Language Corner
Little big, man
Small changes, big effects
By Merrill Perlman Jan 22, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Sometimes, it's the little things that count. Little things like whether to use "a" or "the," for example, or whether... More
… And so on
Explaining explanatory abbreviations
By Merrill Perlman Jan 14, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Today, we’re going to talk about what symbols, abbreviations, etc., to use when, i.e., you want to give a list... More
Our funny language
Puzzling English expressions
By Merrill Perlman Jan 7, 2013 at 03:00 PM
As we bid farewell to the holiday season (whatever you may celebrate), here are a few final presents to amuse... More
Language Corner
Like you were
By Merrill Perlman Jan 2, 2013 at 12:00 AM
Using “like” as a conjunction can earn you dirty looks from some quarters. The example most often cited by anti-conjunctionists... More
For word
Little word, big meaning
By Merrill Perlman Dec 17, 2012 at 03:00 PM
“For” is a handy word. As a preposition, it has many functions: Webster’s New World College Dictionary lists 20... More
Signposts for unfamiliar territory
How to help your readers navigate new words and ideas
By Merrill Perlman Dec 12, 2012 at 06:50 AM
A journalist’s job is to deliver information. Sometimes, though, that information needs explanation or context to make it clear. Maybe... More
Robbing ’hood
Words involving theft
By Merrill Perlman Dec 3, 2012 at 03:00 PM
Trying to teach journalists the finer points of law is nearly as hard as trying to teach them the finer... More
Whine lovers
Complaining with a British accent
By Merrill Perlman Nov 27, 2012 at 03:13 PM
People do a lot of whining. Lately, though, many publications seem to be spelling the complainers (or their complaints) differently.... More
Popularity contest
Words for the people
By Merrill Perlman Nov 21, 2012 at 11:00 AM
The article was discussing a survey on the popular view of marketers and politicians. “Both have a higher perception of... More
Of storms and ships at sea
Let’s not take them personally
By Merrill Perlman Nov 13, 2012 at 06:50 AM
We have names. Our pets have names. And so do hurricanes and ships. But, unlike us and our pets, hurricanes... More
What are the odds?
Dealing with percentages
By Merrill Perlman Nov 5, 2012 at 01:00 PM
Take this quiz: If one candidate has 46 percent of the likely voters, and the other has 48 percent, what’s... More
Language Corner
There, there
By Merrill Perlman Nov 1, 2012 at 12:00 AM
There are many ways to start articles and sentences. There is often a way to avoid beginning with the phrases... More
However you want
Who’s on first?
By Merrill Perlman Oct 22, 2012 at 03:16 PM
A Florida correspondent writes: My boss is obsessed with Strunk & White, and so tells me that I can never... More
Career advice
On the fast track to ‘careen’
By Merrill Perlman Oct 16, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Two accidents, two verbs: In New Jersey, “The car careened down the street and smashed into several parked cars before... More
Forward-looking
Ways of telling the future
By Merrill Perlman Oct 9, 2012 at 06:50 AM
We have weather “forecasts,” budget “projections,” attempts at earthquake “predictions.” Most dictionaries say those are all synonyms for one another.... More
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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.
