and the president have plans to use the surplus to save Social Security. Do any editors see the irony in those plans? Without Social Security funds, there is no surplus. It is Social Security that is saving the surplus.

Deep flaws 

Whether it's the reporting of child abuse at day-care centers, the burning of black churches in the south, the dangers of second-hand smoke and silicone breast implants, or the extent to which children are k
kidnapped in America, some of our reporting and editing has been deeply flawed.

And I haven't even mentioned last year's fiascoes at some of America's most respected newspapers, magazines and television networks. But you already know the details, and they are why we are in this situation in the first place.

One of those fiascos happened at The New Republic where a colorful writer decided to make up nearly everything he wrote. He got away with it for a long time before he was caught and fired.

His editor, Charles Lane, was introspective.

"I've searched my soul and asked, why didn't my bull... meter go off?" he said. "I have to learn a lesson from this: Edit more skeptically."

Edit more skeptically
Sometimes it takes a fiasco or two to remind us that skepticism is a big part of the editing function.
It's our job to challenge information reporters bring back to the newspaper, and to question conclusions drawn from that information. It's our job to battle assumptions or preconceived notions and provide the scrutiny needed to make certain that all stories are fair and accurate.

Our biggest weakness is not the occasional dishonest reporter, although there have been too many of them lately. Our biggest weakness is the unchallenged information we put in our newspapers every day that turns out not to be true.

Sometimes these stories slip into the newspaper because we don't have time to check them out. Sometimes they get in because we believe them to be true. Sometimes they get in because of sloppiness or incompetence. And sometimes we just get caught up in the public frenzy of a story and forget to step back and question, question, question.

We forget to practice what Sissela Bok calls "a good, old-fashioned editorial virtue" -- incredulity. It requires, she says, "that we not be quick to grant credence to what we read and hear."

To tighten standards, I believe we need to take the following steps, among others:

• We need to train editors and reporters in critical thinking -- the art of asking the right questions, the art of obtaining the right facts, the art of pinpointing the real issues.
• We need to make certain our editors and reporters understand The Scientific Method. Scientists are much more comfortable with uncertainty than are journalists and are less likely to jump to conclusions or to make black and white out of gray.
• We need to introduce editors and reporters to the mysterious world of mathematics. Numbers. Averages. Percentages. A rock review in my newspaper had this to say about Gregg Allman: "He devoted probably two-thirds of his playlist to material from 'Simplicity,' another third or so to his own past recordings and another third to classic Allmans."
• We need to develop reporting and writing skills to present complexities in an interesting way. Journalists often are uncomfortable with ambiguity. But some stories are mysteries, like the one about the frogs with the extra, deformed legs, and the politically-charged global warming hypothesis. We don't know what causes those extra frog legs, and we don't know whether Mother Nature or Mankind is causing the earth's surface to warm, although much of the reporting would suggest that we do know.
• I think we also need to re-examine the relationship between editor and reporter. Too often they are on the same team, working toward the same goal: publication. The editor is the coach, a supporter, someone who helps the reporter get the story in shape, protects the reporter from outside pressure and moves the story into the newspaper -- all essential goals. But sometimes it can be too cozy.

Prosecute the story
To strengthen the editing function I propose we develop training of editors and sub-editors in the craft of prosecuting the story.

Law school students are taught how to cross-examine a witness. Editors should be trained in a comparable skill. Put the story on the witness stand and cross-examine it. Tear it apart. Expose its weaknesses. Raise all the unanswered questions. Cast doubt on it. All major stories should go through a process similar to a rigorous cross-examination.

Stories don't need advocates. They have plenty of advocates by the time publication nears. What stories need are adversaries. Stories develop a life of their own. We need to become involved in their lives right from the start because that's when most of the important development happens.

Reporters and sub-editors become advocates of stories very early in the process, and are a powerful force in the decision to publish. If skeptics aren't built into the process right from the start, stories will slide onto Page One without the proper scrutiny. If stories hold up on the witness stand, under the rigorous cross-examination of tough editors, they will hold up under any assault.

Assign a naysayer 
To accomplish this, I propose we assign devil's advocates to every major story -- someone to play the role of naysayer. It would be the devil's advocate's job to cross-examine the story -- to try to shoot it down.

The benefit of a designated devil's advocate is that it provides an opportunity for someone who wants to disagree with the group. Sometimes it takes a brave person to take on the group. The pressure is to go along, even among editors. Appointing a designated devil's advocate gives that person the freedom to ask the tough questions without being overwhelmed by the others.

Try it. Appoint an editor to be the designated devil's advocate on the next big story and see whether there isn't a more thorough examination of the premise, the facts and the tone. Appoint a different editor on the next story. It would be a good training experience for many sub-editors and a device to sharpen their questioning skills.

Create a diverse editing team of journalists from different backgrounds and interests. Hire and develop editors and reporters who can bring diversity of opinion and life experience to our newsrooms. And then use them to improve stories.

As Bob Steele, associate dean and director of the Poynter Institute's Ethics and Diversity Programs, says: "I think we make our best decisions when we make them with people who are different from us in the newsroom."


Reid MacCluggage participated in the Gannett Newspaper Division brainstorming session that developed the Principles of Ethical Conduct for Newsrooms. This is excerpted from his speech at the company-wide Gannett editors meeting in 1999.

Editing Mantras & Rules

• Always do the Math 
• The Alphabet Soup Rule
• The French poodle Rule  
• No One Does Anything Without a Reason
• Redact the That Rule  
• Concision = Precision
• The DWI Rule
• The Hyphen & Striped Socks Rule