Yay for the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier!

laursh · **Joined:** Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 3

Although many papers published AP unedited (surprise) with:
In August 1999, his Isle of Palms home burned, destroying 40 years of political momentos. The Post and Courier was the only paper I saw (online) that told us he lost mementos.[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: Lauren Hillman ]

dmfugitive · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:41 pm

Meanwhile, the Post and Courier's story on the protests at the Masters identifies one of the demonstrators as everybody's favorite source, "Heywood Jablome"[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: dmfugitive ]

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:57 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by dmfugitive:
Meanwhile, the Post and Courier's story on the protests at the Masters identifies one of the demonstrators as everybody's favorite source, "Heywood Jablome"[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: dmfugitive ]<hr></blockquote>I would like to think that we are a little bit above such snickering here.

koyan · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 12:29 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by dmfugitive:
Meanwhile, the Post and Courier's story on the protests at the Masters identifies one of the demonstrators as everybody's favorite source, "Heywood Jablome"[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: dmfugitive ]<hr></blockquote>Wow. Did the Post and Courier run a correction?

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:22 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by koyan:
Wow. Did the Post and Courier run a correction?<hr></blockquote>Not that I could find. Can anyone shed some light on that?
Of course, this is one of those occasions where the correction might be worse than the original error. Difficult to write.

SusanV · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 11:55 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Not that I could find. Can anyone shed some light on that?
Of course, this is one of those occasions where the correction might be worse than the original error. Difficult to write.<hr></blockquote>
One of my colleagues says that at least one WashPost columnist mentioned this, referring to attempts by some reporters to pin down the spelling of the "surname."

rumymommy · **Joined:** Tue Aug 06, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 138

Is this a generational thing, or is it just people not paying attention? I'm pretty certain any editor under 30 is going to spot that for what it is in a second and raise the flag because it's been used so many times. His frat brothers Harry Ballsonya, Seymour Butts, Phil Mike Rack, Craven Moorehead and the like would also draw quick attention.[ April 17, 2003: Message edited by: 4Jfan ]

SusanV · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 2:42 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by 4Jfan:
Is this a generational thing, or is it just people not paying attention? I'm pretty certain any editor under 30 is going to spot that for what it is in a second and raise the flag because it's been used so many times. His frat brothers Harry Ballsonya, Seymour Butts, Phil Mike Rack, Craven Moorehead and the like would also draw quick attention.[ April 17, 2003: Message edited by: 4Jfan ]<hr></blockquote> I suspect it's a combination of both.

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 2:46 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Not that I could find. Can anyone shed some light on that?
Of course, this is one of those occasions where the correction might be worse than the original error. Difficult to write.<hr></blockquote>There's also the possibility that the guy legally changed his name to that, making it wrong to correct it. Maybe an editor's note would be the way to go.

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 11:17 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Todd J. Behme:
There's also the possibility that the guy legally changed his name to that, making it wrong to correct it. Maybe an editor's note would be the way to go.<hr></blockquote>Are you serious? Anyway, would you trust someone who identified himself as Heywood Jablome to give you a straight answer if you asked him if that was his real name?

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2003 12:38 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by ADKbrown:
Are you serious? Anyway, would you trust someone who identified himself as Heywood Jablome to give you a straight answer if you asked him if that was his real name?<hr></blockquote>Probably not, and it would be awkward to ask for proof, such as a driver's license or court papers showing he had changed his name to that. I'm just saying I don't think it would be wise to run a correction on the assumption that the name is bogus -- think how embarrassing it would be for the paper to run a correction only to have the guy come forward with proof that it's really his name. I think the editor's note is the way to go.[ April 18, 2003: Message edited by: Todd J. Behme ]

koyan · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:16 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Todd J. Behme:
Probably not, and it would be awkward to ask for proof, such as a driver's license or court papers showing he had changed his name to that. [ April 18, 2003: Message edited by: Todd J. Behme ]<hr></blockquote>I don't think it would be at all awkward to ask the guy for proof. In fact, in that situation, I'd say it's the reporter's duty. I mean, what does Heywood expect? If, in fact, that is his real name, he's gotta be used to disbelief.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2003 3:58 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by koyan:
I don't think it would be at all awkward to ask the guy for proof. In fact, in that situation, I'd say it's the reporter's duty. I mean, what does Heywood expect? If, in fact, that is his real name, he's gotta be used to disbelief.<hr></blockquote>I'm all for covering the bases, but Heywood has a way of popping up from time to time in such circumstances. For our purposes, we can declare it a successful hoax on the reporter.

gullyj · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2003 2:55 pm

I've never come across a Heywood before and it took a couple of takes before I got the joke. The Toronto Star sports columnist who attended the Master's and the protest said most reporters caught on right away got a good chuckle out of it.
Now if only Bart Simpson would use it as a prank call to Mo the bartender.

