WEED. They Called It Weed, Dude!

Not counting the WOWO cut and paste fiascos, the worst news writing in town is perpetrated by the crew at WANE TV. 

The story says "in possession of weed". WEED? A little too informal for the Maven's taste. Why not call it Pot, Reefer, Grass, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane, Hash, Herb, Aunt Mary, Skunk, Boom,Chronic, Cheeba, Blunt, Ashes, Atshitshi, Baby Bhang, Bammy ,Blanket ,Bo-Bo, Bobo Bush, Bomber, Boom, Broccoli, Cripple, Dagga, Dinkie Dow, Ding, Dona Juana (or Juanita), Flower, Flower Tops, Ganja, Gasper, Giggle Smoke, Good Giggles, Good Butt, Hot Stick, Jay, Jolly Green, Joy Smoke, Joy Stick, Roach, Bud? The Indiana statute does not call the substance "weed" and the Maven highly doubts the criminal charges will call it weed. 
Then the 17-year-old is referred to as "HER" student? She's not a teacher, she's a guidance counselor, so how can he be called "her" student? Substitute "a" for "her" and the Maven has no gripe. 

It seems that local media can't find the logical middle ground of putting the facts into a news story. At one end of the spectrum readers/listeners/viewers are bludgeoned with 'cop speak' taken directly from police reports, OR, we get inaccurate information using the trendy vocabulary of the day. Of course, they could all be smokin' dope and don't give a rat's ass. 

Listener Kicks Sand In WOWO's Face

It's one thing when the Maven points out the shortcomings of local media...but when an everyday listener kicks sand in the face of the hapless WOWO operation, the Maven feels vindicated. The fact that this listener did this on WOWO's own Facebook page, is priceless. While the Maven has obscured the listener's name to allow them some privacy, it's clear that those that listen see the fallacy of allowing neophytes to run a radio station. 

Here's the screen shot:

WANE TV Doesn't Care

Whether it's an 'error' or just plain ineptitude, WANE TV owes the family of Blaine Miller a sincere apology.

This type of error is inexcusable and makes all media look foolish and careless. 

Yes, it's a mistake. It's also another example of how local media does not care about what they publish. This sends a clear message to audience and advertisers, that WANE TV is a slipshod operation, merely going through the motions with no desire to be accurate or correct. 

WFFT: "Diseased At The Scene"

Their words, not the Maven's. 

Yes, diseased at the scene. They said it on WFFT News, so, it must be true. 

WANE TV .... LAZY

Next to surly waiters and proctologists with cold hands, nothing irritates the Maven more than 'lazy journalism'. 

Here's the issue: WANE TV's "b roll" file footage of a portion of the Allen County Council's meeting today, contains three Council members who are no longer Council members. Mae Johnson, Paul Moss and Paula Hughes are not current members of the Allen County Council. Yet, WANE TV, by not labeling the photo as "file" footage, implies that the photo is of today's meeting. You can call it deceptive, a lie, or an incredibly inept mix up, but in the final analysis, it's a credibility killer. 

Here's the webpage:

A closer look with the former Council members identified. 

Our thanks to an eagle-eyed friend for the tip......

The Rush To Be First......

When TV stations rush to be "first", facts, common sense, and the truth, often ride in the back seat. Often, these stations are prime candidates for mischief makers and pranksters. 

This picture is all over the internet today. Channel 2 in the Bay area was in such a hurry to publish any information about the Asiana crash, that this got on the air......

So, when it comes to doing something stupid, just to say you were first......our local stations aren't the only ones who make complete, unmitigated asses of themselves. 

WOWO's "Pretty" News

The Maven had heard that WOWO 1190 (and now on 92-3 fm) had made some cosmetic changes to their news presentation on wowo.com. At first blush, the pages load quicker and the content looks much cleaner. 
Another feature allows the reader to see who created the story. The Maven likes that.
As with anything new, there are still some little glitches to overcome. 

The Maven is not quite sure of the significance of the 'coding language/commands'. Perhaps it's meant to change the font or make the copy bold. 

The Maven applauds WOWO's efforts to improve their product, but like so much of what we are exposed to in the media, more effort has been put into style, leaving substance still lacking. 

Make-Good Time at GLO

The Maven's heart goes out to print publications, and always has. Besides being one of the most labor-intensive endeavors, print is also one of the most unforgiving media, in that mistakes become public record and tend to last a long time in the memory of those who are affected.

Fort Wayne's GLO, a free rack publication, is the latest victim of someone not checking the final proof of a display ad. The half page ad, appearing on page 9, July edition seems to have an issue. Could have been the Account Rep, the graphic artist, or even the client. Assigning blame is moot. Someone did not place the "before" and "after" pictures correctly in this rather well-done display ad. (The name of the client could be a little larger - sorry for the quibble).

A closer look:

The Maven is sure that Contoure will, or should, at least receive a 'make good' for this faux pax, and would do well to demand that their next ad is gratis.

Mistakes happen. And responsible publishers take good care of their advertisers.