“News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising. The power is to set the agenda. What we print and what we don’t print matter a lot.” – Katharine Graham … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: They’re There
April 3, 2012 By 2 Comments
They're going to their house. They will call you when they get there. I bet you can't say that three times quickly! There, their and they're was a common response when I asked my Twitter friends … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Avoid That
February 16, 2012 By 7 Comments
That is not your friend. It's probably the unnecessary word you use most in your writing. I know because I used to have this problem. I could eliminate up to 20 thats in a single piece of … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: You May or You Might?
January 3, 2012 By 6 Comments
You may or you might? Which word you use depends on how factual or likely the happening. May refers to something factual or possible. For example, I may go to the grocery store … [Read more...]
‘Merry Holidays!’ What Should Journalists Use?
December 22, 2011 By 6 Comments
Everyone has an opinion about the appropriate way to recognize the holiday season. While Happy Holidays and references to the "holiday season" seem to be the most politically correct method of … [Read more...]
Why I’m Against the New AP Style Program
December 19, 2011 By 1 Comment
Students have called me the "AP Style Nazi." I don't think they mean it as a loving, cute nickname, but I'm pretty proud of it. Associated Press Style is one of the few things I wished I knew … [Read more...]
Demystifying SEO
December 4, 2011 By 32 Comments
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a bit of a mystery to new site marketers. I admittedly blogged for years without considering SEO or why it might be important to allow others to search … [Read more...]
Blog Worth Reading: We Are Journalists
November 23, 2011 By 19 Comments
Do you ever see something like a new product or service, smack your palm against your face and say "Why didn't I think of that?" That's how I felt when I saw the new Tumblr blog, We Are … [Read more...]
Reporting About Campus Suicide
November 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
This post was updated from a previous version published in November 2007. Whether student media should report about suicides is an ethical discussion that must occur too frequently in campus … [Read more...]
Telling the Human Side of the Story
November 9, 2011 By 2 Comments
I noticed that the top five news sites all have one thing in common. Herman Cain says he didn't sexually harass women. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar are reproducing again (that makes 20 … [Read more...]
