Arrrgh, the 'no exception' lede.
It's like saying, "Most people have skin, and Tom Thomas is no exception."
I would like to hear others' lede pet peeves. Please — you share!
August 31, 2007
August 30, 2007
Lessons in copspeak
I recall seeing a memo at some point (Missourian? Sentinel?) regarding how never to quote law officials saying worthless things. Hence, this graf from the story about the cell phone bomb threats (and where they may have come from) caught my eye:
"It was either national or international* ... it was not a local** cell phone company," he said.
Are they kidding with this? I mean, I know CNN has a hed bust on the main page, like, every day (a recent gem went something like: 'Owen Wilson was attempted suicide, police say'), but seriously: this is J105-level knowledge.
Wah wah.
*Yes, it was. Hey, and did you know Bin Laden is either alive or dead?
**A good follow-up question would have been: Um, "local" cell phone company?
"It was either national or international* ... it was not a local** cell phone company," he said.
Are they kidding with this? I mean, I know CNN has a hed bust on the main page, like, every day (a recent gem went something like: 'Owen Wilson was attempted suicide, police say'), but seriously: this is J105-level knowledge.
Wah wah.
*Yes, it was. Hey, and did you know Bin Laden is either alive or dead?
**A good follow-up question would have been: Um, "local" cell phone company?
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