Tags
etymology
Bell curves
Lots of “ring” words
By Merrill Perlman Jul 30, 2012 at 03:00 PM
“You must be a ringer,” the journalism instructor told the student, who insisted that, though he had many years of... 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
Digging in
The etymology of a “clawback”
By Merrill Perlman Jun 19, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“Jamie Dimon: JPMorgan Will Likely Claw Back Pay From Responsible Executives,” the headline said. Dimon, JPMorgan’s chief executive, was telling... More
Empty pockets
A phrase with several meanings
By Merrill Perlman Jun 5, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Max Crittenden posted on Language Corner’s Facebook page: I’m seeing some peculiar usage (misuse, to my mind) of the phrase... More
Logue jam
A catalog of dialogues
By Merrill Perlman May 16, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“Catalogue” can also be spelled “catalog.” “Dialogue” can also be spelled “dialog.” But “monologue” is rarely spelled “monolog.” The Americans... More
Lucky strike
Not all fortunes are good
By Merrill Perlman Aug 13, 2012 at 03:03 PM
As Evan Jenkins wrote here in 1997, “fortuitous,” strictly speaking, does not mean “lucky”; it means “by chance.” So when... More
Not Just Desserts
How “junket” became a bad word
By Merrill Perlman Apr 2, 2012 at 01:29 PM
The good times were back on Wall Street, the news report said. Executives of a banking firm were staying at... More
Organically Grown
The DNA of new words
By Merrill Perlman May 1, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Language evolves. New words and concepts show up and catch on—“app,” “smartphone,” “podcast”—or die from disuse or dysfunction—“Y2K,” “newsreel,” “rad.”... 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
Pluralistic
Those pesky possessives
By Merrill Perlman Aug 20, 2012 at 03:00 PM
Two of the longest sections in most grammar and style guides concern how to form plurals and how to form... 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
Shhh! It doesn’t matter
A “moot” discussion
By Merrill Perlman Aug 6, 2012 at 04:28 PM
The silence is deafening. All over the Internet and printed publications, people are making “mute points”: • A press release... More
That’s that, part two
Keeping a reader on the right path
By Merrill Perlman May 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Last week we talked about the use of “that” after a verb of speech, like “said,” “acknowledged,” etc. This week,... More
‘See you on the other side’ - Meet Jessica Lum, a terminally ill 25-year-old who chose to spend what little time she had practicing journalism
#Realtalk: This is the best moment to be in journalism - The old stuff isn’t coming back, but that’s okay
Streams of consciousness - Millennials expect a steady diet of quick-hit, social-media-mediated bits and bytes. What does that mean for journalism?
Sticking with the truth - How ‘balanced’ coverage helped sustain the bogus claim that childhood vaccines can cause autism
An ink-stained stretch - Can Aaron Kushner save the Orange County Register—and the newspaper industry?
This is the best moment to be in journalism (25)
The WSJ editorial page hits rock bottom (19)
What was James Rosen thinking?
How much of Rosen’s trouble is of his own making?
Cat Fall: A modern tragedy
Max Fisher and the problem with foreign-affairs blogging
“I hope my nudity doesn’t bother you. We’re completely committed to openness here”
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
