SLOPPY JOURNALISM--

I want to pull my hair!

On a recent morning’s web news I read stories that must have been written by people who do not have English as their primary language, or, it is more support for my general hypothesis; “Mediocrity is today’s standard of excellence.”

The first one from MSNBC Travel News told me about fly fishing around the globe including the Bahamas with locations containing lots of “...small islands and cays...” Folks, cays are small islands.

Then on the Columbus TV 4 website I read about a person dying after being electrocuted. Folks, that is the definition of electrocute; “To kill by electricity.”

Recently, I was lunching at a local pub and couldn’t avoid the CNN TV coverage blasting away with the story of the OJ Simpson arrest that day. The scrolling panels at the bottom of the screen alternated use of the words “robbery” and “burglary” as if they were synonymous.

They most assuredly are not.

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly do not hold myself up as a linguistic expert. But, I did study journalism in college and in those days of focused, intellectual curiosity correct use of the language was taught as a noble, everyday goal for professional journalists.

Today, I wonder if they even teach these bozos how to spell.