Re: [Phys-l] journalism

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 01/23/2011 03:08 PM, Folkerts, Timothy J wrote:

> I see nothing wrong with that topic sentence.

Well, I do.

Chez moi, saying something you know will be misinterpreted is
the same as lying.

And it's all so unnecessary.  Why couldn't they say

  In the always-amazing Yellowstone valley, a decade-long
  surge of rapidly-rising terrain may have come to an end.  
  Over a vast area, the land is 10 or 20 cm higher than it 
  was a ten years ago, but slightly lower than it was one
  year ago.

Or even

  Using new technology and old-fashioned hard work, scientists 
  have achieved a deeper understanding of the amazing processes
  going on beneath the surface of the Yellowstone valley.

... which is more representative of the real story.


On 01/23/2011 02:43 PM, chuck britton wrote:
> > Hype is used to get peoples attention.

As the saying goes, the sizzle sells the steak.

But after being bombarded by sizzle, sizzle, sizzle with no
steak, after a while people get disgusted.

And here we have a perfectly fine bunch of grapes.  Why did
they feel obliged to add sizzle to the grapes?  I really like
grapes, but grapes aren't supposed to sizzle.  Grapes aren't
supposed to come in a box labeled "steak".