Tags
grammar
… 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
‘They’ said so
Pronouns without sex
By Merrill Perlman Oct 1, 2012 at 03:02 PM
Whenever anyone who loves language wants to start a robust discussion, they have only to mention “gender-neutral pronouns,” such as... More
‘Scare’ tactics
Quotes around single words
By Merrill Perlman Jan 28, 2013 at 03:00 PM
It's Journalism 101: go out and talk to people, then write down what they say. If you can't quote it... More
@#?
How to quote e-mail, tweets, and such
By Merrill Perlman Mar 5, 2012 at 01:04 PM
BREAKING: Palm Beach Sheriffs Office tells @SusanCandiotti that the bomb squad is investigating a suspicious pkg near #Rush #Limbaugh home... More
Addressee Unknown
Another comma goes AWOL
By Merrill Perlman Feb 6, 2012 at 05:52 PM
The Super Bowl is over, thank heavens, so all those incorrectly punctuated signs rooting for one team or another can... More
Appositive Negatives
Some things are not unique
By Merrill Perlman Jun 6, 2011 at 02:38 PM
Last week, we talked about setting a parenthetical description off with commas in the grammatical phenomenon known as an “appositive.”... More
Beggars Can Be Choosers
Questioning the questions
By Merrill Perlman Mar 19, 2012 at 03:03 PM
Every so often it’s important to revisit an issue, to clarify or modify it, depending on the circumstances. It “begs... More
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
Between ‘us’ and ‘I’
Getting stuck on plurals
By Merrill Perlman May 28, 2013 at 03:00 PM
The editors were discussing a story about the health benefits of a particular type of cactus, and maybe others. The... More
Blame excuses
Where to point the finger
By Merrill Perlman Apr 8, 2013 at 03:43 PM
"Deer Creek blames fire on science experiment," read one headline. "Arsonist blames fire on living conditions," said another. Some people... More
Brand extension
Why trademarks should be honored
By Merrill Perlman Feb 19, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City called for a ban on "Styrofoam" containers, saying in his State of the... More
Call Me ‘Al’
Another confusing suffix
By Merrill Perlman Jun 13, 2011 at 02:28 PM
Is an appliance “electric” or “electrical”? Is Sarah Palin visiting “historic” sites or “historical” sites? Is being “politic” the same... More
Climate Change
Weathering a climax
By Merrill Perlman Apr 23, 2012 at 12:57 PM
An extension of a federal highway program passed the House recently, over the objections of some Democrats. “Even as they... More
Confidence Trick
Scams ‘R’ Us
By Merrill Perlman Jan 24, 2012 at 11:51 AM
In an episode of Dragnet from the late nineteen-sixties, Joe Friday is assigned to the “bunco squad,” where he 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
Countdown
Help with numbers
By Merrill Perlman Jun 3, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Math is hard for many people, though it's often not the numbers that cause so many problems, but the words... More
Covetous
The difference between ‘jealousy’ and ‘envy’
By Merrill Perlman Mar 11, 2013 at 05:42 PM
The pope gets to wear nice red shoes, and a friend said, "I'm really jealous of those!" But, technically, she... 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
En-gendered
Terms for sexual identity
By Merrill Perlman Jul 17, 2012 at 03:00 PM
Dealing with gender identity these days is a tricky business. And while we prefer to use “sex” to describe biological... More
#Realtalk: This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print - But it is one for media
Social media in smaller markets - How three social media managers deal with smaller markets and more local coverage.
A rally for laid-off Sun-Times photogs - A protest Thursday morning drew about 150 picketers to the newspaper’s headquarters
Reporting, or illegal hacking - Scripps reporters are accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Exchange Watch: California Dreaming - Low healthcare premiums on the West Coast were trumpeted as a big, good-news Obamacare story. But: “Compared to what?”
We’re the Uber of organ transplants
“Millennials need organ transplants that fit easily into their always-connected lifestyles”
‘What part of “Politico” do you not understand?’
A conversation about the dark art of driving the conversation
Julian Assange’s asylum stalemate no nearer resolution one year on
The Ecuadorean embassy’s celebrity refugee is used to living in what Assange likens to a space station as he battles extradition
The NSA story isn’t ‘journalistic malfeasance’
It’s a story that is evolving in real time
CJR’s panel discussion on coverage of gay marriage
On the eve of two related SCOTUS decisions, how should journalists be covering the issue?
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.
