Grumpy Editor

NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED BY 'ANONYMOUS' GRABS HEFTY COVERAGE

Being sought on many fronts --- especially in Washington, D.C. --- is identification of the writer of an anonymous, much-talked-about New York Times op-ed piece critical of President Donald Trump, notes Grumpy Editor.

The non-byline op-ed focuses on a secret resistance movement at work in the Trump administration that aims to curtail the president's "worst inclinations."

The author, according to The Times is "a senior administration official" as media over the weekend cite about two dozen White House officials that match that title, including cabinet secretaries and their top deputies.

However, Grumpy Editor puts the number of true senior administration officials at about 100.

On Friday, mentioning "national security," Trump declares the Justice Department should investigate and unmask the author and pushes Attorney General Jeff Sessions to move on it.  The president also says he is exploring legal action against The Times in publishing the piece.

 A Wall Street Journal editorial Friday declares, "Surely the writer knew that such insider criticism in the anti-Trump New York Times would be like waving  a red cape in front of a raging bull."  The Journal adds,"The U.S. looks foolish before the world, which makes us wonder if the writer's real purpose is to assist the looming campaign for impeachment.  This is certainly the New York Times agenda."

Others note the coincidence of the op-ed appearing at a time when Bob Woodward's book, "Fear," also critical of the president, debuts.

Ari Fleischer, who was President George W. Bush's press secretary, says writing an op-ed against the president without resigning is a cowardly tactic.  "Support the president or don't work there," he says.

The unsigned essay already is attracting language detectives who use a combination of language usage, statistics and computer science in efforts to identify mystery document writers.  

About the only person who knows the ID of "anonymous"  is James Dao, The Times' op-ed editor. 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

STOLEN RUBY SLIPPERS ALSO GRABS ATTENTION.  Getting almost as much media coverage as the anonymous writer of the New York Times op-ed piece critical of the president, is the recovery in Minnesota of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz."  Insured for $1 million, the slippers were stolen in 2005.

SHHH!  2,000 U.S. TROOPS IN SYRIA.  Not heavily covered by media is that the U.S. maintains about 2,000 troops in war-torn Syria with Washington pledging they will remain until the "enduring defeat" of the Islamic State group.

SECURITY GUARDS ON DUTY IN FAMED MUSEUM. One aspect media miss in covering the massive fire that engulfed Brazil's largest history and science museum --- home to a collection of 20 million items --- is that four security guards were on duty in the building when the fire started.

NAVAL ACADEMY ALLOWS LONGER FEMALE HAIR.  The U.S. Naval Academy is allowing women to wear ponytails and other longer hair styles as the incoming class of 2022 is more than one-quarter female.

DICTIONARY ADDS 840 WORDS.  Merriam-Webster adds more than 840 words to its online dictionary and more than a dozen of them are food-related.  Examples: “avo” for avocado, “guac” for guacamole and “marg” for margarita. Also debuting: “hangry,” the state of being simultaneously hungry and angry, “zoodle” the term for spiralized zucchini, and “hophead,” beer enthusiast.

COMPUTER SAVVY ANT THRIVES IN APPLE DEVICE.   A United Kingdom D.J. in Leeds tangles with an ant trapped inside his laptop’s screen.  Seems it was living a great life for five months criss-crossing inside the $6,400 Apple device before it finally went to ant heaven.

PITTSBURGH DAILY GOES TO 5 DAYS.  Pittsburgh holds the distinction of being the largest U.S. city without a daily print newspaper after the Post-Gazette, launched 232 years ago, cuts its production schedule to five days a week from seven.

BURGLAR'S GETAWAY THWARTED BY MANURE PILE.  A bungling burglar in Hawick, Minn. is nabbed after his pickup got stuck in a large pile of foul-smelling manure in a getaway attempt.  Deputies find him standing on the side of the road, covered in manure from waist to feet and smoking a cigarette.

Word watchers release 2017 list of banished words

Wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., announced their 42nd annual list of words banished from the queen's English for mis-use, over-use and general uselessness, notes Grumpy Editor.

The keen-eyed word watchers target pet peeves from everyday speech, as well as from news plus education, technology, advertising and political fields.

Among the latest, with the word watchers' comments:

You, sir - Hails from a more civilized era when duels were the likely outcome of disagreements.

Focus - Good word, but overused when concentrate or look at would work fine. 

Town hall meeting - Candidates seldom debate in town halls anymore.

Guesstimate - When guess and estimate are never enough.

Historic - Thrown around far too much. What's considered as such is best left to historians.

Manicured - As in a manicured lawn. Golf greens are the closest grass comes to being manicured.

Echo chamber - Lather, rinse and repeat. After a while, everything sounds the same.

On fleek - Anything that is on-point, perfectly executed, or looking good. Needs to return to its genesis: perfectly groomed eyebrows.

Ghost - To abruptly end communication, especially on social media.

Dadbod - The flabby opposite of a chiseled-body male ideal.

Selfie drone - In what could be an ominous development, the selfie --- an irritating habit of constantly photographing and posting oneself to social media --- is being handed off to a flying camera.

Frankenfruit - Another food group co-opted by "frankenfood."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

The editorial board at the Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says “the FBI has some explaining to do" in connection with Friday's shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that killed five and wounded eight, asking, "Given that (the shooter) reportedly suffered mental health problems, that he told FBI agents he was hearing voices about ISIS and that he was held for psychiatric evaluation in Alaska just two months ago, how is it even possible that Esteban Santiago was allowed to fly with a gun?"  The board points out "the FBI said Saturday that Santiago wasn't even on the federal no-fly list" and asks, "How many warning signs, red flags and alarm bells does the agency need to recognize that someone poses a danger, deserves ongoing scrutiny and shouldn't be allowed to possess ---  let alone fly --- with weapons and ammunition?"

While print and broadcast media are heavy on coverage of a major winter storm hitting the South, most are ignoring an “epic storm” slamming California and other areas in the West with heavy rain, floods and snow.  The question now:  Will the word “drought” continue in Golden State weather stories?...North Korea declared it can test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, Reuters reported yesterday... For those wondering about Greta Van Susteren's whereabouts since leaving Fox News, today she debuts on MSNBC at 6 p.m. (Eastern) with "For the Record" featuring news and analysis from Washington...Craftsman, the tool brand of Sears Holdings for 90 years, is being acquired by Stanley Black & Decker.  Sears also is closing 42 Sears and 108 Kmart stores…ALM Media, which produces a number of law journals, including American Lawyer, cut about two dozen staffers from newsroom, marketing and advertising departments…Talkers, which covers talk radio, says Russia's hacking of the DNC’s email was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio last week.

A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that nearly half (48 percent) of all likely U.S. voters believe most reporters are biased against president-elect. Donald Trump.   Only 12 percent think they are biased for Trump, while 31 percent feel most reporters try to be fair and balanced. 

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Words major media omit with Trump: temporary, illegal

 

Major media, including most columnists and on-air reporting, in quoting Donald Trump in interviews or at rallies since he announced his run, tend to leave out vital words from speeches by the Republican presidential candidate, observes Grumpy Editor.

Two potent overlooked words that have led to much discussion in print and radio-TV over the past six months are illegals and, more recently, temporary.

In early references to those crossing into the U.S. from the southern border, Trump cited illegals. But media implies all immigrants, thus stirring up a storm.  Latest word skipped in reporting Trump’s output is temporary, in connection with banning Muslims from entering the U.S.

Among latest examples are two lengthy Washington Post stories that also made the rounds in other newspapers last week. One, which had a flavor that should have put it on the editorial pages, states, “Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States marked a sudden and sizable escalation…in the inflammatory and sometimes demagogic rhetoric of the candidate…” After posting on the Web, that story --- with “temporary” nowhere to be seen --- brought more than 7,500 mostly harsh comments from readers by the next day.

The other Post story's lead mentions “the GOP presidential front-runner’s call to bar Muslims from entering the United States…” and is repeated some paragraphs later --- with “temporary” not appearing in the text.

Smaller dailies also jump in. For example, the Las Vegas Sun, in a long editorial last week, cites “The compelling reasons why Donald Trump is unfit for the White House continue to mount, the latest being his threat to ban Muslims from entering the United States…” “Temporary” is left out.

Not all newspapers skip the “temporary” word. A front-page Wall Street Journal story at the same time leads off with “Donald Trump’s call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S…”

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Survey backs Trump on Muslims plan

Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims coming to the U.S. has the support of a sizable majority of Republicans and a plurality of all voters, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted Dec. 8 and 9.

Rasmussen finds 66 percent of likely Republican voters favor a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists while 24 percent oppose the plan, with 10 percent undecided.

Among all voters, the survey shows 46 percent favor a temporary ban while 40 percent are opposed and 14 percent are undecided.

