News-speak, or Area Residents Held Talks

Over at Newswriting.com, Abe Rosenberg has compiled a "Groaners" list of the most egregious examples of all-too-common bad phraseology. Most of these can be heard by the shovelful on local news (or, as the newscasters too often put it,"your local news on this station"), but a few of them have crept their way into print.

A few notables:

Area Residents - “Shhh, Tommy, don’t play the drums so loud, you’ll wake the area residents!” Normal people don’t refer to their neighbors this way. Why should we?

Held Talks - “The President and the British Prime Minister held talks at the White House.” When you and your co-workers gather in the conference room, are you “holding talks”? When you call someone into your office, is it to “hold talks”? And when you can’t get in to see the boss, does his secretary say he’s “holding talks?” A meeting is a meeting is a meeting. People meet. Even in the White House.

Recent Memory -  “It’s the bloodiest massacre in recent memory." Admit it. Why do you say “recent memory”? Because you don’t remember! You don’t know if it’s the worst disaster in 10 years, 15 years or 45 minutes! But you don’t want to tell your viewers that, so you fudge. All you’re really doing is telling them how bad your research staff is. If you don’t know the right number, go find out.

It's a great list, and I hope Mr. Rosenberg eventually adds my (least) favorite: "wintry mix." Is it sleeting? Then just say so.

Hat tip: Bev Marshall.

Comments

[retreadranger]

Back in the days when the National Lampoon was funny, the immortal Michael O'Donoghue, in his "How To Write Good," compiled a similar list, anticipating Rosenberg by several decades. One phrase I remember was, "limped into port."

A pet peeve of mine is "riot police," as in, "Anti-globalization protestors clashed with riot police on the streets of Spavinaw, Oklahoma, yesterday..."

I have yet to find any information on this shadowy force of riot police, though if news reports are to be believed, there is such an agency in every city, state, or country that experiences civil unrest.

I would think that in most jurisdictions, the members must get awfully bored waiting around between riots.