Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Good work

Bart Janssen

Mon, 06 Jan 2014 16:12:07 +1300

In the case of Fairfax’s “right first time” policy

Boggle!

Seriously, I write a lot. I even write reasonably well. I’m quite good at reading the literature and making connections and bringing together data in a way that allows other scientists, or managers, or grant approval panels, to understand what…

Bart Janssen

Mon, 06 Jan 2014 16:02:57 +1300

Both are technically correct, but because when you say it out loud you pronounce it “Brauniassus” rather than “Braunias”, in this case use the latter.

So if you're quoting someone who was talking about Braunias' work you should use "Braunias's".

Bart Janssen

Mon, 06 Jan 2014 16:00:07 +1300

pointed out to me that the word "interestingly" in journalism should be redundant

My PhD supervisor informed me that "clearly" does not belong in a scientific paper for equivalent reasons.

Paul Brislen

Mon, 06 Jan 2014 11:20:09 +1300

I too know of a couple of Qantas awards that should have had the sub-editor's name stamped on them (cough cough Mark Broatch) rather than the "reporter's".

A bad sub can ruin a team if not the whole publication, but a good sub is worth their weight in gold, especially…

Rob Hosking

Fri, 27 Dec 2013 07:27:00 +1300

I don't know if he's survived the current cull but I'll also put in a huge plug for chief sub Michael Collins.

When he was at NBR he used to not only sub the words but he would [deep breath now] CHECK JOURNALISTS' MATHS.

And he was good at it.…

Sacha

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 22:10:33 +1300

I want you to whisper in my ear about subjunctives, dummy subjects

she's used to that by now

Venetia King

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 21:20:35 +1300

This news makes me sad, as a lifelong Listener reader prone to wincing at mistakes. I wonder if I'll be noticing more of those in future.

Russell Brown

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 20:08:34 +1300

Having worked often alongside Alison in the subbery, I can attest to her precise and painstaking professionalism and (important) her abiding respect for writers’ intentions.

This.

No copy leaves her desk without having been (usually invisibly) improved.

And this.

She will be hugely missed. And Finlay’s right about Tom McWilliams…

Peter Calder

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 19:59:14 +1300

Having worked often alongside Alison in the subbery, I can attest to her precise and painstaking professionalism and (important) her abiding respect for writers' intentions. No copy leaves her desk without having been (usually invisibly) improved. She will be hugely missed. And Finlay's right about Tom McWilliams ...

Peter Calder

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 19:56:03 +1300

Emma, you are driving me wild with passion. I want you to whisper in my ear about subjunctives, dummy subjects, misrelated participles and the misuse of the word "irony".

Emma Hart

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:41:47 +1300

(What do you do with people whose name ends in ‘s’? Is it Braunias’ work or Braunias’s work?)

Both are technically correct, but because when you say it out loud you pronounce it “Brauniassus” rather than “Braunias”, in this case use the latter.

Yeah. I am surprisingly fun on dates,…

martinb

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 13:52:24 +1300

Since a sentence ago, huh?

And there seem to be some of the great columnists I remember whose work occasionally pops up there too- recent issue having Braunias and the man with the name at the top as well.

I think it is the only magazine that can compare to…

Craig Ranapia

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 12:01:23 +1300

Herald sub manages to take a story about Cameron Brewer admitting something might be true and crafts headline that conveniently matches said rag’s editorial line on the matter: ’Brewer denies journalist prompt’.

Where Brewer and The Herald's bad bromance is concerned, it's never a bad time to quote Mandy Rice-Davies.

Sacha

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 11:36:09 +1300

Herald sub manages to take a story about Cameron Brewer admitting something might be true and crafts headline that conveniently matches said rag's editorial line on the matter: 'Brewer denies journalist prompt'. Speaking power to truth since forever.

Sacha

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 10:27:58 +1300

some sort of ironic sub-text thingee

started a trend..

Craig Ranapia

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 10:25:59 +1300

This might sound like wretched arse kissing, but The Listener’s arts/books editor Guy Somerset is going to get some ups. Had six reviews in the magazine over the last year, and every single one of them is better because Guy’s an infuriating pest who will ask nicely (but firmly) for…

Finlay Macdonald

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 10:05:11 +1300

Hear hear. The ex Listener sub-squad is legion, too – Simon Wilson at Metro, Mark Cubey at RNZ, Rachel Scott at Otago Uni Press, to name a few. Interestingly, it was Tom McWilliams – my vote for the greatest sub of all – who pointed out to me that the…

Russell Brown

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 10:04:44 +1300

Perhaps you still need an “Alison” in your online life…? :-)
…or was that some sort of ironic sub-text thingee?

No, it was me not typing as accurately as I think.

Evan Yates

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 09:48:28 +1300

the knack of knowing not what to change

Perhaps you still need an “Alison” in your online life…? :-)
...or was that some sort of ironic sub-text thingee?

Public Address

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 09:48:28 +1300

Discussion from blog post.