tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4705382683396786742.post3145201141781996363..comments2023-04-12T00:30:30.653-07:00Comments on A Word from Sharon: Are we language snobs?The Writing Resourcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926080382344611429noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4705382683396786742.post-12480991150764657352010-07-11T09:55:52.527-07:002010-07-11T09:55:52.527-07:00Very interesting debate, Sharon, and one I've ...Very interesting debate, Sharon, and one I've had many times with the staff at the magazine I work for, especially since many of them are not journalists by trade. I agree with Dale and Mary that truly terrible or embarrassing grammatical errors can be expressed indirectly, but if there are quotations around it, you ought to be able to assume that it is direct speech. It's quite interesting to see some of the material that shows up on the CBC website when it's accompanied by audio or video--they leave the original quotes, even when the grammar is poor, because of course you can go back and watch the video or listen to the audio.<br />Meanwhile, there is a difference between the written and the spoken word. I would have no compunctions about editing a written submission--no matter the source--assuming the sense of the orginal remained. (Hey, it's what I do every day, and sometimes people even thank me for it!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4705382683396786742.post-22162879370862957732010-07-10T20:27:25.063-07:002010-07-10T20:27:25.063-07:00If a reporter/journalist is going to enclose a sen...If a reporter/journalist is going to enclose a sentence or phrase in quotes, the enclosed material should be a true quote. Otherwise, what are " " for? If the material is in dire need of editing, it should be edited, and the quote marks eliminated. Perhaps in the case of the elected official who was semi-literate, the public should know that he/she is and the material printed exactly as submitted. I have more thoughts on this issue, but will leave it for now.Mary DeWolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05486244750120641095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4705382683396786742.post-46189647471514171552010-07-10T15:27:32.889-07:002010-07-10T15:27:32.889-07:00Having been an editor, I have to admit to being a ...Having been an editor, I have to admit to being a bit of a chicken with quotes. If it was a direct quote with egregious grammar or language errors, I would paraphrase the subject instead of using direct quotes.<br /><br />My bigger issue was with submitted material. We had an elected official who submitted a regular "update" column. This was something we offered elected officials at all three levels of government.<br /><br />His submissions were awful. Grammar, spelling, punctuation errors in nearly every line. Atrocious. <br /><br />After much soul-searching, I decided that our policy for everyone else was that all submitted material was subject to editing for grammar, spelling, length...and under this umbrella, I corrected his articles every time.<br /><br />I would have done the same for anyone, as long as it did not change the intention of his/her submission. <br /><br />Fundamentally, I believe it is the job of editors of printed material to edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, language use, and length. It's primarily for our readers, but also recognizing that not everyone has the education or skill set to write at a "publishable" level.<br /><br />As long as rules are applied uniformly, I see no issue with editing print materials that may come to us as imperfect.<br /><br />Of course, radio and TV are under a different umbrella altogether. It's much more difficult to edit language use in clips!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4705382683396786742.post-41122627460913848862010-07-10T13:14:08.194-07:002010-07-10T13:14:08.194-07:00I would not alter a direct quote. If a direct quot...I would not alter a direct quote. If a direct quote was such a jumble as to embarrass the speaker, or deflect the information, I would be indirect. The subject 'indicated ' that he saw, or 'described' how she saw.Dale Esteyhttp://daleestey.comnoreply@blogger.com