The Awl http://www.theawl.com/ Be Less Stupid Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:30:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 The Guardian Even Gets Things Wrong Anti-Semitically http://www.theawl.com/2010/10/the-guardian-even-gets-things-wrong-anti-semitically http://www.theawl.com/2010/10/the-guardian-even-gets-things-wrong-anti-semitically#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:30:05 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2010/10/the-guardian-even-gets-things-wrong-anti-semitically "A piece of correspondence on the letters page expressed the view that an attempt by Jewish activists on a sailing boat to break the sea blockade around Gaza this week had been important in "reasserting the Jewish tradition of standing up for the victims of injustice" (30 September, page 35). But due to an editing error, when a version of this sentence was rendered as the letter's headline a key element, the reference to victims, was missed out, so the heading read: Reasserting the Jewish tradition of defending injustice."

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]]> "A piece of correspondence on the letters page expressed the view that an attempt by Jewish activists on a sailing boat to break the sea blockade around Gaza this week had been important in "reasserting the Jewish tradition of standing up for the victims of injustice" (30 September, page 35). But due to an editing error, when a version of this sentence was rendered as the letter's headline a key element, the reference to victims, was missed out, so the heading read: Reasserting the Jewish tradition of defending injustice."

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/10/the-guardian-even-gets-things-wrong-anti-semitically/feed 0 The Corrections Corrections http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/the-corrections-corrections http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/the-corrections-corrections#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:30:12 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/the-corrections-corrections One of my favorite corrections to date: "To judge from yesterday's page 34, there was some post-lunch napping by us on Sunday. This column referred to "neices", and a leader comment (In praise of ... Norman Borlaug) termed its subject 'a famer's son from Iowa'." The "this column" in question is the actual Corrections column.

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]]> One of my favorite corrections to date: "To judge from yesterday's page 34, there was some post-lunch napping by us on Sunday. This column referred to "neices", and a leader comment (In praise of ... Norman Borlaug) termed its subject 'a famer's son from Iowa'." The "this column" in question is the actual Corrections column.

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/the-corrections-corrections/feed 0 Wagner Experts Are An Obsessive Bunch http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/wagner-experts-are-an-obsessive-bunch http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/wagner-experts-are-an-obsessive-bunch#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:30:23 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/wagner-experts-are-an-obsessive-bunch Liked pink panties, was less fond of JewsA Guardian correction: "A comment piece about achievement and frailty in the lives of artistic greats mentioned Wagner's reminder to his favourite Vienna chambermaid to wear purple knickers next time they met. A Wagner expert points out that the pants in question were pink."

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]]> Liked pink panties, was less fond of JewsA Guardian correction: "A comment piece about achievement and frailty in the lives of artistic greats mentioned Wagner's reminder to his favourite Vienna chambermaid to wear purple knickers next time they met. A Wagner expert points out that the pants in question were pink."

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/wagner-experts-are-an-obsessive-bunch/feed 3 How A "C-Word" Becomes A [C-Word] http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/how-a-c-word-becomes-a-c-word http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/how-a-c-word-becomes-a-c-word#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:40:41 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/how-a-c-word-becomes-a-c-word Good enough for meThe Guardian's ombudsman examines the paper's use of profanity: "'Fuck', for instance, has made an appearance 470 times this year already, and the more taboo C-word has cropped up in 61 items. These profanities are more frequent in the culture and music sections than elsewhere and they nearly always appear, in speech marks, when someone else's words are reported. The Guardian's editorial code says: 'There is almost never a case in which we need to use a swearword outside direct quotes.' Complaints about inappropriate language usually concern breaches of this part of the code in columns written by contributors, but the front-page C-word story, on 25 July, which reported Jeremy Clarkson's not-for-broadcast remarks about the prime minister to a Top Gear studio audience, was in line with editorial policy." The C-word, for the record, is "cunt."

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]]> Good enough for meThe Guardian's ombudsman examines the paper's use of profanity: "'Fuck', for instance, has made an appearance 470 times this year already, and the more taboo C-word has cropped up in 61 items. These profanities are more frequent in the culture and music sections than elsewhere and they nearly always appear, in speech marks, when someone else's words are reported. The Guardian's editorial code says: 'There is almost never a case in which we need to use a swearword outside direct quotes.' Complaints about inappropriate language usually concern breaches of this part of the code in columns written by contributors, but the front-page C-word story, on 25 July, which reported Jeremy Clarkson's not-for-broadcast remarks about the prime minister to a Top Gear studio audience, was in line with editorial policy." The C-word, for the record, is "cunt."

