Revisiting the overuse of “so” by NPR staffersNPR listeners evidently complained about the frequency of sentences beginning with “so” during news programs that, in 2014, there was an…Mar 4Mar 4
AI and autocorrect are no substitute for editingArtificial intelligence is where the focus is right now, but journalists have been leaning on their technology a bit too heavily for a long…Feb 4Feb 4
In praise of retiring title caseIt’s time to lay down title case. Regardless of the purposes it’s served up until now, it’s become nothing but a false flag, a confusing…Feb 6, 2024Feb 6, 2024
In praise of third personThere’s a trend in journalism to be conversational in tone, but I think that this is the wrong direction to go. Injecting “I,” “you,” and…Feb 4, 2024Feb 4, 2024
The early AP call on the Iowa caucuses was a bad call — but it was also nothing newThe strong show of support for Donald Trump in the 2024 Iowa caucuses was cause to celebrate for many, expected by most, and the latest…Jan 18, 2024Jan 18, 2024
In praise of standard languageJournalists are tasked with reporting truth. The words journalists choose will either lift up truth, or obscure it.Jan 11, 2024Jan 11, 2024
In praise of deadlinesThere’s an idea in the world of journalism that deadlines only mattered back when everything went through a printing press, and if…Dec 29, 2023Dec 29, 2023
2023’s top 10 words and phrases journalists love to overuseAs lexicographers release their “words of the year” — which this time around include phrases like “goblin mode” — it’s a good time to…Dec 28, 2022Dec 28, 2022
In praise of editorsEditors are the people who make language work for the greatest number of people. Without editors for writing, we would have to wade through…Mar 20, 2022Mar 20, 2022
Depression, food, and the gutI eat my pain. I eat my stress. I eat my sadness. I eat, gain weight, and eat my self-esteem.May 3, 2021May 3, 2021
