Advertiser boo-boo

[MadAzza]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Manoa, please ... back away from the computer. No sudden moves, just slowly back away ... that's good ... easy ... easy ...

[scrivener]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Then they went on to use the word Temblors... which isn't even an American word.... something I've never heard about and then asked about it online....

Damon, I'm not saying this to get into it with you, but just to let you know. When it says "from Spanish" in the etymology of a word, it doesn't mean it's not an American word. American English is made up of words from all kinds of languages, including the Romance languages, of which Spanish is one. In fact, every word I've written in this post so far, if you were to look it up, would cite some OTHER language as its origin. There are purely American words, I am sure, but most of the words we use in everyday language are "from somewhere." Temblor is a very, very common word, especially in discussion about earthquakes -- remember that most newspapers aim to write at a tenth-grade reading level, so most of the language in it isn't exactly uppity.

This is not to say there isn't gross misuse ALL THE TIME in the local papers. There is. But you keep going back to a word that's a regular, American-English word, so, you know. Chill or something.

[LikaNui]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

However, if they want to pick up a p/t proof reader and pay me by the mistakes I catch they can.

I'm laughing my okole off right now... due to the number of mistakes in that one sentence of yours!

[damontucker]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

I'll be the furst too admit me misteaks

[pzarquon]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

WHAT?? And when you did layout for your school paper ... ROTFL ... Damn! Get me some oxygen!

Okay. I gotta say something. He clearly loves to invoke his time at the student paper at UHH as a defense for otherwise demonstrating himself to be an utter moron when it comes to writing and the news business. But since I was the editor for at least part of that time, the idea brings me great shame.

At first I found it all quite funny, but as I see he's also had no qualms about outing his current supervisor as a defense for his performance as a DOE employee, it's actually a bit upsetting that I might be getting tainted by association.

I can't speak for editors that came before or after me in Hilo (maybe they let him do more than write), but he did not contribute in an editing capacity in any way under my watch, be it copy editing or layout. Loitering in the newsroom does not an editor make, and while you only have my word to go on, I think we've seen some evidence to back up my assertion that any "help" he may have thought he was providing was anything but.

Damon, I'm not saying this to get into it with you, but just to let you know. When it says "from Spanish" in the etymology of a word, it doesn't mean it's not an American word.

Scrivener, you're my hero. I think. That you continue to take him seriously and try to earnestly help and interact with him indicates either a deep sense of charity... or a complete unwillingness to see that the man takes pride in his ignorance. And that he wants you to "get into it" with him.

I realize I'm there just feeding the beast myself, here. But I just couldn't let yet another "I worked at a newspaper!" defense stand.

[damontucker]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

I can't speak for editors that came before or after me in Hilo (maybe they let him do more than write), but he did not contribute in an editing capacity in any way under my watch, be it copy editing or layout. Loitering in the newsroom does not an editor make, and while you only have my word to go on, I think we've seen some evidence to back up my assertion that any "help" he may have thought he was providing was anything but.

I would have tried if you wouldn't have been so excellent and on the ball!!! Who needs a lay out man when you could have ran that whole operation yourself... That's how excellent you were...and I've commented that I'm really amazed that you didn't go into journalism for a living, because you were such an excellent EIC. And yes Scriv I thank him personally... but I honestly think Scriv would help anyone out as he's a very kind man.

[scrivener]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Sorry to go off-topic here, but I'd just like to add for history's sake that Ryan pretty much did run the show by himself, at least for most of that first semester. We had typists on staff, but English was their second language and Ryan had to sort of go back and retype a lot of parts. He pasted up the layouts himself, he wrote almost every headline, and when we were two hours from deadline and had ten column inches to fill, Ryan would write a short news article and then draw a one-panel cartoon. Ryan was the only person in the room who knew how to run the scanner, and when everything was finally put to bed, Ryan woke Jen up and together they drove the proofs to the printer, often at the crack of dawn. Oftener, even later! Ryan didn't take the photos or develop the prints in the darkroom and I don't think he sold any ad space, but it really was a one-man operation for most of the year.

I only got as involved as I did because I started liking him (already liked Jen) and didn't like seeing him have to do as much as he was doing. By the end of the year, there was a little group of us who'd be up late turning out what we thought was pretty good work, and I learned a lot about a LOT of things (like, what ZZ Top's "Pearl Necklace" refers to) on those Friday nights, the least trivial of which had to do with quality work and what it took to produce it: a bit of pride, a bit of insanity, and neurotic attention to detail.

Pizza helps, too.

So something's weird about the way Damon's put it, but I agree wholeheartedly at least with his sentiment. Look at the attention Ryan pays to detail, and you really know everything about him. There have been late nights where I've been working with my yearbook staffers and I've actually asked aloud, "What would Ryan Ozawa do?" The answer is always the same.

[pzarquon]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Aw, shucks, Scriv. And I was just relishing my rant with an evil cackle.

In the interest of fairness, I was also a bit of an ass at times (I was so high strung and anal retentive, even I couldn't stand myself), and found I could rely on Scriv to call me on it if it came to that. He still does, too. And while I think I did great things with that paper, you don't want to know the things I did that earnestly made the administration breathe a sigh of relief when I left.

