(What's Wrong with)The Media

PRINT
(Newspapers and Magazines)

Whatever happened to Grammar Checkers, Spell Checkers and general Proofreading???

Personal Email with a spelling mistake or grammar error is 'tolerable' BUT when it's to the masses - it's not.
No wonder the public schoolers have poor English.  They have the print media as their example.

Examples of troublespots: Their/there/they're; its/it's


TELEVISION/RADIO

Station Identification

Do we really need that perpetual logo in the corner?
A few are not too bad (well make that somewhat tolerable), but most detract from the program - too bright - too big - too animated.

And now, in the most crucial part of a program, up pops up a big graphic for the following program or that evening's special
It's not critical I need to know that - LEAVE IT for the breaks!
 

Whatever happened to Grammar Checkers, Spell Checkers and general Proofreading??? - yes - here too!!!
 

The Cable Company - stop switching out the US channels for Canadian channels!!
How many times do I have to miss the last few minutes of Andy Rooney because CBS is running late and your clock is running early.
In the summer, we can miss out on severe weather reports and bulletins.  That Toronto station certainly isn't going to tell us.

Poor camera work

 - Too tight a shot >>  missed shots
Do we need to see the subject's wrinkles?
What's all that 'flickering'?  Oh, it's hand and arm motion as they speak.  How about showing it ALL!!!
 - Camera moves too much - in and out / up and down / side to side / tilting all over the place.
I'm getting motion sickness!
What's wrong with basic cover shots with the occasional cut-in?
Why does it have to be so fancy?
I am not impressed.

The Cable Channels

They're so short of programming, they either share the program (then you can't remember where you saw it)
or they re-run it ad nauseum. (Don't worry about missing it -  you can maybe catch it in another hour.)

And they show programs that really shouldn't be there.

Cases in Point

History Channel
- "This didn't happen but..."  Isn't that called FICTION?

Some Examples:
'Contact'
'2001 Space Odyssey'

Much More Music (now known as 'Much More"?)- Showing a movie because it's got a catchy themesong? 
It's not a concert or musical or a story about a musician!


OTHER

Spelling and Grammar - yes again.
Public roadside signage SHOULD be correct.
Use the right word at the right time in the right place.

Spotted FIVE signs on Walker Rd in one day with bad spelling!




This page was updated on August 01, 2010