The Argus has gone too far this time

[spring hall convert]

I think it's also to do with "search engine optimisation" - the more generic the intro, the more likely it is to show up if someone is searching for news about Universities etc in general rather than Sussex Uni in particular. Sad and desperate for sure, but the locals are suffering even more than the nationals and every page impression counts.

SEO is also to blame for the steady, and probably terminal, decline of the noble art of headline-writing. On web stories, all they want is the most obvious three or four words squeezed into the headline somewhere, never mind whether it catches the eye or even makes much sense. As long as the Google web crawlers find it, that's all that matters.

The Daily Mail have got onto SEO's. Search Daily Mail All grown up when you get a minute and have a think about what sort of target audience it is going for there.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

In addition, I believe his mother might have taught me art at school. I was no artist but she was a great teacher(if it is the person I'm thinking of.)

If not, I apologise for this aimless rambling.

I'll show that to Mrs Not Andy Naylor (who indeed used to teach art). How she'll laugh. Before she kills me.

 

[brighton bluenose]

Trust me. From (very brief) experience of writing news for radio and print it is one the first tools you learn. It makes your life SO MUCH EASIER.

You and the reader/listener HATE repetition, so you find any way possible to get round it.

For example if I was writing something about Oscar Garcia I would start the first sentenece "Brighton manager Oscar garcia has...."

The second would say " The spaniard claims he......"

The 3rd "However the 40 year old, you took over from Gus Poyet has re-itterated...."

It's the same with starting an article.

You don't want to write "Sussex University is set for a £500m expansion" as you then have to start the new sentence with less flow.

What I REALLY HATE is bad spelling, bad grammar, words missing and wrong words in place of the correct words - rather like the above post!!

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

What I REALLY HATE is bad spelling, bad grammar, words missing and wrong words in place of the correct words - rather like the above post!!

Oh, lots of reporters can't spell, have a limited grasp of the English language and think a comma is some kind of van.
Once upon a time, when there was a relatively thriving newspaper industry, a bunch of people called sub-editors fixed that.
Very few left, sadly. Now the poor hack has to write it, photograph it, video it, design it and probably sell half the ads too for all I know.
*disappears, muttering, into the half-light*

 

[HovaGirl]

The headline is written by the sub-editor AFTER the article is finished.

 

[HovaGirl]

All part of it's brand to appear more national than local, and by association shit. It started about ten years ago when they started including national headlines on pages 2/3.

The national headlines in The Argus started more than 12 years ago. At that time, they also wanted to spice up the writing in the paper and specially trained a bunch of subs to filter out the more mundane language. Unfortunately, the long-time sub wanted it all left just as it was, and undid everything the new subs did, so the tedium continued. Now the subbing is done mostly in Southampton, where they have little or no local knowledge. Even the ads are done in India these days, rather than in-house.

 

[HovaGirl]

The Daily Mail have got onto SEO's. Search Daily Mail All grown up when you get a minute and have a think about what sort of target audience it is going for there.

Mostly Americans, it seems.

 

[Driver8]

Another quality piece. Can you spot the missing information?

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

What I REALLY HATE is bad spelling, bad grammar, words missing and wrong words in place of the correct words - rather like the above post!!

Writing it on my phone. That's my excuse

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Reminds me of the time I was reading the West Sussex Gazette, schoolboy journalism at its finest. The junior reporter's opening paragraph read "Police chased a horse down the A24". Having painted himself into a corner he couldn't follow this up with "the police caught the horse" so instead went for "the officers corralled the equine".

Very good

 

[itszamora]

I agree that in the context of the OP's examples in local news it's a lack of common sense.

I was talking more about the technique in general terms, especially in national or international reporting which I think is a good one.

For example if the Hertha Berlin manager had punched a fan I would personally start my news bulletin with "A German football manager has been fired after punching a fan.

"Hertha Berlin manager, Jurgan Wolfsweiger, attacked the supporter when....."


But I agree that in the OP's context, common sense needs to be used and not just a generic format.

You're missing the point. If I am here covering your hypothetical story, yes, I might do that. But not if it was LOCAL news. Then I'd absolutely be all over who he is in the top line. I'm a former journalist and I remember being told "names make news."

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

He would you report the wonder goal and following celebration that you witnessed on Sunday morning?

On reflection, in Argus style:

A man who impersonated a footballer in a Sunday morning match at a playing field is being sought by police after dropping his shorts in an astonishing goal celebration.

The Jack Straw lookalike, 64, luckily deflected the ball home and, overjoyed after missing with around a dozen earlier attempts, ran back towards his shocked and horrified teammates, removing items of (contd p 94)

I am rather glad now our two Sunday footy groups havn't joined forces, I am unsure how our female players would react to such an act.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Another quality piece. Can you spot the missing information?