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/08/how-a-c-word-becomes-a-c-word/feed 5 'News Of The World' Wants Your Phone http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/news-of-the-world-wants-your-phone http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/news-of-the-world-wants-your-phone#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:41:44 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/news-of-the-world-wants-your-phone Checkbook journalism
It's Day Two of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. While the Metropolitan Police have declined to open a criminal inquiry, prosecutors are reviewing files from the previous case against the paper. As celebrities whose privacy was invaded line up to sue, the Labour party is chortling with glee that there's finally a big news event that doesn't center around the government's incompetence. The Guardian, which broke the story, is again all over it, even going so far as to grade the coverage. Meanwhile, the News of the World itself is prominently displaying this promotion. It's for the environment!

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]]> Checkbook journalism
It's Day Two of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. While the Metropolitan Police have declined to open a criminal inquiry, prosecutors are reviewing files from the previous case against the paper. As celebrities whose privacy was invaded line up to sue, the Labour party is chortling with glee that there's finally a big news event that doesn't center around the government's incompetence. The Guardian, which broke the story, is again all over it, even going so far as to grade the coverage. Meanwhile, the News of the World itself is prominently displaying this promotion. It's for the environment!

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/news-of-the-world-wants-your-phone/feed 0 Rupe's Troops' Illegal Scoops http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/rupes-troops-illegal-scoops http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/rupes-troops-illegal-scoops#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:44:02 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/rupes-troops-illegal-scoops Pasty-looking British peopleThere is a gigantic scandal going on in the British press-specifically, that part of it owned by Rupert Murdoch. The Guardian reports that his "News Group Newspapers has paid out more than £1m to settle legal cases that threatened to reveal evidence of his journalists' repeated involvement in the use of criminal methods to get stories." Is there more? You bet there is!

Again to the Guardian, which owns the story:

The payments secured secrecy over out-of-court settlements in three cases that threatened to expose evidence of Murdoch journalists using private investigators who illegally hacked into the mobile phone messages of numerous public figures to gain unlawful access to confidential personal data, including tax records, social security files, bank statements and itemised phone bills. Cabinet ministers, MPs, actors and sports stars were all targets of the private investigators.
Today, the Guardian reveals details of the suppressed evidence, which may open the door to hundreds more legal actions by victims of News Group, the Murdoch company that publishes the News of the World and the Sun, as well as provoking police inquiries into reporters who were involved and the senior executives responsible for them.
What else?

  • "The Guardian understands that the full police file shows that several thousand public figures were targeted by investigators, including, during one month in 2006: John Prescott, then deputy prime minister; Tessa Jowell, then responsible for the media as secretary of state for culture; Boris Johnson, then the Conservative spokesman on higher education; Gwyneth Paltrow, after she had given birth to her son; George Michael, who had been seen looking tired at the wheel of his car; and Jade Goody." Outrageous! Jade Goody died a saint.
  • Andy Coulson, chief press adviser to David Cameron (the Conservative party leader who will become Prime Minister once Gordon Brown finishes running out the clock) will be questioned in a House of Commons investigation of the matter; Coulson served as editor of News of the World during much of the period. Cameron is thus far standing by Coulson; Alistair Campbell, the sweary monster who used to be Tony Blair's strategist says good luck with that, this thing is going to be huge.
  • The recently promoted Rebekah Wade is also assumed to have been involved (she preceded Coulson as editor). The Guardian's Roy Greenslade has questions that she and Coulson need to answer.
  • Rupert Murdoch, widely recognized as the kind of hands-off manager who takes little interest in his print properties, on the allegations: "If that had happened, I would know about it."
  • Michael Wolff is jazzing in his pants somewhere.

So, yeah, this is gonna be a pretty big story. I have a hard time believing News of the World was the only paper engaged in this kind of deceit; it'll be interesting to see what other titles come under scrutiny. Fun times ahead!

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]]> Pasty-looking British peopleThere is a gigantic scandal going on in the British press-specifically, that part of it owned by Rupert Murdoch. The Guardian reports that his "News Group Newspapers has paid out more than £1m to settle legal cases that threatened to reveal evidence of his journalists' repeated involvement in the use of criminal methods to get stories." Is there more? You bet there is!

Again to the Guardian, which owns the story:

The payments secured secrecy over out-of-court settlements in three cases that threatened to expose evidence of Murdoch journalists using private investigators who illegally hacked into the mobile phone messages of numerous public figures to gain unlawful access to confidential personal data, including tax records, social security files, bank statements and itemised phone bills. Cabinet ministers, MPs, actors and sports stars were all targets of the private investigators.
Today, the Guardian reveals details of the suppressed evidence, which may open the door to hundreds more legal actions by victims of News Group, the Murdoch company that publishes the News of the World and the Sun, as well as provoking police inquiries into reporters who were involved and the senior executives responsible for them.
What else?

