FalseBook

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Let The Zuck Do It

“We take our responsibilities on false news very seriously. False news hurts everyone because it makes our community uninformed, it hurts our community, it hurts countries. We know that people want to see accurate news on Facebook, and that’s what we want them to see.

“[W]e definitely don’t want to be the arbiter of the truth.”

—Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, “Facebook doesn’t want to be the ‘arbiter of the truth,’ top exec Sheryl Sandberg says, amid fake news criticism,” CNBC, April 24, 2017

 
• Editorial Comment: Well, somebody’s got to arbit the truth, right, Zuck?

PeezPix by Ted Pease

KerSplash








Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email every weekday morning during WORD season. This is a free “service” sent to the 2,000,000 or so misguided subscribers around the planet, to infinity and beyond. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. But all contain at least a kernel of insight. Don’t shoot the messenger.) #tedsword
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

De-Pressed

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U.S. #43 in Press Freedom

“The election of the 45th president of the United States set off a witchhunt against journalists,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Donald Trump’s repeated diatribes against the Fourth Estate and its representatives — accusing them of being ‘among the most dishonest human beings on earth’ and of deliberately spreading ‘fake news’ — compromise a long U.S. tradition of defending freedom of expression.” . . .

“Trump’s ‘hate speech’ helped unleash attacks on the media almost everywhere in the world,” the group added.

—Paul Farhi, media reporter, “Trump’s attacks on media blamed for decline in U.S. standing in press-freedom survey,” The Washington Post, April 26, 2017

 

• Editorial Comment: The swamp is spreading.

 

PeezPix by Ted Pease

Back From Extinction












Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email every weekday morning during WORD season. This is a free “service” sent to the 2,000,000 or so misguided subscribers around the planet, to infinity and beyond. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. But all contain at least a kernel of insight. Don’t shoot the messenger.) #tedsword
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

Innocent Times

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Those Were the Days

“In more innocent times, the rise of the Internet was seen by many people as a boon to democracy. Disruptive, yes, but the Web broadened the flow of information, introduced new voices into the political debates, empowered citizens . . . .” 

—Dan Balz, political reporter, “A scholar asks, ‘Can democracy survive the Internet?’” The Washington Post, April 22, 2017.

• Editorial Comment: Do I hear a “But . . .” coming?

PeezPix by Ted Pease

“Trainwreck” is well swaddled outside the Senior Center












Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email every weekday morning during WORD season. This is a free “service” sent to the 2,000,000 or so misguided subscribers around the planet, to infinity and beyond. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. But all contain at least a kernel of insight. Don’t shoot the messenger.) #tedsword
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard

Kill ’Em with Style

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Fantastic Words!

Strunk Rule: Omit needless words 

Trump Rule: No word is needless. They’re all great! Terrific! They’re fantastic words! I know about fantastic words!

 “On Day One, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall. We will use the best technology, including above- and below-ground sensors. That’s the tunnels. Remember that. Above and below. Above- and below-ground sensors, towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels and keep out criminal cartels and Mexico, you know that, will work with us.”  
—Donald J. Trump, stylist, in an Aug. 31, 2016 speech 

—Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras, Trump’s Elements of Style, McSweeneys.net, April 20, 2017

• Editorial Comment: Well, he’s got style.

PeezPix by Ted Pease

The May Senior News hits newsstands today












Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email every weekday morning during WORD season. This is a free “service” sent to the 2,000,000 or so misguided subscribers around the planet, to infinity and beyond. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. But all contain at least a kernel of insight. Don’t shoot the messenger.) #tedsword
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard