Got tired old lede based on a trite advertising slogan?
By William M. Hartnett on Aug 1, 2008 in newspapers, whinging
More bad newspaper writing that makes my eyeballs hurt: The “Got _____?” lede. The original “got milk?” ad campaign is bad enough, but to see its udder-tainted influence afflicting the brains of newspaper reporters is worthy of an Official Hartnett Brand Writing Whinge™. Stupid, lazy, meaningless. Not much more to say about it.
Previous installments in this series of annoying writing habits include the “call it” lede, the cop-talk phrase “person of interest,” inappropriate use of “award-winning,” the very rarely accurate use of “in a wide-ranging interview” and that all-time king of writing fail, “to be sure.”
Ryan McNeill | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
Among my pet peeves: Use of the word “facility” …
And starting a lede with a date: “Today, blah blah blah….”
Bob King | Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
Don’t forget these other classics:
“They’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!” (”Worries about an epidemic of drug-resistant tuberculosis wiping out one-third of humanity within the next decade, that is.”)
People living in “tony digs.”
Headlines about things “causing concern.” Threat of nuclear war causing concern. Shortage of jail beds causing concern. Exploding-baby epidemic causing concern. Washer-dryers falling from the sky causing concern. Such a useful phrase — why not use it for every story?
William M. Hartnett | Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
I should add that I’ve used every hackneyed phrase in the book. What can I say? I was young, young and weak.
Ryan McNeill | Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
Oh and how about “mulls.”
Council mulls proposal……Mayor mulls decision….