<p>I found the following snippet in a story that ran today in the local newspaper.</p>
<p>“The show had to be shortened to air on the side of safety. The fire inspectors wanted to get in and look at it,” </p>
<p>AIR on the side of safety? I worked as a journalist, and I know that they are often young, inexperienced, and under pressure. But if it slips by the writer, there’s supposed to be an <em>editor</em> to double-check. Which means this slid by two people. </p>
<p>Pathetic.</p>
<p>I did a search for that author and found she was 21 in 2001- so she is 28 now- old enough to know better. And the editor…???</p>
<p>Although I can say I’ve probably made many worse errors/airers in my posts here on CC. But I’m not getting paid!</p>
<p>The answer to this question (thread title) is always yes.</p>
<p>If it passes spell-check, isn’t it always wright?</p>
<p>I actually wrote to this paper a while ago after they wrote a story that quoted me without ever talking to me. This is another example of the quality of their writers.</p>
<p>“However (he) did suggest that the board consider placing the three residential lots into conservation as he sighted many of the zoning restrictions and wetlands on the property would prevent much else from happening without extensive permitting”</p>
<p>Can YOU find the error in that sentence?</p>
<p>I can’t say that this paper is any worse than other papers. I see similar errors on the front page of Yahoo. I think I’m just disappointed that our educational system is failing so badly. I also wonder if this is part of the reason that newspaper readership is down - not only are their plenty of other information outlets, but the newspapers just aren’t doing a very good job.</p>
<p>My goodness, they really upped the auntie on that one!</p>
<p>If your going to complain, why don’t you right them and point out there error?</p>
<p><<if your=“” going=“” to=“” complain,=“” why=“” don’t=“” you=“” right=“” them=“” and=“” point=“” out=“” there=“” error?=“”>></if></p>
<p>you’re and their :-)</p>
<p>this was a test right ? </p>
<p>just picking a nit :-)</p>
<p>sue…right/write…it’s dangerous to venture into these waters…the nits will get you every time. :)</p>
<p>Ummm, sue…it was irony ;)</p>
<p>haha. um. i know it’s not supposed to be “air” but i’ve heard the expression before so whats it supposed to be??? :p</p>
<p>The expression is “err on the side of safety”.</p>
<p>ah okay =))))))</p>
<p>Our local paper once put a big headline on the front page “Ourtown High School graduates 238 students.” Great, but we graduated 283. Another time they wrote an article about a middle school, and repeatedly quoted the principal, “Mr Parker.” The principal’s name is Mr Farmer. My favorite was the time I wrote a press release and sent it in. I wrote “Performances are at 2pm and 6pm.” They printed “Performance from 2pm to 6pm.” Ummm… no. NOT a 4 hour show.</p>
<p>The paper is free. I guess you get what you pay for.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it’s also the only source of local news for many residents.</p>
<p>I hear lots of supposedly educated people misuse the pronoun “I”. Apparently they know enough to say “Sue and I went…” or whatever, but then they go and say something like “It was given to Sue and I”. </p>
<p>Drives me crazy!</p>
<p>People don’t know how to use the term “myself” either.</p>
<p>But I guess I shouldn’t complain when so many citizens can’t even speak english! I just wish there were more emphasis on grammar in our schools.</p>
<p>One could argue that effective “Communication” is the MOST important subject for our kids/students/citizens to learn.</p>
<p>I think I read somewhere recently that all the texting that is going on is contributing to the demise of our language - all the more reason to teach proper English in school now.</p>
<p>Sueinphilly, I DID rite them and point out the errors. I never got a response.</p>
<p>Some of your examples reminded me… when I was in college I had an internship, and the college sent out a little press release to the local paper, which ran it under the headline “Students Has Internship”. As kids today say, Awkward…</p>
<p>bz, I’m sure that texting is contributing, and probably forums like this too. But, unlike some others, I KNOW the difference between ‘forum speak’ and actual, proper use of the language. Increasingly, that is apparently not the case with many.</p>
<p>jude_36 - I think texting is becoming a liguistic form in itself - hope people don’t abandon the traditional language tho’. </p>
<p>I cringed when I noticed that my son (a 4.0 student at a top engineering school) when sending an email to a local point-of-contact, typed “prolly” instead of “probably”. This was prior to admission and I sure wondered what the guy on the other end thought about that! Anyway, he got in so I guess it was okay, but I bet we’ll see much more “textspeak” in daily life soon.</p>
<p>Cut the author some fat. To air is human!</p>
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<p>Rite you are. That’s why we have to watch our car-bone foot print! With the price of gas and the cost of raising animals for meat, we should give up both cars and bones. And when someone puts his foot in his mouth, don’t print it, put it on Youtube instead.</p>
<p>LOL @ students has internship–sounds like a lolcats thing</p>