 

(See Gallup "confidence" survey taken on same days, below.)

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

CONFIDENCE IN U.S. PROTECTION DROPS. Americans’ confidence in government protection from militant attacks falls to its lowest level since 2003, according to data from a Gallup poll Dec. 8 and 9, the same days as the Rasmussen survey.

HAPPY DAYS? The Federal Reserve reports U.S. households saw a $1.23 trillion drop, or 1.4 percent decline, in net worth in the third quarter. Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center study reveals the U.S. middle class no longer is the majority, now only 50 percent of the adult population, down from 61 percent in 1971.

MOVIES BETTER THAN EVER? In connection with the upcoming Oscars, Stephanie Merry in the Washington Post says, “this time around the movies are more than serious. They’re nightmare-inducing. You’ve got a bear trying to eat a man and slow-motion throat-slitting; a teenager held captive in a shed and dead bodies hidden behind drywall."

KEEPING THE NEWS STAFF BUSY. A San Bernardino “massacre spurs interest in gun buying” story in the Los Angeles Times sports a mighty five bylines.

GETTING THE DATE RIGHT. A Reuters story on gun control activists is accompanied by a Reuters photo showing four handguns displayed side by side with a caption pinpointing the date the picture was taken --- Nov. 13, 2014 --- just in case the weapons changed somewhat with age.

JUMPING TO A CONCLUSION ---

A Fox News headline on the Web sums it up:  Burglary suspect hides in Florida lake where gator eats him.

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Tesla regains $18 analyst-linked one-day drop in 8 days; Kansas City Star cites Obama boost in middle class lives

After a Goldman Sachs market analyst’s comments sent Tesla Motors Inc. stock down $18.21 to $109.05 a share on July 16, the buoyant electric car maker steadily regained upward movement, capped by a positive outlook Friday from a Deutsche Bank analyst as the Palo Alto-based auto firm's stock jumped $5.32 to $129.39 a share, notes Grumpy Editor. 

That put Tesla $2.13 above its July 15 close of $127.26, a day before Goldman Sachs analyst Patrick Archambault set a Tesla price target of $84 a share, sending the auto maker’s stock south.  (Interestingly, two months earlier Archambault set a price target of $61.)

On Friday, Deutsche Bank analyst Dan Galves upgraded Tesla, saying the electric car maker “has taken a very large step ahead of the competition” and raised his rating to “buy” from “hold.”  He boosted his price target to $160 --- about double that of Goldman Sachs analyst Archambault two weeks ago. 

Despite a down market today, Tesla jumped to a new high, up $5.23 to $134.62.

Zig-zag comments with opposing analysts’ views are what trigger gray hairs on business writers and investors.  

Deutsche’s Galves told an Associated Press reporter:  "Several unbiased third parties (are) concluding that Tesla's first mass-produced vehicle is the best car they've ever tested.  In the eyes of many consumers and critics, (Tesla has) designed a superior car by taking advantage of the architectural attributes of an E-vehicle (such as battery placement underneath the floor of the vehicle), and using this to (the company’s) advantage (i.e. better handling, quietness, storage, interior volume)."

 

KC Star sees ‘gusto’ in Obama speech 

While many in the media cited President Barack Obama’s on-the-road speeches at two college campuses last week as recycled material --- although it included new remarks on “phony scandals” (such as Benghazi, IRS, and NSA spying) --- the Kansas City Star saw some nuggets that inspired an editorial.

The Star noted glowing pluses in the president’s comments for middle class folks. 

“Obama left the naysayers behind and pledged to spend the rest of his time in office fighting to improve the lives of the middle class,” read the Star editorial.  “He did so with gusto.” 

The editorial in the McClatchy Co.-owned newspaper also beamed, “His template is consistent, reasonable and refreshingly positive:  access to quality education from preschool to college, infrastructure upgrades, good paying jobs, home ownership, secure retirements and affordable health care.” 

The Star’s daily circulation, as of a March 31 tally by Alliance for Audited Media, was 189,283.  That compares with weekday circulation of 206,441 in September, 2010.

 

In case you missed these… 

NBC plans a Hillary Rodham Clinton miniseries timed to precede the 2016 presidential election.  It’s linked to the network’s effort to create "event" programming.  Diane Lane is set to portray the former first lady and secretary of state...More Hispanic adults are consuming news in English from television, print, radio and Internet outlets, according to a Pew Research Center survey.  It found 82 percent said they get at least some of their news in English, up from 78 percent six years earlier.

