The First WORD of 2012

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NOTE: The WORD has returned to greet a new year, rejuvenated and drooling somewhat less after a couple of weeks at the sanitarium, St. Mumbles Home for the Terminally Verbose. Brace yourself!

Damn Crows

“Part of the deal of working at The New York Times is that your readers, a portion of whom are church ladies and copy ninnies and fact freaks, they wait like crows on a wire for you to make the slightest error and then descend, caw, caw, caw-ing, every time you screw up. It still is something that wakes me up at night.”

—David Carr, media columnist, The New York Times, “David Carr: The News Diet of a Media Omnivore,” on “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross, WHYY, National Public Radio, Oct. 27, 2011
Image: Still of David Carr in the Times newsroom from “Page One” documentary (2011)

• Editorial Comment: Hmphh. Critics. And sometimes they drop, er, editorial comments on your windshield....

• Related: “Page One: Inside the New York Times,” a documentary on the angst and travails of America’s greatest newspaper, featuring the media reporting staff, including David Carr. Reviewer Michael Kinsley calls the film “a mess,” but I recommend it.

MORE INTERESTING STUFF . . . .

Visit our award-winning student news site, The Hard News Café
• Life after the Church: Former Mormons reflect on their decision, by Heidi Hansen
• ‘Layaway angels’ alight at Logan Kmart, pay off accounts, by April Ashland
• Firearms instructor encourages people to consider carrying guns, by Kristi Ottley
• ArtsBridge: Building confidence and creativity, one year at a time, by Allee Evensen

PeezPIX by Ted Pease

• PeezPix cards & prints
. . . Catalog here.






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Disclaimer:
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TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM is a free “service” sent weekdays during the school year to 1,800 or so misguided volunteer subscribers around the planet. If you have recovered from whatever led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@usu.edu. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. WORD archives, commentary and reader discussion at http://tedsword.blogspot.com (Disclaimer: I just quote 'em, I don't necessarily endorse 'em. All, in theory, contain at least a kernel of truth.)
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Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff
Utah State University, Logan, Utah
To receive Today's Word on Journalism, or to flame the WORDman, email ted.pease@usu.edu
“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
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CALLING ALL UTAH STATE U. JCOM ALUMS: Where are you? We're updating our alumni list. Please check in with Perfesser Ted.
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