'Me, too'

No, no, turn your head to the left and say "Waaah!".

 

Do you ever wonder why you bother to attack another poster on this site the way you are coming after me?

 

Good idea. Perhaps you can knock some sense into yourself.

I need a ruling from the SJ.com judges. Does this count as a reply to me?

 

I’m pretty sure that the phrase is, “When did you stop beating your wife?”

The lame attempt at humor comes from answers similar to “I don’t!”

 

Correct. I had it right in the first post.

 

How dare you call this a lame attempt at humor! You must be humorless!

 

This is awesome

 

This is my question as well. I can go along with the fact that journalists may use "allege" and/or "alleged" too often, or incorrectly. But if they do, how should they write about something that hasn't been legally proven or decided yet? What should be used instead? There is a reason those words are used in legal and journalistic circles. Perhaps it is not to provide protection, or should not be counted on for that.

But the words do acknowledge a level of uncertainty or indecision that those using them (must) believe needs to be present at the time.

 

No. The word does not acknowledge any level of uncertainty and the belief that it does is dangerous for journalists. There is no alternative magic word that accomplishes that either.

I wrote about crime for five years as a journalist and now work as a lawyer in criminal law. I almost never use allege or its variants.

It is really not difficult to write a story about accusations that someone committed a crime without using "alleged," "allegedly" or "allege." How do you do that? You directly attribute the claim to your source, whether that is the police, a court document, police report or the accuser.

 

In the common construction, though - i.e. “Witherspoon alleges she was sexually assaulted” - it seems to me that it is the best choice. Just don’t write, “A director allegedly assaulted Reese Witherspoon.”

 

Am I the only one reading this whole thread in the SNL Star Jones voice - "I am a lawyer"?

 

I never understand what makes this some kind of snarky counterpoint. First of all, I barely self-identify as a lawyer. Second, you don’t get to be sloppy with language because you call yourself a journalist. Fuck, have some self-respect. If someone argued that 2+2 equals 4, would you guys counter that you aren’t mathematicians? Right is right.