Comments on: Linguistic Trickery: How the Media Uses Language to Mask the Truth

By: Lawrence Goodwin

Lawrence Goodwin — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 07:53:28 +0000

In reply to Leland.

Problem is, Leland, that journalists now appear to believe they are responsible to prevent all misinterpretation, save those they favor. They are not. They are responsible to convey the truth as best they can, using words according to their accepted definition. Those definitions are not found in anyone’s stylebook, but in our dictionaries. “Illegal” modifies “alien,” not “person,” as every 5th grader should know.
Folding under to those with an agenda doesn’t serve the public, but the agenda.
We can all look up the words “illegal” and “alien” without much trouble, so we don’t need to be instructed by journalists what they mean, or shoudn’t mean. Abandoning well-defined and proper words or mis-using words in an attempt to prevent misinterpretation of properly used language is beyond journalistic license.
If AP believed it was contributing to a problem of the public looking down on illegal aliens it was suffering immense self-importance. Otherwise, a disclaimer here and there could have easily allayed their fears. That would fit well into a stylebook, and would also reinforce journalistic values.
Plain talk is good for everyone.

By: Lawrence Goodwin

Lawrence Goodwin — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 07:23:14 +0000

By all responsibility and journalistic doctrine the Associated Press should be a defender of the language rather than a defender of any particular point of view. Language is after all, their prime tool in doing what they are supposed to do in society. Instead they have gone from the business of telling us what is happening in our world, to attempting to tell us how to interpret what is happening.
Rather than taking the difficult position of defending their purported position as impartial observors serving only the truth, they have caved in to false politically correct doctrine, and they are now all the more easily used. They once would have gladly gone to court to defend their correct & proper use of the language. Sadly, they have folded before the pressure of “political correctness.”
The AP can now put itself alongside the rest of the liberal media, largely too young, isolated, & inexperienced in life, to take on the task of deciding for the public exactly what any word means.
It is presumptuous. Even arrogant, though probably innocent. Problem is, innocence is what society doesn’t need in it’s journalism.
They should be leaving word definition to Webster and New Oxford, so we can all speak the same language.

By: Jphn Wintrhop

Jphn Wintrhop — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 01:26:19 +0000

In reply to Leland.

owed to the ones that are abused…..I agree…………

By: Leland

Leland — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 00:42:43 +0000

“The ignorant perception that they are lower class and undeserving of being protected and treated fairly.” First of all, most illegals are lower class, almost half have less than a high school education. As far as being protected and treated fairly, what is fair about expecting US citizens to obey the law, but those from another country are apparently free to ignore the laws they don’t like. People like Mr. Balta are the first to claim discrimination, but the question to the Latin community becomes are you Latins first and Americans second. Because the appearance you give out seems to be that you’re owed something because you’re Latin.

By: softwarengineer

softwarengineer — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 19:55:36 +0000

Great Article FAIR

The Orwell book 1984 wasn’t about 1984, its really about 2014.