Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89
Post Number: 83 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 7:16 pm: | |
How's this for in-depth reporting? http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.d ll/article?AID=/20070803/UPDAT E/708030428/1003 |
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1740 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:38 pm: | |
Reporter and Editor likely WSU journalism majors. Wooops....wrong thread..... |
Frenchman_in_the_d Member Username: Frenchman_in_the_d
Post Number: 165 Registered: 08-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:42 pm: | |
English is not my native language, I've been in this country for a mere 2 years, and I still find this news piece immensely bothersome and ridiculous... Yay for DETNEWS! |
Magnasco Member Username: Magnasco
Post Number: 227 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:46 pm: | |
All I could do was laugh. It got worse with each sentence. If you can call them sentences. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3456 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:56 pm: | |
As someone involved with publications for a long time now, I'll stand up for the News. This is crime blotter material. They're passing along the fact that this incident happened -- and it's a serious incident at that -- but they, and the police for that matter, don't now anything more yet. This is not meant to be in-depth reporting. The only additional fact we could have asked for at this point (and should have gotten) was the speed at which he was hit and who hit him (i.e. slow-rolling frieght train or Amtrak?) Now, should be expect follow up and a more indepth piece...eh, probably not, this is the Detroit News we're talking about. |
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua
Post Number: 1297 Registered: 01-2004
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:56 pm: | |
I have a new drinking game. Every time you read "...police said" take a shot. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2837 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:57 pm: | |
Check out the graphic U.S. map on this page: Auto locks are useful but no panacea. They labeled Arizona as New Mexico and New Mexico as Idaho. This appeared that way in the print edition today too. (Message edited by Jimaz on August 03, 2007) |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 4562 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 8:58 pm: | |
Ummmmm....did the staffers let one of their fifth grade kids write that piece? -police said... lol |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3457 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 9:03 pm: | |
Standard news style for attributing facts uses the word "said." No aphorisms like "commented" or "suggested" or "replied." You use "according to" when you quote a document or organization. If it comes from a person or group of people, you use "said." Past tense. Journalism is simple, not flowery. Normally papers are written at a 8th grade level, high school level at the best (like WSJ). The Detroit papers operate at a 5th grade level. This means that no big words or very complicated sentences are used. I would rather have better writing, but let me say again, this was not bad journalistic writing...just a bit open ended because there aren't many details yet. |
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1741 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 9:10 pm: | |
Jimaz, the last time I was in Idaho I was wishing I was in New Mexico........ |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2839 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 9:19 pm: | |
May as well latch it here:
|
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 2550 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 9:20 pm: | |
^^That could be MADD's mistake. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2840 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 9:30 pm: | |
from Fusco Brothers by J.C. Duffy. (Message edited by Jimaz on August 03, 2007) |
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89
Post Number: 84 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 10:46 pm: | |
The point of this thread was completely missed. When I originally posted this, the whole news piece was this: "A man was struck and killed by a train last night on the city's southwest side." And that was all there was to it. However, by the time you guys read this it had been updated and the additional paragraphs added. My whole point was it was a one-sentence news piece with no information, but more had been added by the time people on this forum saw it. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 2841 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 11:03 pm: | |
Understood. I guess that's why I latched the above map. Things change. |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 834 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 11:04 pm: | |
^^That could be MADD's mistake. Nope. It says Detroit News in the bottom right. That means it is the paper's graphic. As for all the police saids, there are certainly other ways to phrase it, but the story is going to need attribution. Maybe the paper went a bit overkill on this one, though. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3458 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 11:18 pm: | |
Gotcha, Dustin. That's funny. Yeah I'd say originally the story was a bit scant. |
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89
Post Number: 85 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 11:21 pm: | |
Perhaps online newspapers have created a whole new lazy attitude: "I'll just post this one sentence and post the rest later." |
Michigan Member Username: Michigan
Post Number: 891 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 12:02 am: | |
Maybe the reporter and editors were drunk. They've never heard of READ? Reporters and Editors Against Drunk.... I have no idea what the next word should have been, police said. |
Jtw Member Username: Jtw
Post Number: 148 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 2:22 am: | |
the article takes place in SW detroit, and the author is clearly hispanic (Santiago Esparza). all things considered, it's not even really a very awkward article. at least the grammar is correct... which is more than you could say for some reports in other parts of the city... |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 842 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 2:47 am: | |
I have friends with last names like Ruiz and Sanchez who can't speak a lick of Spanish. You can't assume. Besides, while the article is in SW Detroit, Dix and Oakwood is not Mexican Town. |
Supergay Member Username: Supergay
Post Number: 68 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 2:59 am: | |
I'm retarded too! |
Diehard Member Username: Diehard
Post Number: 91 Registered: 03-2005
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 3:48 pm: | |
It's obviously a very early report for the online edition. Those things ARE thrown together very quickly, then updated when more information becomes available. It's no different than "this just in" on local TV news. |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 1507 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 4:48 pm: | |
This just in: The state of New Mexico has purchased Arizona, and sold it's previous land to Idaho. A spokesman from Idaho said "we just didn't have any more room for all the tourism and needed to expand." In unrelated news, Dan Gilbert has decided to build his Quicken HQ in New Idaho, police said. |