ryan rips one-sentence paragraphs

I liked Canzano's interview too. Sat with him on a media bus a few years ago and can relate to a lot of the stuff he does. Good site.

 

I don't think they necessarily want longer paragraphs, but neither do I think they want shorter paragraphs. I think people who are smart enough to read a newspaper are smart enough to deal with a three- or four-sentence paragraph. And I think people who aren't smart enough to read a newspaper wouldn't be smart enough to read a newspaper even if we wrote one-sentence paragraphs in crayon. I think we have to accept that our audience is shrinking, but that dumbing it down isn't going to do us any good, either. Stupid people aren't gonna read no matter what we do.

 

Amen, Frank. Amen.

By the way, why do short, punchy grafs have to be synonymous with dumbing down. I happen to think they can be great devices when -- like most devices -- used wisely.

Most of the truly bad writing I see in papers is when people get diarrhea of the keyboard and have 65-word sentences that go in nine directions without a payoff.

 

For me it really depends on what I am in the mood to read, and to some extent that depends on the forum. I don't pick up a newspaper to read long prose. It just doesn't "look" right, and that's a turnoff. If I pick up a paper, I don't want to look at 4-inch-long paragraphs. Tires me out. I want a quick read. Get in, get out, let me go on to work. Don't make me trudge through 60 inches that could have been 30 or six-sentence paragraphs that could have been two.

If I am looking at a magazine, I am in the mindset to read something more substantial. The format does make a difference for me.

I field calls every day about stories our writers have crafted. They've put in the work, written what they think is a great 50-inch piece of prose. And in most cases they're right. They are very good writers and my shop is definitely known and praised often on this board as a "writer's paper." But the calls I get are not usually, "great job, wow, I was moved." It's usually, "nice story but it was tooooo damn long."

 

I guess Bob does not like Bill Plaschke's work then.

I happen to think Plaschke it the best sport columnist in the country and does more with 1 sentence that most do with a full column.

 

Even though I may disagree with Canzano from time to time, I did develop a whole new respect for him after that interview. As for Bob Ryan's thoughts on one-sentence paragraphs, if I can't use one-sentence paragraphs to stretch enough space out of a poorly written column, how the hell am I supposed to hang on in this business? Sigh.

 

Pfft.

 

Down to earth? Bob Ryan? Are we talking about he Boston Globe's Bob Ryan?

 

I've always thought so. Appears your theory is not unanimous.

 

So?

 

I don't know Bob Ryan, have never really met him, and have shared only a few press conferences and gang-bang interviews with him, but I felt like he kind of came off a little full of himself in that interview.

Um, ok. I know you're a legend, big guy, but jeez. That's sort of the kind of thing other people are supposed to say about you. You don't really say those things about yourself.

 

I'm kind of with ya there, DD, but there's also the old adage, "It ain't braggin' if it's fact."