Editing Gripe Du Jour
Quotation marks are primarily used to indicate that what lies between them are somebody’s exact words, either spoken or written — which is why we use the marks to indicate spoken dialog in journalism or fiction, or to indicate precisely reproduced written words in a scholarly paper. The Associated Press style guide, used by U.S. journalists, suggests that one-word quotes be avoided, unless the word is particularly unusual or notable.
A second reasonably common use of quotation marks is to indicate irony. For example: The fact that we can now obliterate entire countries with the push of a button is one example of human “progress.” The word progress is meant ironically here; the writer intends you to question how we ought to define the term.
Now, let’s take a look at this headline/link on CNN: Getting inside Obama’s ‘brain’
Is CNN trying to be ironic? Is it suggesting that Obama has no brain to get inside?
That’s how I read it. And that’s why it’s an example of bad editing.
If you click the link to read the article, the headline/link makes more sense: Karen Kornbluh is not famous, but her ideas are. As Barack Obama’s chief policy director, political insiders call her his “brain.” But as anybody who’s taken a journalism class knows, you do not assume that the reader will continue on past the headline to the article. Headlines must stand alone, photo captions must stand alone, and summary leads must stand alone.
For CNN to write a headline/link that indicates to readers that it’s suggesting the president-elect has no brain is just plain embarrassing.
drupagliassotti @ November 16, 2008