Nothing gets past readers
  • Marv Adams is editor of the Sunday News. His column, Editorially Speaking, appears weekly. You can contact him at madams@lnpnews.com.

By MARV ADAMS, Editorially Speaking
Published Jan 11, 2009 00:01
It's time for another round of catching up on e-mails sent by sharp-eyed, and sharp-witted, readers.

Where's your Faith?

• From a reader (male) who thought a photo revealed too much of a beautiful country music star:

"The TV Week cover with Faith Hill looks more like a 'wardrobe malfunction' than a magazine cover advertising a family show."

Whew! I was worried for a moment that you might be Ms. Hill's husband, Tim McGraw.

• From a reader, thrown by the Page One headline "Build stores they must":

"Did Yoda start writing headlines for you?"

Call me Yoda, if you like, but the headline was a takeoff on roadwork signs we used to see in the 1950s and early 1960s that said, "Dig we must." We throw in history lessons at no extra charge.

• From a reader, discussing where the blame for the war and the economy should be placed:

"Now, understanding that facts are irrelevant in modern journalism, I won't bore you with too many."

Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. (That's a joke.)

Ready, aim, fire 'em

• From a reader who caught a mistake in a headline last Sunday:

"English teachers throughout the county must be grinding their teeth at the added level of difficulty [the] Lancaster News adds to their job."

The writer also commented:

"Have a proofreader? If so, please fire him or her and get a new one; if not, please hire one."

And from a reader upset with the lead to a Dec. 28 article, in which a man who was taking a bath said he felt vibrations from the earthquake on his bottom:

"You should be fired for such a stupid introduction in your article. No class."

I hope you folks are writing with a hearty dose of hyperbole. It's not as if we're responsible for wiping out your 401(k) plans, causing home values to plunge, or automakers begging for bailouts.

We are sometimes told to go stand in the corner by English teachers — usually retired ones, bless them — but none has yet blamed us for dental problems.

Seriously, no one takes spelling or grammatical mistakes harder than this newspaper staff. Nothing ruins a Sunday for us like finding an error long after the paper has gone to press.

• From a TV Week reader:

"You used to have 'M*A*S*H' on from 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Now that 'Scrubs' has taken its place, I turn off the TV. 'Scrubs' is a show that I find very offensive."

It is not unusual for us to get the complaints — and blame — when TV stations or networks change shows. Sorry, I don't control TV programming. If I did, you would get to see only marathons of "House," "24," "Lost," "CSI: Miami," "Law and Order" (the original) and "The Closer."

And Phillies games, of course.

A sorry excuse

When I answer telephone calls from Abigail's friends, I try to be friendly, asking them about school, sports, family, etc. Last time I did that, The Daughter, 13, raced to get the phone and said:

"I'm sorry about him."



Marv Adams invites questions. Send them by e-mail to madams@lnpnews.com or mail to: Sunday News, P.O. Box 1328, Lancaster, PA 17608-1328.
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