Hyping the blizzard?

Blizzard paralyzes U.S. mid-Atlantic; two killed

I just wanted to pass on my annoyance at your misleading headline this morning about the storm that hit the mid-Atlantic. The way your headline is written makes it sound as if two people froze to death, were buried/stranded under some type of hazardous snow drift, or saw their car slide on frozen roads into a bunch of others, etc.

I understand the news-grabbing impact that media outlets want to make, but as what I consider to be one of the most trusted and respected global wires in the world, you might want to put a little more thought into how you’re trying to draw in readers and/or convey the drama of a newsworthy situation. Maggie

Mass graves…

First of 250 WWI soldiers from mass grave reburied

FROMELLES, France, Jan 30 (Reuters) – The first of 250 unknown British and Australian soldiers whose bodies were dumped by the Germans in mass graves in northern France during World War I was reburied on Saturday with full military honours.

Your story states that the bodies of the soldiers were ‘dumped’ by the Germans.

This, and what it implies, is incorrect. We know from the positions of the bodies in the mass graves that they were laid out with care, head to toe, and that although the graves had two layers of bodies in them the German troops had put soil between the layers.

Hanged, not hung

Baghdad bombs kill 36, Chemical Ali hung

Um, it’s “Hanged”, executed, put to death, killed by hanging…never “Hung”! As John Cleese might have said, that would be “something completely different”!

A.W.

Of course. We did use “hanged” on most of our news feeds, but hung briefly showed up on one site until we fixed it: GBU Editor

What are those?

U.S. Rep Frank sees ending housing GSEs in current form

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday said the Obama administration is committed to “reforms” of the GSEs, but said it would likely not be until 2011 until substantive changes are made.

This article: is so poorly written I don’t know what it’s about.

It jumps from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac to executive compensation to GSEs. What the heck is a GSE?? Responsible journalism doesn’t use jargon, lingo, or esoteric phrases like this one. Absolutely no information is conveyed by this article.

The wrong word…

Venezuela Chavez nationalizes French-owned retailer

“Price gauging” should be “price gouging.”

R.J.

Confused about recused?

New emails show AIG mulled bank payment disclosures

Geithner has said Fed officials had no choice but to allow AIG to pay the banks in full, but has denied any involvement in discussions to suppress disclosures. He reclused himself from matters involving AIG after being nominated for Treasury Secretary in November 2008.

The sixth paragraph ends with, “He reclused himself from matters involving AIG after being nominated for Treasury Secretary in November 2008.”

I believe that “reclused” should be “recused”.

Salvaging food?

Bodies pile up after Haiti quake; aid jams airport

Looters swarmed a broken supermarket in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, carrying out electronics and bags of rice unchallenged. Others siphoned gasoline from a wrecked tanker.

It would be more humane if you would have written, “Starving, injured and traumatized victims of the earthquake peacefully salvaged food and electronics from a (partially?) collapsed supermarket (what is a broken supermarket?). Others took the opportunity to collect fuel from a wrecked tanker.”

Partner or spouse?

Obamas in, reality stars out in desirable neighbors poll

The U.S. first family were followed by TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi, who tied with Republican Sarah Palin, in the poll by online real estate marketplace Zillow.com.

I found your article regarding the best/worst celeb neighbors, featured in Yahoo tv today, to be an interesting reflection on popular opinions.

I was disappointed, however, to see Portia deRossi noted as Ellen DeGeneres’ “partner.” She is, in fact, her wife. By not recognizing her as such, Reuters continues the not-so-subtle discrimination against gays and lesbians and their right to enter into marriage.

Pilotless aircraft?

Pakistan government under pressure after deadly attack

Washington, frustrated by what it says are inadequate efforts to wipe out the militants, has stepped up pilotless U.S. drone aircraft attacks on militants in Pakistan.

Please run a correction on the lede in your ‘drone attack; story that ran worldwide Jan.1, 2010. The word “pilotless” is totally inaccurate, as each drone is remotely operated by a fully trained and commissioned pilot who is sitting at the controls the entire time the plane is flying. Pilotless is inaccurate. Even the word drone implies that the plane flies itself, which it does not.

Please run a correction and also instruct your writers and editors on the correct terminology. There are two pilots involved in each flight – the take-off and landing pilot, who is in the war zone as the take-offs and landings have to be done by line of sight. Once the plane is up, a pilot stationed in the U.S. takes over the flight and operates the plane remotely. It is never flying ‘pilotless,’ but always has a remote operator.

Separate the wheat from the chafe…

“Chaffed” means “joked light-heartedly”