Wednesday, October 24, 2007

'Tin ear' problems continue

We are more than a decade into the Internet age; We are almost a century into broadcasting. People are used to storytelling as conversation that does not violate the principles on which we are hard wired. One of those is that we don't speak about ourselves in the third person, expect for special effect.

So why do newspapers keep thinking they can violate that principle just because -- well, just because?

Case in point from the Wall Street Journal:

Two years after launching its FiOS service, Verizon has signed up half a million TV subscribers and, as of the second quarter, was adding 2,600 customers per business day, the company says.

Yes, "the company" referred to here is Verizon.

Simple fix that would have taken a copy editor "listening" to the copy two seconds to do:
Two years after launching its FIOS service, Verizon says it has signed up half a million TV subscribers and, as of the second quarter, was adding 2,600 customers per business day.


Saves some words too.

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