Something about the reporting of this story bugs me...what do you think?

[The Straight Story]

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two people were reportedly injured while walking in the parking lot of Eastland Mall Friday evening.

The two people were apparently hit by a car that allegedly fled the scene of the incident, NBC 4 reported.

Police arrested a female suspect in the hit-and-run accident based on a description that witnesses were able to provide.

Police did not yet release the identities of the alleged victims or the suspect.

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2007-09-07-0025.html

Ok - so we have two people who were reportedly and apparently hit by a car and injured - oh and they are also alleged victims...

Uh...were they or were they not? How about using 'According to witnesses' (since it is noted later that there were witnesses...)

The use of suspect is ok in general, but when surrounded by all the other ways of saying 'uh, we don't know' it seems a little suspect (or use "Police arrested a female whom witnesses had identified as the driver").

Maybe I just need some damned coffee this morning :)

[Cabcere]

1. Well, it doesn't seem like a very "straight story," does it?

;) My mom is a former journalist and I'm sure she would find this story obnoxious as well...but for now, my vote is for the coffee. :hangover: :donut: And maybe a donut, too. (I just wanted to use that emoticon.)

[skygazer]

2. Legalese

CYA-speak. Were they or were they not? Until the case is taken to court and decided, no one knows for sure.

Have some more coffee. :) :donut:

[Gormy Cuss]

3. More like plagiarizing the police report.

It sounds exactly like the drivel that I transcribed from cops' field reports. They use that CYA language ad nauseum.

[skygazer]

4. Well, we can't expect "journalists" to write, can we?

Or think, for that matter. :eyes:

[Shakespeare]

5. Libel law 101.

Where anything even remotely criminal is involved, words like "apparently" and "allegedly" have to be used. Yep, newspapers have actually been sued by subjects for not using that language, because not using it implies guilt.

And as somebody who used to work police beat, which usually involves REALLY crappy hours in what can be a really thankless job, cut the reporters a little slack. Their use of that language is very deliberate, and does not mean they're lousy reporters or writers.

[Kutjara]

11. In England, they have a lovely little phrase:

"Helping police with their enquiries."

News reports read along the lines of, "Two pub customers were stabbed last Friday night. A local man is helping police with their enquiries." When I first moved to the UK, I used to think, "Ahh, isn't that nice? Some helpful, law-abiding citizen is helping the police out. What a civilized, public-spirited country this is." Then, a few days later, the "local man" would be charged with the crime.

I finally realized that "helping police with their enquiries" was newsspeak for "he's the geezer wot done it but he hasn't been charged yet so we'll pretend he's a volunteer."

[Shakespeare]

12. How completely polite!

I never knew that was their CYA language in the UK. That's awesome. :rofl:

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Thank you, you are absolutely correct.

I have a degree in journalism, once was a reporter. And, yes, I do know how to write. I do it for a living.

;)

And I STILL have my old journalism law textbook!

[Gormy Cuss]

14. So would this be libelous?

"Two people reported "-- without "reportedly" "apparently" and "alleged" when all of it is directly attributed to the reporting party in the first two sentences. Later when they are referred to as alleged victims it matters but in the first two sentences it just seems turgid and I remeber when reporters used careful phrasing rather than liberal insertion of those three terms above.

[fizzgig]

15. thank you

i also know how badly it can suck to cover the police beat.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Silly lil thing called "Due Process". Sucks, huh?

:shrug:

[The Straight Story]

7. Even with that there are better ways to phrase it

:)

[SoxFan]

8. Alleged accident

[SoxFan]

9. Suspected hydrogen irregularity

[SoxFan]

10. Purported dimwit