  • "The Guardian understands that the full police file shows that several thousand public figures were targeted by investigators, including, during one month in 2006: John Prescott, then deputy prime minister; Tessa Jowell, then responsible for the media as secretary of state for culture; Boris Johnson, then the Conservative spokesman on higher education; Gwyneth Paltrow, after she had given birth to her son; George Michael, who had been seen looking tired at the wheel of his car; and Jade Goody." Outrageous! Jade Goody died a saint.
  • Andy Coulson, chief press adviser to David Cameron (the Conservative party leader who will become Prime Minister once Gordon Brown finishes running out the clock) will be questioned in a House of Commons investigation of the matter; Coulson served as editor of News of the World during much of the period. Cameron is thus far standing by Coulson; Alistair Campbell, the sweary monster who used to be Tony Blair's strategist says good luck with that, this thing is going to be huge.
  • The recently promoted Rebekah Wade is also assumed to have been involved (she preceded Coulson as editor). The Guardian's Roy Greenslade has questions that she and Coulson need to answer.
  • Rupert Murdoch, widely recognized as the kind of hands-off manager who takes little interest in his print properties, on the allegations: "If that had happened, I would know about it."
  • Michael Wolff is jazzing in his pants somewhere.

So, yeah, this is gonna be a pretty big story. I have a hard time believing News of the World was the only paper engaged in this kind of deceit; it'll be interesting to see what other titles come under scrutiny. Fun times ahead!

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/rupes-troops-illegal-scoops/feed 5 Monstrous Occasion Of Censorship Actually Just Twitter Bug http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/monstrous-occasion-of-censorship-actually-just-twitter-bug http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/monstrous-occasion-of-censorship-actually-just-twitter-bug#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:11:10 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/monstrous-occasion-of-censorship-actually-just-twitter-bug
Corrections 2.0: "A G2 article called the censorship from Twitter of the hashtag (equivalent to a subject line) 'Mrs Slocombe's Pussy' the worst outrage against freedom of expression ever. We should have noted the explanation provided by Biz Stone, the founder of Twitter, for the problem users encountered searching for #MrsSlocombesPussy: a programming bug means that Twitter's search function does not work on hashtagged words of more than 16 characters. MrsSlocombesPussy is 17 (The strange case of Mrs Slocombe's vanishing pussy, 8 June, page 15)."

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Corrections 2.0: "A G2 article called the censorship from Twitter of the hashtag (equivalent to a subject line) 'Mrs Slocombe's Pussy' the worst outrage against freedom of expression ever. We should have noted the explanation provided by Biz Stone, the founder of Twitter, for the problem users encountered searching for #MrsSlocombesPussy: a programming bug means that Twitter's search function does not work on hashtagged words of more than 16 characters. MrsSlocombesPussy is 17 (The strange case of Mrs Slocombe's vanishing pussy, 8 June, page 15)."

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/monstrous-occasion-of-censorship-actually-just-twitter-bug/feed 5 Berlusconi, Guardian Trade Blows http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/berlusconi-guardian-trade-blows http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/berlusconi-guardian-trade-blows#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:10:39 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/berlusconi-guardian-trade-blows Bad man, says GuardianItalian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has called the Guardian's suggestion that his government's inability to properly prepare for the G8 summit in L'Aquila had lead some to wonder whether Italy should be a member of the Group at all "a colossal blunder by a small newspaper." In response, the Guardian has noted that Italians are a criminal-loving people who should be left alone to wallow in their festering state of indolence.

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]]> Bad man, says GuardianItalian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has called the Guardian's suggestion that his government's inability to properly prepare for the G8 summit in L'Aquila had lead some to wonder whether Italy should be a member of the Group at all "a colossal blunder by a small newspaper." In response, the Guardian has noted that Italians are a criminal-loving people who should be left alone to wallow in their festering state of indolence.

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/berlusconi-guardian-trade-blows/feed 0 When corrections are not necessary. http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/when-corrections-are-not-necessary http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/when-corrections-are-not-necessary#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 09:43:20 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/when-corrections-are-not-necessary The Guardian flags this line, from Thursday: "In further proof of why old people should not be allowed to run media conglomerates, media magnate Rupert Murdoch has announced that News Corporation's newspaper websites will begin charging for access within a year". The tag? "Naked ageism." Perhaps, but is it necessarily incorrect? Also, now we're picturing Rupert Murdoch naked, which is more cause for an apology than the line itself, we think.

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]]> The Guardian flags this line, from Thursday: "In further proof of why old people should not be allowed to run media conglomerates, media magnate Rupert Murdoch has announced that News Corporation's newspaper websites will begin charging for access within a year". The tag? "Naked ageism." Perhaps, but is it necessarily incorrect? Also, now we're picturing Rupert Murdoch naked, which is more cause for an apology than the line itself, we think.

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