Outstanding work.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I love the efforts that local newspapers put into presenting major international events in a local context. One of my all-time Argus favourite stories started with this beautifully crafted sentence:-

Former Sussex agricultural labourer, Jomo Kenyatta, has died.

He might have been the first president of independent Kenya, the leader of the struggle against British colonialism, a notorious "terrorist", whatever, but let's not forget the holiday job he'd had 50 years ago when he was a student at LSE.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Outstanding work.

That is brilliant.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

You're missing the point. If I am here covering your hypothetical story, yes, I might do that. But not if it was LOCAL news. Then I'd absolutely be all over who he is in the top line. I'm a former journalist and I remember being told "names make news."

No I agree with you there 100%. I stated that in the post you've just quoted. It's for a wider media, not local.

I think we're making the exact same point.

Obviously in local news, it's ridiculous.

 

[London Irish]

It's almost certainly just me, but I'm at once bemused, baffled and annoyed by the Argus's habit of not mentioning any specific people or places in its intros. Take today's front page, for example. Main story, first paragraph. "A university is set for a £500 million expansion ..." Why not say "The University of Sussex"?

Page 2: "Bosses at a mental health trust ..." Why not "the Sussex Partnership mental health trust"? Page 6: "A major overhaul of a town's main shopping street ..." No reason not to mention that it's Horsham, is there?

It goes on: "a Sussex village" (Hurtspierpoint), "a city" (Brighton & Hove), and on page 15 "a council" and "a college" in the same opening sentence.

And of course, on page 7: "A football president has joined an elite group of heroes to become a freeman of the city." Mad, isn't it? Especially when the headline (Hero Knight to be made freeman) rather gives the game away about who this mystery president is.

But that's not my objection. I can accept that the Argus in some strange way wants to keep us in suspense and pique our curiosity. Until we read the later paragraphs and discover the dreary reality, "a town" might prove to be somewhere exotic in Patagonia or Muanmar rather than Hailsham or Crawley. Fine by me if they want to begin the story of Albion's eventual ascension into the Premier League with "A professional sports club has won promotion to an elite soccer competition."

No, my problem with the Dick Knight intro is the maddening inconsistency.

Leave aside the fact that it should probably be "A football club president", why "THE city"? By their own insane, twisted logic it should surely be "A city".

It's too much. A newspaper has seriously annoyed a reader.

Ha - unfortunately it is the lot of the local journalist to keep us in suspense before revealing the dreary reality. Better than revealing the dreary reality in the intro!

I tend to admire this peculiarly disciplined British approach to news writing, where it all about structure rather than art US newspapers are a total mess.

I think unless the subject has near total generic appeal to the whole of the Argus's readership, and probably the Albion qualifies despite the few readers who may follow Crawley, Lewes and Eastbourne more, then I think keeping it generic is the better approach.

I think your irritation is more with the humble lot of local newspapers than a style issue!

 

[London Irish]

I think it's also to do with "search engine optimisation" - the more generic the intro, the more likely it is to show up if someone is searching for news about Universities etc in general rather than Sussex Uni in particular. Sad and desperate for sure, but the locals are suffering even more than the nationals and every page impression counts.

SEO is also to blame for the steady, and probably terminal, decline of the noble art of headline-writing. On web stories, all they want is the most obvious three or four words squeezed into the headline somewhere, never mind whether it catches the eye or even makes much sense. As long as the Google web crawlers find it, that's all that matters.

Agree re headlines. I wonder what SEO would say about this one from the Ireland bail-out.

http://rantingsubs.com/category/great-headlines/useless-gobshites/

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Trust me. From (very brief) experience of writing news for radio and print it is one the first tools you learn. It makes your life SO MUCH EASIER.

You and the reader/listener HATE repetition, so you find any way possible to get round it.

For example if I was writing something about Oscar Garcia I would start the first sentenece "Brighton manager Oscar garcia has...."

The second would say " The spaniard claims he......"

The 3rd "However the 40 year old, you took over from Gus Poyet has re-itterated...."

It's the same with starting an article.

You don't want to write "Sussex University is set for a £500m expansion" as you then have to start the new sentence with less flow.

That you've just given this particular NSC poster a lesson in basic journalism has absolutely made my day

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

That you've just given this particular NSC poster a lesson in basic journalism has absolutely made my day

to be fair I didn't look at who'd actually started the thread, nor did I read the full opening post.

I'd kind of read the whole "why do they do this" as a basic "why do media write in this way?" and OFF I WENT.

I now realise, reading it back, and in the context of who the OP is, just how moronic that was.

Always READ the question. I must remember. Always READ.