But! Hey! This thread's supposed to about the Advertiser and its gaffes.

Um. Anyone notice that the red hibiscus was a little too red this morning? What the hell is going on down at that fancy plant of theirs, I ask you?

[damontucker]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

He pasted up the layouts himself, he wrote almost every headline.

Actually, I also assisted in the paste ups also... that dang wax machines... I remember PZ specifically showing me how to roll the articles over the machine so that there would be the perfect amount of wax distributed evenly through the whole thing

I only got as involved as I did because I started liking him (already liked Jen) and didn't like seeing him have to do as much as he was doing. By the end of the year, there was a little group of us who'd be up late turning out what we thought was pretty good work, and I learned a lot about a LOT of things (like, what ZZ Top's "Pearl Necklace" refers to) on those Friday nights, the least trivial of which had to do with quality work and what it took to produce it: a bit of pride, a bit of insanity, and neurotic attention to detail.

I got involved... because at my previous college before Ke Kalahea... I did work as both a writer as well as the Ad. Manager, For The Horizon.... Joining Ke Kalahea and actually getting paid to write was a new experience for me... Before I only got paid for commision of Ads... the writing was just for the pleasure.... at Ke Kalahea they were paying writers by the inch just to get things published... so I saw writing as a nice opportunity to gain some money as well as a creative way to write and have things published. It wasn't until my second semester writing for them that the Lay Out Position opened and I applied and PZ hired me for it.... I never realized that He could have done most of it with out my help....however, I do thank him for the opportunity to learn!

So something's weird about the way Damon's put it, but I agree wholeheartedly at least with his sentiment. Look at the attention Ryan pays to detail, and you really know everything about him. There have been late nights where I've been working with my yearbook staffers and I've actually asked aloud, "What would Ryan Ozawa do?" The answer is always the same.

I have always admired Ryan too...as well as you scrivener.... for more than 12 - 13 years now!!!!
I'm glad I had the experience at Ke Kalahea... however, I will no how say that those experiences lead me to anything that I write about in todays life. It was a fun learning experience... and I'm glad that I got to work those Saturday mornings with him as I truly did learn a lot in just general. I missed out on those Friday night cram sessions at the time cause I was probably out partying!

[lavagal]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

This thread is getting embarrassing to read. Manoa do you have seven T-shirts that say "IT'S ALL ABOUT ME" on them and wear them everyday?

[damontucker]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Nope but PZ's thinking about a "Down With Manoa Shirt" to put up on Cafe Press!

And Leo thinks I wear a shirt with a Target on my back...

But in all sinceretity to the Advertiser...

I think I was the only one on HT that actually said they like the Advertisers online site better than the Bulletins...

And I did say part of the main reason was because of all the updates...

I would rather see mispelled updates...then none at all.

[scrivener]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

And while I think I did great things with that paper, you don't want to know the things I did that earnestly made the administration breathe a sigh of relief when I left.

Oh, yeah they do. Mua. Ha. Ha.

[lavagal]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Nope but PZ's thinking about a "Down With Manoa Shirt" to put up on Cafe Press!

And Leo thinks I wear a shirt with a Target on my back...

But in all sinceretity to the Advertiser...

I think I was the only one on HT that actually said they like the Advertisers online site better than the Bulletins...

And I did say part of the main reason was because of all the updates...

I would rather see mispelled updates...then none at all.

Because then you can point them out to everyone! Like missing apostrophes! Oh wait, that's your text missing apostrophes!
I'm partial to The Advertiser's website myself, too. So much so that if I do see errors, I actually let them know instead of doing some major chest thumpin' on HT.

[TuNnL]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

Well I’m not partial to any newspaper. A blood sheet is a blood sheet, regardless if it appears in an email to an Advertiser editor or on HT. So here’s my contribution to this sorry little thread.

Warriors faces rebuilding Aggies

Ex-queeze me? Are they using their face to rebuild the New Mexico program?! I think they meant Warriors face rebuilding Aggies. Wow, headlines are getting pretty sloppy these days.

[pzarquon]

Re: Advertiser boo-boo

A reader of Ian Lind's blog pointed out a telling oversight at the Honolulu Advertiser website, as part of its stream of "Breaking News" items for Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006. And while it does involve the story about Ala Moana, the goof isn't the fact that it's listed twice on the archive page.

The problem? The Advertiser published a press release from General Growth's PR firm, Bennet Group, verbatim. As in, leaving all the PR firm's contact information at the top of the page!



Now, everyone knows that newspapers depend on press releases to fill space. A tiny fraction of the items submitted get a reporter assigned to them... the rest is just filler (if it makes the cut at all). Sometimes they're run with very little rewriting, or, yes, no editing at all. But it's one thing to do it, and another thing to expose it so publicly.

The least they could've done is credit Iva Pawling and Matt Derby for the wordsmithing, rather than "Advertiser Staff"!

It's impressive just how many interim "breaking news" updates the Advertiser is posting online throughout the day these days... frankly, it's amazing their writers can find the time to work on meatier stories for the print edition. But if "breaking news" just means "stuff we found on the fax machine in the last hour," I dunno...

The boo-boo is still online, too, despite Ian's jab this morning. Too busy cutting and pasting, I guess?