Author Archive
Articles by Merrill Perlman | Email the Author
Style-ish
Yahoo shows why the Web really is different
By Merrill Perlman Jun 29, 2010 at 01:38 PM
Yahoo! There’s a new style guide! By Yahoo! Available now on the Web and to be available in print very... More
Dangling by a Thread
Misplaced modifiers can confuse and amuse
By Merrill Perlman Jun 21, 2010 at 02:46 PM
“After beating Jankovic in 60 minutes in the semifinals, Stosur’s parents and two brothers flew in from Australia to watch... More
On Your Mark
Trademarks that no one treats as such
By Merrill Perlman Jun 14, 2010 at 12:50 PM
When you have a cold, you use a lot of kleenex. When you cut yourself, you put on a band-aid.... More
Proof
Is ‘proved’ the same as ‘proven’?
By Merrill Perlman Jun 7, 2010 at 11:30 AM
A basic tenet of the court system, going back to British common law, is that a suspect is “innocent until... More
How Big Is Big?
When numbers are meaningless
By Merrill Perlman Jun 1, 2010 at 04:52 PM
It’s that time of year again. Wildfires are starting to spread, well, like wildfires. And meaningless measurements of the size... More
Soaking It Up
There’s more than one way to blot a spill
By Merrill Perlman May 24, 2010 at 03:11 PM
The aftermath of the Gulf oil spill is giving many readers an education in a booming industry that rarely comes... More
Hyphen Tension
A ‘hyphen’ is not a ‘dash’
By Merrill Perlman May 17, 2010 at 04:57 PM
Precision is necessary in a lot of things in journalism—facts, spelling of names, etc. It’s also vital in Web addresses—tell... More
Stopping the Flow
‘Staunch’ or ‘stanch’?
By Merrill Perlman May 10, 2010 at 04:18 PM
Frantic efforts are underway to shut off the oil flowing from a well in the Gulf of Mexico. Everyone agrees... More
You Talkin’ ‘Bout Me?
Avoiding reader ‘indirection’
By Merrill Perlman May 3, 2010 at 01:05 PM
“A 28-year-old man who died early Saturday in a crash was remembered Sunday as an outgoing, optimistic fellow who had... More
Out the Wazoo
Misspellings of ‘yin and yang’ abound
By Merrill Perlman Apr 26, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Here’s how language changes: Take a term rendered in a foreign language, let’s say “yin and yang.” Have people start... More
Ex-Sited
An AP style change shakes things up
By Merrill Perlman Apr 19, 2010 at 02:59 PM
The Associated Press shook up the world last week. The World Wide Web, that is. The AP, whose stylebook is... More
Beset by Acrimony
Words that no one uses outside journalism
By Merrill Perlman Apr 12, 2010 at 01:44 PM
Time for a rant. Journalists seem to love certain words that no one actually uses in normal conversations. Have you... More
Portion Control
The many variations of ‘proportion’
By Merrill Perlman Apr 5, 2010 at 02:31 PM
How do I “proportion” thee? Let me count the ways: • “Checks dated by April 30 will receive a special,... More
Exclusive
When a list doesn’t include everything
By Merrill Perlman Mar 29, 2010 at 03:41 PM
The newspaper reported a burglary, and said that “four items were taken, including a DVD player, a laptop computer, an... More
Probably Likely
A change that likely needs making
By Merrill Perlman Mar 22, 2010 at 02:08 PM
Now that the health care bill is through Congress, President Obama “likely” will sign it soon, opponents “likely” will challenge... More
Your Deal
Confusing a ‘card shark’ with a ‘cardsharp’
By Merrill Perlman Mar 15, 2010 at 11:12 AM
You’re in Vegas, putting your poker skills to the test. As you are raking in the chips from a particularly... More
No Lectures, Please
‘Podium’ and ‘lectern’ are often interchangeable
By Merrill Perlman Mar 8, 2010 at 01:10 PM
There’s an old joke among journalists—OK, mostly among copy editors—about a passage that says that the speaker “stood behind the... More
Incomplete
Why use “completely”?
By Merrill Perlman Mar 2, 2010 at 01:46 PM
“Completely” is probably one of the most completely superfluous words in the English language. Too often, it’s used to emphasize... More
Exit Strategies
Why are there so many ways to leave?
By Merrill Perlman Feb 22, 2010 at 12:02 PM
The Eskimos may—or may not—have many words for “snow,” but we English speakers certainly have a number of words to... More
Special Issue
A problematic discussion
By Merrill Perlman Feb 16, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Gene Foreman has an issue with “issues.” “I see the misuse of ‘issues’ as a synonym for ‘problems’ as part... More
‘See you on the other side’ - Meet Jessica Lum, a terminally ill 25-year-old who chose to spend what little time she had practicing journalism
#Realtalk: This is the best moment to be in journalism - The old stuff isn’t coming back, but that’s okay
Streams of consciousness - Millennials expect a steady diet of quick-hit, social-media-mediated bits and bytes. What does that mean for journalism?
Sticking with the truth - How ‘balanced’ coverage helped sustain the bogus claim that childhood vaccines can cause autism
An ink-stained stretch - Can Aaron Kushner save the Orange County Register—and the newspaper industry?
This is the best moment to be in journalism (25)
The WSJ editorial page hits rock bottom (19)
Ben Mathis-Lilley’s defense of new media
Take off the nostalgia-tinted lenses
21 questions with David Remnick
What grammar mistake do you find most annoying?
Are you sure that question is grammatical?
After 20 years, the world has finally caught up with Daft Punk, so the helmet-clad retro-futurists are embarking on a new mission: to make music breathe again
What is the single most illuminating interview question to ask someone?
The NYT’s Jodi Kantor answers
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
