A recent telephone conversation with a Pattonsburg school board candidate underscores a point every newspaper editor knows: People’s interpretations of the written word are often contrary to intent.
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A recent telephone conversation with a Pattonsburg school board candidate underscores a point every newspaper editor knows: People’s interpretations of the written word are often contrary to intent.
Recently an editor’s note was attached to a reprinted article. The intent was to correct an omission by noting the totals of the recent Pattonsburg school board election (the entire school district, not just the Daviess County vote as previously published). But some readers interpreted the effort as favoritism to selected candidates or, worse, that district votes cast outside Daviess County really don’t matter.
I regret the original omission which caused this misunderstanding. I also see that my editor’s note, although accurate, should have been written with greater care. I appreciated the telephone call. That’s the challenge of writing …communicating the meaning you intend to convey. Arguing that some lughead simply can’t read what you think you plainly wrote ignores the obvious: It could (and should) have been written better.
Many times the reminders we get on this point are humorous, submitted by folks who, after all, are just like us. The following are actual classified ad blunders, not necessarily printed in this newspaper, but examples of why grammar matters:
For Sale: An antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
Wanted: 50 girls for stripping machine operators in factory.
Dinner Special — Turkey $2.35, Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2
Dog For Sale: Eats anything and is fond of children.
…we do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
…Mt. Kilimanjaro, the breathtaking backdrop for the Serena Lodge. Swim in the lovely pool while you drink it all in.
Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.
…a superb and inexpensive restaurant. Fine food expertly served by waitresses in appetizing forms.
For Sale: Eight puppies from a German Shepherd and an Alaskan Hussy.
…and now, the Superstore — unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience.
…now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.
A mistake is what a lawyer gets paid for, what a doctor buries, and what an editor is …at least to the person offended. So, being an editor is often a humbling experience because mistakes can and do happen despite your best efforts (try leaving the “L” out of “Public” in an auction sale ad and see if you ever forget it!). Even in a rural weekly like this little community newspaper, every mistake is repeated over 2,400 times — once in each copy printed and, of course, for posterity.
I am very, very fortunate to have several good proofreaders working here on this staff. Everyone, even our pressmen as they prepare the printing plates, works to catch mistakes before they happen. But sometimes they happen anyway, despite our best intentions. We only resent someone pointing out a mistake when it is stated or implied that the mistake, real or construed, is intentional.