Really, Chicago Tribune? Really?

This is becoming epidemic.
I'm seeing fourth-grade spelling and punctuation (the "it's" problem") all over captions and chyrons and scrolls on TV.

 

Better start making that "crayons."

 

You're spot-on So-Cal. So-called "content producers" are putting stuff up directly onto the Internet, with no spell-check, no editing process, no nothing. Staffers for newspaper web sites often have no journalistic background whatsoever, and this is the kind of crap that happens because of that -- and often the sports dept/news dept/etc. never even knows about it.

Yes, we all make mistakes, so the person shouldn't be crucified. However, newspapers have made their beds with this by not taking into account that more journalists (copy editors included, obviously) need to be part of their internet operations if they don't want to lose what little credibility remains.

 

Got some frothing going on here, so let me clear up a few things for you:

The mistake was made by a copy editor on our desk and was not caught by our desk or our Web staff before it posted. The error did not appear in print because it was in a field of our Microsoft Word that deals with multimedia (eg, Web) headlines. We write those differently than newspaper headlines to help with search optimization for the Net.

Our Web crew does not consist of a bunch of Sports dummies or people who do not give a rat's rump about the quality of our site. They know their stuff. And they care deeply about it. And they have the same professional standards as any else in the newsroom.

Why it took so long to fix? Like the mistake itself, shit happens. That's not minimize it; I was not a happy camper when I saw it. But I also understand that we ALL are doing more with less. Some thing like this will happen on occasion. You fix it, make sure everyone redoubles their efforts (and I have done that) and do it all again today for tomorrow's paper and Web site.

This board, purportedly consisting of working journalists, likes to deal in generalities. Maybe next time, slow down a second. Don't convict someone in this court of public opinion, someone you've never met with some broad stroke saying all Net operations at papers are completely without credibility. Like you, we're busting it every day to make it right and make it great. Sometimes, we fall. But it's never for a lack of effort.

Mike

 

Well said.

 

Thanks for that Kell.

I'd like to add that the staff we have working for our online sports dept, as small as they are, do an excellent job. A lot of the stuff they do is for the website only, but that includes editing some of the most god-awful online only prep gamers and stories from stringers who are regularly cursed at when they file copy for the section.

While it's obvious mistakes like this shouldn't happen, I think it's a little much to tar everyone with the same brush.

 

Mike --

Like I said, I missed it the first time. Could have been me.

Shit happens.

I do think the point someone made about people in the industry wanting to move to a "content producer" model and eliminate desk jobs is valid, this mistake notwithstanding.

We're going to see more and more of these, from all over, I fear.

 

Unfortunately Zeke, you're probably right.

There was a Mariotti thread that Starman started recently. AOL Sports newest columnist shrieked about the state of newspapers and the internet while taking his now customary digs at his former employer.

Despite how distasteful he may be, Mariotti has a valid point vis a vis newspapers and their implementation of the internet. If we're in a 24 hour news cycle, should that not mean that papers hire more people to work on desk and to work on the web? Instead of doing "more with less," we should be doing more with more.

 

Is it still erroneous?

 

OK, Mike. A serious error is on your Web site for 11 hours and nobody notices it or fixes it. And you say "Shit happens."
Maybe thinking like that is what has put this business in the shitter.

 

SoCal:

Got some reading comprehension problems? I said I wasn't happy about it. I fixed it. Me. But I'm not going to skin a guy because of something like this. No chance. His save pct. is a lot better than some bouncer with eyes that got past him. I know that for sure.

And before you question me or my professional standards, hows about you come out from your anonymous handle and stand up?

I don't know you. And you sure as hell don't know me. Nobody -- No. Body. -- at Tribune just passed this through like it was no big deal. Don't waste time suggesting it. But it's not the end of the world. Get some perspective.

I'm out of this thread. You can have the last word if you want.

Mike

 

Yes, that's why newspapers are doing so poorly. Not because of mass advertising departures, panicky media conglomerates and a delay on monetizing the Internet. Not it's because the Chicago Tribune misspelled the name Derrick in a web headline and won't fire the bastard who did it.

The streets of Chicago are packed with angry grammar pilgrims. "Give us Kellam!" they scream.