Language Corner
Participial con-fusion
When possession is the law
By Merrill Perlman Apr 30, 2013 at 06:50 AM
WARNING: Grammar lesson ahead. If you ever knew what a "participle" was, you may have forgotten. Same with the word... More
Natal gazing
Of birth, and being borne
By Merrill Perlman Apr 22, 2013 at 03:00 PM
"I don't know nothing about birthing babies!" Butterfly McQueen told Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind. Those who believe... More
Writing tics
The optics of metrics
By Merrill Perlman Apr 15, 2013 at 02:51 PM
The mayor's op-ed piece urged action on a regional 911 system, which, among other things, would "provide consistent and transparent... More
Blame excuses
Where to point the finger
By Merrill Perlman Apr 8, 2013 at 03:43 PM
"Deer Creek blames fire on science experiment," read one headline. "Arsonist blames fire on living conditions," said another. Some people... More
Season openers
Baseball terms and myths
By Merrill Perlman Apr 1, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Major league baseball season gets under way this week, so let's throw out the first ball, left-handed. That's called "southpaw."... More
Unpalatable
A plateful of similar words
By Merrill Perlman Mar 25, 2013 at 03:00 PM
The artists were being praised for their technique in which, the article said, they "use only pallet knives, not brushes."... More
Worldly goods
Badly needed reminders
By Merrill Perlman Mar 18, 2013 at 03:00 PM
English teachers used to drill into students that they did not "feel good." They "felt well." It was the corollary... More
Covetous
The difference between ‘jealousy’ and ‘envy’
By Merrill Perlman Mar 11, 2013 at 05:42 PM
The pope gets to wear nice red shoes, and a friend said, "I'm really jealous of those!" But, technically, she... More
Cardinal rules
A real ‘conclave’ is at hand
By Merrill Perlman Mar 4, 2013 at 04:24 PM
Betsy Wade was ecstatic. "At last!" she exclaimed. "For the next few weeks people will be using the word conclave... More
Language Corner
Wether or not
By Merrill Perlman Mar 1, 2013 at 12:00 AM
A "bellwether" is an indication of what is to come ("Are rising home prices a bellwether for the economy?") or... More
Its time
That ol’ apostrophe again
By Merrill Perlman Feb 25, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Of the many small errors that bedevil many writers--and enrage their teachers and editors--there is perhaps none so simple to... More
Brand extension
Why trademarks should be honored
By Merrill Perlman Feb 19, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City called for a ban on "Styrofoam" containers, saying in his State of the... More
Martial arts
A black belt in spelling
By Merrill Perlman Feb 11, 2013 at 03:22 PM
When a society gets out of hand, a government can try to "marshal" its forces to settle things. But the... More
Take too
It’s a matter of perspective
By Merrill Perlman Feb 4, 2013 at 03:00 PM
"It's going to rain, so take an umbrella," the weather forecaster says. "Shouldn't that be bring?" a correspondent writes. "I... More
‘Scare’ tactics
Quotes around single words
By Merrill Perlman Jan 28, 2013 at 03:00 PM
It's Journalism 101: go out and talk to people, then write down what they say. If you can't quote it... More
Woman’s work - The twisted reality of an Italian freelancer in Syria
Sourcing Trayvon Martin ‘photos’ from stormfront - Not a good idea, Business Insider
Elizabeth Warren, the antidote to CNBC - The senator schools the talking heads on bank regulation
Art Laffer + PR blitz = press failure - The media types up the retail lobby’s propaganda
Reuters’s global warming about-face - A survey shows the newswire ran 50 percent fewer stories on climate change after hiring a “skeptic”
Barack Obama: ‘those old times aren’t coming back’
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper”
The Guardian’s editor opens up on Reddit
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, answered questions in an Ask Me Anything
The (almost) lost speech of Justice Anthony Kennedy
How his insightful remarks about the Constitution inadvertently make the case for a Supreme Court “media pool”
Fox News sues TVEyes for copyright infringement
Says subscription service sells access to its content without permission nor compensation
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
ACEsTooHigh.com – Reporting on the science, education, and policy surrounding childhood trauma
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
