Writing is serious business. But sometimes it gets a little silly, too. Ever heard the one about the journalist who walked into a bar? (Me neither but I thought I’d check.) Anyway … From grammar gaffes to AP Stylebook antics, these sites and Twitter feeds offer a welcome diversion from actual work. If anyone asks, just say you’re doing research.
- Unnecessary Journalism Phrases. Citing recent examples from newspapers and magazines, this blog pokes fun at the unnecessary phrases journalists and web content writers use (you know, just in case you couldn’t tell from the title). Although blogger Josh Sternberg gets a teensy bit snarky, the man does have a point. For instance, if tragedy is implied by the word “death,” then isn’t “tragic death” redundant? We’ll be striking that one from our lexicon. @UnJournoPhrases
- Overheard in the Newsroom. Journalists say the darnest things, don’t they? Documenting snippets from actual conversations between editors, reporters, and other characters found in the newsroom, this blog scores points for brevity. After all, as one editor reportedly said of a story with too many adjectives, “this is journalism, not Faulkner.” @OHnewsroom
- The Bureau Chiefs. From the creators of @FakeAPStylebook and @FakePewResearch comes this equally funny (though much less frequently updated) blog. Think: someecards.com crossed with The Onion. Warning: may contain totally bogus headlines and completely unfounded statistics.
- Grammar Monkeys. Written by the news editors at The Wichita Eagle, Grammar Monkeys proves that language is a lot more complicated than we realized but it doesn’t have to be all prim and proper like our AP English teacher. The accompanying Twitter feed provides real-world examples of grammar #fails. @GrammarMonkeys
- Poorly Proofed. Though not technically a blog, several Poorly Proofed Twitter feeds across the country offer hilarious real-world reminders that copyediting counts. @PoorlyProofedNY @PoorlyProofedCA @PoorlyProofedFL @PoorlyProofedMA
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