SusanV · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:49 am

The reporter weighs in on being had:http://www.charleston.net/stories/042003/com_jscottcol.shtml

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:54 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by SusanV:
The reporter weighs in on being had:http://www.charleston.net/stories/042003/com_jscottcol.shtml<hr></blockquote>Good God.
Memo to Charleston editors: Just correct your errors. Do not let your reporters explain them away in badly written, self serving columns.

tim · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 1:14 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Good God.
Memo to Charleston editors: Just correct your errors. Do not let your reporters explain them away in badly written, self serving columns.<hr></blockquote>I only wish someone in Charleston would explain to Mr. Scott that being skeptical is not the same as being jaded. Also, just because more than 100 newspapers (a dubious claim considering the source) mentioned the stunt, he shouldn't take that to mean they were all duped as he was.This episode reminds me that having a dirty mind can be an asset for a copy editor.

tommangan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:39 pm

This reminds me of a stunt one of the radio stations pulled on the newspapers in Tampa/St. Pete when I was there.They had two of their jocks dress up as if they were being married ... both guys mind you ... one in a wedding dress, the other in a tux. They were photographed and sent in their wedding announcements to see if any of us were dumb enough to run it. I'll never forget our weddings clerk, who was 19, blonde and not believed (among us desk snobs at least) to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. She walks over to the desk and says "look at this, it's a joke, right?" We said, yeah, it sure looks that way.Well it just so happens that our preening, pretentious, Pulitzer Prize winning neighbors at the illustrious St. Petersburg Times fell for it and had to run their shame-faced correction. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch o' folks. It only takes one person with a lick of sense to keep those jokes out of the paper, but if that person's taking the day off, who knows what might happen?

tommangan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:48 pm

OK, I'm making a solemn vow not to dump on the St. Pete Times anymore.

KfitzR · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2003 9:52 am

Canuck I think said he had never come across a Heywood before? One of that name started the Newspaper Guild and is well and justly honoured in that organization. Was a hell of a good writer too - Heywood Broun.

gullyj · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2003 11:26 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by tom mangan:
[QB]...They had two of their jocks dress up as if they were being married ... both guys mind you ... one in a wedding dress, the other in a tux. They were photographed and sent in their wedding announcements to see if any of us were dumb enough to run it.... /QB]<hr></blockquote>
That wouldn't be much of a stunt in Toronto.
This from the body of a Toronto Star story on an Ontario Court of Appeal case that started today:"...The federal government takes its arguments against same-sex marriage to Ontario's highest court today.
It is appealing a Divisional Court ruling from last July that found denying civil marriage to gays and lesbians is contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The case involves Hedy Halpern and Colleen Rogers, and seven other same-sex couples who applied for civil marriage licences from the City of Toronto.
"They include a nurse, a psychotherapist, a crown attorney and a church deacon," their lawyers, Martha McCarthy and Joanna Radbord, say in their brief. "A few have lived together a short time; others have already shared their lives more than 25 years...."(Note to KfitzR: I was referring to the entire name. Having organized a newspaper before, I certainly know of Heywood Broun!)

catwoman · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2003 4:15 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Todd J. Behme:
Probably not, and it would be awkward to ask for proof, such as a driver's license or court papers showing he had changed his name to that. I'm just saying I don't think it would be wise to run a correction on the assumption that the name is bogus -- think how embarrassing it would be for the paper to run a correction only to have the guy come forward with proof that it's really his name. I think the editor's note is the way to go.[ April 18, 2003: Message edited by: Todd J. Behme ]<hr></blockquote>I kept waiting for someone else to ask but.... Todd? What, exactly, would this alleged editor's note have said?

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2003 4:52 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by catwoman:
I kept waiting for someone else to ask but.... Todd? What, exactly, would this alleged editor's note have said?<hr></blockquote>Look at the first sentence of the one that ran with the column by the reporter. You could expand that another sentence or two, saying the name the source gave is a common joke and giving readers his real identity, along with an apology to anyone who was offended.I originally suggested an editor's note as an alternative to a correction if the paper wasn't certain the name was phony. Now that we know it's indeed a hoax maybe a plain old correction is better.[ April 22, 2003: Message edited by: Todd J. Behme ]

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