Bank PR problem:  First National Bank of Wellston (Ohio) has a very irritated female in its community.  The two-office bank foreclosed on the wrong house --- which happened to be hers.  With the action, out went her belongings, with most hauled away, some sold, others trashed…In another problem --- the type that shakes up PR folks --- when San Diego Mayor Bob Filner held a press conference Friday to announce he was undergoing two weeks of counseling, his microphone went dead soon after he started talking.  It was out for about 10 minutes while about two dozen print and broadcast staffers anxiously waited (they expected him to resign).  MSNBC, Fox News and CNN anchors, some depending on a feed from KFMB in San Diego, had to ad lib during the blank period. Meanwhile, a next-day Associated Press story identified Filner as a Democrat --- in the eighth paragraph. 

    Political affiliations usually are indicated at first mention of name.

Editors overlook event marking last U.S. bayonet battle

Overlooked by U.S. media was an anniversary ceremony at South Korea’s Osan Air Base last Thursday marking the U.S. Army’s last known bayonet charge, known as the Battle of Bayonet Hill on Feb. 7, 1951, during the “forgotten” Korean War --- which remains open ended, notes Grumpy Editor.

The battle --- involving the Army’s 27^th Infantry Regiment’s Easy Company --- pitted Americans against North Korean and communist Chinese soldiers.

Nine U.S. infantrymen died in capturing so-called Hill 180 while 47 enemy troops were left dead on the slope.

 

Revised Condé Nast contract irks writers

Freelance writers are grumbling over a revised Condé Nast master contract that includes a line declaring the publisher owns television and movie rights to all stories that appear in its magazines.

It could mean a financial loss into six figures for contributors.

Condé Nast’s two dozen titles include Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, Glamour, Self, Golf Digest and Brides. Advance Publications is Condé Nast’s parent.

No Saturday mail affects some publications 

The Postal Service’s planned termination of Saturday deliveries starting Aug. 3 will affect distribution of some publications.

The National Newspaper Association notes about 30 percent of its member papers rely on Saturday mail deliveries.

Time magazine subscribers receive the mailed weekly on Fridays or Saturdays.  Bloomberg Businessweek, which already is using alternate means to get its weekly issues to some subscribers, figures a quarter of its subscribers will see mail deliveries extended to Mondays.

The Postal Service figures ending Saturday deliveries would help save the agency about $2 billion a year.

 

In case you missed these…

The Weather Channel stirs up its own storm by labeling the weekend northeast blizzard Nemo.  Turning thumbs down on the name include the National Weather Service and independent meteorologists…Look for President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address tomorrow to work in the often mentioned-for-months line:  The economy is heading in the right direction…Not a good time for copy editors.  The sharp-eyed word/fact/grammar watchers are sacrificed more than any other newsroom personnel --- with a 50 percent reduction in the past five years…No major headlines, as a Navy budget is being considered in Washington, on how the Navy’s fleet is down to 287 ships, the smallest American armada since the early 1900s.  A 2010 independent panel called for a fleet of 346 ships…The Washington Post Co. signs an agreement to sell its Herald, in  Everett, Wash., daily it has owned since 1978.

Drink up! Wine review mixes marinara sauce, tobacco

Those seeking to give wine as gifts during the holiday season often are influenced in their selections by comments on the subject from writers whose taste buds seem to be in a world of their own, judging from some of their descriptions of fermented grape juices that pass through their palates, finds Grumpy Editor. 

Most of the descriptions by wine writers sound like they should appear in recipes found in newspaper or magazine food sections.  Other reviews, with references to minerals, seem like they should get the attention of chemists. 

Note one writer’s portrayal of a merlot from the Tuscan Coast of northern Italy: 

“The wine seems a bit restrained at first, but then opens up with a barrage of crushed red cherries, black pepper, marinara sauce, loganberry juice, ripe elderberry fruit, spice box, chewing tobacco and rustic earth-driven minerals.” 

Black pepper teamed with marinara sauce, chewing tobacco and earth-driven minerals? 

That combination triggers thoughts of a quick visit to the emergency room. 

But there is more. 

“It is a nice mouthful of a wine on the palate with juicy black spicy fruit, peppercorns, tobacco, cherry juice, huckleberry sauce, ripe black plums, toast points and loads of chewy minerals.” 

Chewy minerals give visions of a fast trip to the dentist. 

