Official! Irish Times Editorial Standards Gone To Dogs
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008There was a time when newspapers cared about trivial little things like grammar and spelling, especially papers of record like the Irish Times, but not anymore.
The IT had an article today about the crooked lawyer, Michael Lynn, who scammed the banks and his clients out of millions. The Law Society set up a disciplinary tribunal to investigate him, and the tribunal duly decided that he was a complete crook and unfit to practise as a lawyer.
I know. I know. Cue the lawyer jokes. I know. Normally, I’d be the first with the cheap shot, but just bear with me on this for a minute.
What did the IT’s headline say?
Disciplinary tribunal urges Lynn to be fined €2m and struck off.
I see.
The tribunal urged Lynn to be fined, did it? And then it urged him to be struck off.
Dear Mr Lynn,
We, the tribunal, in our infinite pomposity, have found you to be a total con-man. We therefore earnestly urge you to be fined €2,000,000.
We further urge you to be struck off.
Yours Sincerely,
The Tribunal
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s headline, when Lynn replies from his hide-out in Argentina.
Michael Lynn urges tribunal to get fucked.
Stumble it!
YOU'VE BEEN SHOUTING ABOUT ...
April 23rd, 2008
What exactly is wrong with the grammar or the spelling of the article? By the way practise is spelt practice. ;)
April 23rd, 2008
Audrey: Figure it out.
And you’re wrong about the spelling. You were probably thinking of the noun “practice” weren’t you? Not the verb “to practise”.
It’s back to school for you Audrey, I’m afraid.
April 23rd, 2008
hehe. thanks teach bock.
April 24th, 2008
(I’m putting this in brackets ‘cos it’s off the subject and I’ve been warned about that before. Anyway.
I hit the Irish Times link in the article to see what I could see and lo and behold it’s bertie ahearn leaving the Dail on his last day as bossman. And it says that both sides of politics stood and applauded him.
Both sides!!!
Stood and applauded??
This isn’t the same bertie ahearn who robbed and stole and lied and redefined the words fucker and cunt, is it?
No. It can’t be. Must be another one, god between us and all harm…)
Back on subject.
Proofreaders.
A dying breed.
Today it’s the Irish Times.. just wait ’til the Indo goes downmarket…
April 24th, 2008
I was of the impression that the law society were urging the High Court to fine him and strike him off, and not urging Lynn to do anything. Where is the problem with the headline.
April 24th, 2008
I laughed when I read that in the paper myself. It’s sad that The Irish Times have dropped down to Indo standards. Pretty soon, they’ll adopt those of the tabloids.
For the really big laughs, keep an eye on Breaking News.ie. My favourite was when they reported on the ISS Space station and used a quote from Astrology Ireland.
April 24th, 2008
The (nearly) always amusing newpaper headline generator:
http://tinyurl.com/6g8oga
April 24th, 2008
Squid:The headline says that the tribunal urged Lynn to be struck off. They didn’t urge Lynn to do anything. It’s just very poor English.
April 24th, 2008
Meow, bowl of milk for Mr. Bock.
April 24th, 2008
Why do you say that?
April 24th, 2008
A reaction, fantastic. Just pulling your leg.
April 24th, 2008
Bock, it’s entirely natural, we all get urges.
April 24th, 2008
If the IT descends to Indo-level standards of spelling and grammar, not to mention style of reporting, I think I’ll disembowel myself with a dessert spoon and lie under a Railway bridge to bleed out.
It does remind me of a headline I wrote myself though, while on work experience somewhere in a previous life. It was a sports story about a 56 year-old man called Willie still playing senior GAA for his club.
I titled it: “Age no barrier to active Willie.”
Boom boom!
I’ll get me coat…
April 24th, 2008
My recent favourite example of Irish Times linguistic confusion, from their reporting of the Pat Kenny case: (from memory) ‘Kenny was afraid that Charlton was going to build properties on the property because it was his property’.
April 24th, 2008
I guess they thought it was urgent.
Terence - that’s hilarious!
April 25th, 2008
We have a sign on the WC door at work…reads:
‘ All staff are required to wash your hands’
…get’s so busy washing each others’ hands, we hardly get any work done! ; -)
April 25th, 2008
Interesting. Does it specify whether all staff are required to wash your hands at the same time?
April 25th, 2008
Well, no, but we’ve sort of envisioned this conga line effect of getting the job done! :)
May 9th, 2008
Joint Committee Investigates Marijuana Use !!!!