Language Corner
Capital Losses
When a noun is proper, or not
By Merrill Perlman Aug 9, 2010 at 12:23 PM
The coming fall elections promise a lot of intrigue. We will read in The New York Times all about the... More
Sworn Out
How vulgar can you be?
By Merrill Perlman Aug 2, 2010 at 01:21 PM
Caution: Adult content ahead! Only a dork or scumbag wouldn’t acknowledge screwing up, though admitting error really sucks. And only... More
For Giving
How to know when ‘for’ needs an ‘e’
By Merrill Perlman Jul 26, 2010 at 04:00 PM
A golfer who hits a ball into the vicinity of others is beholden to yell “Fore!” to warn them to... More
Two Shall Be as One
The gospel of merging words
By Merrill Perlman Jul 19, 2010 at 03:52 PM
In the beginning, there were two words. And people went forth and used the words separately or together as needed.... More
Presto, Chango!
The magic of a deceptive word
By Merrill Perlman Jul 13, 2010 at 10:21 AM
Many legislators are resorting to interesting budget tricks to try to pay for everything they want without necessarily having the... More
The ‘-ize’ Have It
A popular suffix gets even more so
By Merrill Perlman Jul 6, 2010 at 11:38 AM
News organizations are in a quandary. They’re trying to “incentivize” readers, “monetize” the publication’s content, and “prioritize” their resources. It’s... More
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
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”
In one tweet
Luke Russert is the Golden Boy of DC
And it drives young journalists crazy
It’s official: We never need to worry about the future of journalism again!
The NYT shows us why
Why does Florida produce so much weird news? Experts explain
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.
