Language Corner
Homegrown
The living language
By Merrill Perlman Dec 7, 2011 at 10:00 AM
To look back at the early years of the Columbia Journalism Review is to look at how we used... More
On, Dasher!
A punctuation mark loved too much—or not enough
By Merrill Perlman Dec 5, 2011 at 01:05 PM
Many punctuation marks have different uses—think of the comma—but only a few leap off the page to a reader’s eye—as... More
Friendly Fire
Insulting without meaning to
By Merrill Perlman Nov 28, 2011 at 02:12 PM
As language and society evolve, words that were once considered merely slang sometimes take on an offensive odor. In the... More
Separation Anxiety
Smoothing comparative phrases
By Merrill Perlman Nov 21, 2011 at 03:44 PM
Black Friday is coming! And this one will be as big as, if not more hyped and crowded than, Cyber... More
Taking the Fifth
A dictionary, updated, adds and subtracts
By Merrill Perlman Nov 14, 2011 at 01:52 PM
The Fifth Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is out, cause for celebration for some and... More
Conjunction-itis
What about ifs, ands, or buts?
By Merrill Perlman Nov 7, 2011 at 03:45 PM
Many generations of students have had certain grammar “truths” drilled into their little heads. One is the “myth” that infinitives... More
Taking Names in Vain
Why we care, for Pete’s sake
By Merrill Perlman Oct 31, 2011 at 01:08 PM
You’re with your five-year-old at the ice cream shop, and she can’t decide which of the dozens of flavors to... More
Fermenting Revolution
Some terms associated with beer
By Merrill Perlman Oct 26, 2011 at 02:27 PM
With “Oktoberfests” popping up all over, it seems a good time to grab a “growler” and get “krausened.” The first... More
Making Introductions
Putting the cart before the tumbrel
By Merrill Perlman Oct 17, 2011 at 02:14 PM
Writers frequently introduce a topic or unfamiliar phrase, then define it, as in “The condemned rode to the gallows in... More
No Use
The “d” is (usually) not optional
By Merrill Perlman Oct 10, 2011 at 03:02 PM
The Northeast has been experiencing a bit of a resurgent summer*, so cool refreshments have been called for. You have... More
Only You Know
Once in a while, placement matters
By Merrill Perlman Oct 3, 2011 at 01:30 PM
OK, we’ll admit it: Most of the time you can put “only” anywhere in a sentence and no one will... More
Unequal Rights
All synonyms are not the same
By Merrill Perlman Sep 26, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Strunk and White’s Elements of Style counsels to avoid euphemism, and, as we wrote on the book’s fiftieth anniversary,... More
None of the Above
Plural or singular? Yes.
By Merrill Perlman Sep 19, 2011 at 02:12 PM
How many of you were taught that “none” stands for “no one,” and must always take a singular verb? Bet... More
Bodily Functions
The scent of a language
By Merrill Perlman Sep 12, 2011 at 01:00 PM
The scene may have been a long coach ride or a London park bench on a hot day, but the... More
Talking Back
‘Revert’ gains a new meaning
By Merrill Perlman Sep 6, 2011 at 03:56 PM
The recruiter was pleased that the law firm was interested in one of his clients. “I will revert with candidate... 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.
