Language Corner
Negative Appositives
Phrases set off by commas
By Merrill Perlman May 31, 2011 at 01:40 PM
Commas are wonderful tools. They tell a reader to pause, as this one did. They can also tell a reader... More
Name-Calling
Why descriptions are better than labels
By Merrill Perlman May 23, 2011 at 03:27 PM
Arnold Schwarzenegger had sex with a woman who was not his wife, and that woman gave birth to their child.... More
Out of the Museum
“Curate” gets a new life
By Merrill Perlman May 16, 2011 at 03:30 PM
Thirty years ago, the only people who were “curators” worked in galleries or museums, deciding what pieces from the presumably... More
Failure to Launch
Adding “ing” makes a noun, or not
By Merrill Perlman May 9, 2011 at 02:55 PM
When the “launch” of the space shuttle Endeavor finally occurs, many “posts” will appear on blogs and news sites around... More
Hyphen-ation
A little mark can make a big difference
By Merrill Perlman May 2, 2011 at 03:52 PM
During the recent gathering of the American Copy Editors Society, a lot of “hyphen” jokes made the rounds. One was... More
Important News
Some “most important” notes on adverbs
By Merrill Perlman May 1, 2011 at 08:00 AM
riters, rejoice! it’s perfectly acceptable to tell people what’s most important by saying “most importantly….” Many people were taught that... More
Balance Due
A change because of usage
By Merrill Perlman Apr 25, 2011 at 12:53 PM
Some grammar battles have been fought for years, and many have been lost. (See “hopefully.”) Here’s another one over the... More
Just Among Us…
Betwixt “between”
By Merrill Perlman Apr 18, 2011 at 04:42 PM
Rules tell us what to do, and require no thought. Stop at a red light, or risk getting a ticket.... More
Boing!
Springing to the past
By Merrill Perlman Apr 12, 2011 at 09:31 AM
Spring has sprung The grass is riz; I wonder where the birdies is. That little ditty, or variations of it,... More
Less is Fewer
Counting on grammar rules
By Merrill Perlman Apr 4, 2011 at 02:04 PM
More and more, fewer people use “less” and “fewer” the way the language gods intended. “There are less people here... More
Taking Dictator-tion
Not-so-subtle clues
By Merrill Perlman Mar 28, 2011 at 01:10 PM
Kevin Adams wondered whether journalists are buying in to U.S. foreign policy terminology, subliminally or not. “I’ve noticed that NPR... More
In Style
AP makes more changes
By Merrill Perlman Mar 21, 2011 at 01:28 PM
Last Monday, you could have written an “e-mail” to your friend in “Calcutta,” checked for a response on your “smart... More
False Tidals
Not-quite words for natural disasters
By Merrill Perlman Mar 14, 2011 at 04:53 PM
Disasters bring out the best in journalism and journalists, and the cataclysmic events in Japan are no different. But in... More
Women’s Suffixes
Making some nouns more feminine
By Merrill Perlman Mar 7, 2011 at 01:11 PM
If you die in some states and your son is appointed to handle your estate, he is the “executor.” If... More
Mentee Fresh
Some notes on “protégés,” “mentors,” and manatees
By Merrill Perlman Feb 23, 2011 at 04:23 PM
hen you have a “mentor,” what are you (aside from in need of advice)? Before the sixties, you probably would... 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.