A simple description of merlot can be summed up in one line: 

A fruitful red wine, blended with other grapes, for a flavor with hints of plums and cherries.

Bush daughter adds Southern Living to media doings

Southern Living magazine’s staff box is adding a familiar name --- former presidential daughter Jenna Bush Hager, notes Grumpy Editor. 

While continuing as a correspondent for NBC’s “Today” show, the daughter of former President George W. Bush joins the magazine as an editor at large. 

In a monthly column, Paper Napkin Interview, she will cover influential Southerners and noteworthy places in the region. 

The addition of Bush Hager, 30, a Texan living in New York, is considered a move to attract some younger readers. 

With almost 3 million in circulation, median age of the magazine’s  readers is 51.2 years. 

She mentions that she grew up reading Southern Living and that her mother had a subscription. 

Grumpy Editor hastens to point out that one of the features in the monthly is the Grumpy Gardener (no relation) who, in his latest column, covers “Give a Grow Box This Christmas.”

 

Byline strike shelved by staffers at New York Times

Whew!  Looks like a talked-about byline strike by hundreds of New York Times staffers has been avoided after the newspaper reached a tentative agreement with the Newspaper Guild on a new labor contract after more than 18 months of negotiations, notes Grumpy Editor 

Times staffers last week were considering withholding bylines and photo credits to emphasize their unhappiness. 

If all goes well, readers no longer will be “threatened” with looking at stories and photos with missing bylines/credit lines. 

The withholding credits idea isn’t new.  Staffers at other news outlets --- including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Associated Press --- have employed the tactic in recent years.

What credit-scrubbing news staff participants failed to realize:  most readers --- other than family members, close friends and fellow staffers --- aren’t even aware of the vanished bylines/photo credits. 

Veteran and retired newspaper editors will point out that in earlier days not every story was topped by the writer’s name.  And not every photo carried the lensman’s identification.

Writers or photographers credits were scribbled in by editors for stories and art that involved exceptional merit.  It was a reward for performance above and beyond routine, often involving difficult work in reporting/writing or photography.

AP style prefers tea party usage rather than Tea Party

A no-no on the latest Associated Press list of proper political terms, phrases and definitions designed for journalists is not to use Tea Party but to lowercase it to tea party in referring to “the populist movement,” yet it’s okay to capitalize Tea Party Express because it is a formally-named group, observes Grumpy Editor. 

The U.S. Elections Style Guide, compiled by AP, is geared to assist in coverage of the 2012 national elections. 

It spotlights correct terminology while mentioning some clichés to avoid. 

Use of Obamacare, for example, is frowned on.  AP points out Obamacare is the “informal term for the Affordable Care Act...often used by Republicans, so avoid it unless quoting someone.” 

First lady, AP explains, is not an official title, so it should be spelled lowercase, unless starting a sentence. 

Among other AP guidance: 

Election Day is capitalized, while election night goes lowercase.  

Political affiliation, indicating the party of a candidate or an officeholder, “is essential in any election or issue story.” 

Don’t describe a political race as close “unless polls show it is and you reference polls.”

And no need to be cute with the phrase “pressing the flesh.” 

AP says “shaking hands is preferred.” 

 

See more here.

 

 

 

2 Canadian newspapers among world's best in design

Five newspapers, including two from Canada, were named by the Society of News Design as the world’s best designed newspapers, notes Grumpy Editor. 

The publications were selected recently from 230 entries from 39 countries. 

The winners:  Excelsior, Mexico City; National Post and The Grid, both in Toronto; Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Frankfurt, Germany, and Politiken, Copenhagen. 

Factors in judging included writing, visual storytelling, use of resources, execution, photography, illustrations, graphics, headlines and the paper’s “voice.” 

Front pages ran from four columns to six. 

With the National Post marking its third win, SND judges pointed out the newspaper “lures its readers in with a sultry beauty and then captivates them with an authoritative attitude that makes this Canadian daily a must-read.” 

In taking a look at today's National Post front page, Grumpy Editor counted only three stories --- with oil price being the top --- plus two photos.

What is distinctive about the National Post’s front page is that it’s masthead runs vertically on the left side.  See it here. 

FAS, the Frankfurt newspaper (in a glimpse yesterday) contained the most front page news with six columns containing 15 stories, including shorts. 

That came close to front page U.S. newspapers of yesteryear when front pages’ eight columns were filled with 12 to 16 stories plus art. 

Orlando, Fla.-based SND’s mission is to enhance communications through visual journalism.