Anyone Know Why?

"Jcarr" (jcarr) 05/13/2016 at 09:50 • Filed to: None

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I don’t understand why they do their headlines this way on the FP. Doesn’t it make more sense to have it read “Report: blah blah blah.....”? Is this some kind of weird new AP style that I’m not aware of?

Ash78, voting early and often > Jcarr 05/13/2016 at 09:58

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I think that's like gossip column syntax. ITEM: New Supra Canoodles with Mysterious Austrian Lothario!

Patrick George > Jcarr 05/13/2016 at 09:59

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It’s so we can be clear that these things come from other news reports, and aren’t officially official yet. A way of citing where our info comes from and also hedging in case it turns out to be wrong eventually. Example: http://jalopnik.com/nissan-confirm…

Ash78, voting early and often > Jcarr 05/13/2016 at 10:01

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We visited an old-school rural church not long ago where the antique communion table had an inscription that said “This do in remembrance of me.” My precocious 5-year-old was driven crazy by the wording. Of course, being 5, he was right and the furniture makers were "not very good at English." Not relevant, but made me laugh: Anecdote.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Patrick George 05/13/2016 at 10:01

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hedging in case it turns out to be wrong eventually

If the news is out of Australia the probability of this is increased about ten fold.

Jcarr > Patrick George 05/13/2016 at 10:01

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I get the part about being clear that it’s not confirmed, but why put “Report” at the end and not at the beginning?

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Jcarr 05/13/2016 at 10:15

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Because it’s not entirely relevant to the text, so it would put too much emphasis on it to put it ahead.

Justin Hughes > Patrick George 05/13/2016 at 10:16

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I can’t help it, but whenever I see that I think of a Dalek commanding an underling, “REPORT!!!” “I EXTERMINATED THEM!”

Patrick George > Jcarr 05/13/2016 at 10:18

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It looks better at the end. Doesn’t get in the way of what the headline’s trying to say.

Jcarr > Patrick George 05/13/2016 at 10:21

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Thanks for taking the time to wade into Oppo and explain, Patrick.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Ash78, voting early and often 05/13/2016 at 10:22

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It's a refreshing change to hear someone refer to their offspring as 'precocious' rather that 'precious'.