OT: ESPN error

samifan24 · 11-08-2003, 04:52 PM

In light of the recent threads about the many errors which plague ESPN's website, I would like to add another to the mix. As a Professional Writing major, this article really irks me. If you read carefully, the article refers to someone named "Vannatta" in the fifth paragraph but does not identify Vannatta until the 7th paragraph. How does such an obvious mistake get past an editor?

Link

revrew · 11-08-2003, 08:50 PM

As a professional editor, I can probably answer this one:

Probably happened like this:

1. Writer composes piece.
2. Editor (might be original author, might not be) reads and edits, mabye even moves text around. But by the time the editing is done, and paragraph 5 gets bumped up from paragraph 13 where it began, the editor is so familiar with the text that he/she reads paragraph 5 without noticing Vannatta is not previously identified. Because of his/her familiarity with the piece, mentally Vannatta is already identified.
3. This editor is the final editor.

If and when an editor gets involved heavily in a piece, it's usually only the most obvious things that get through. That's why it's good to have a fresh, unfamiliar copyeditor go over it again. That, most likely, didn't happen here. Only one editor makes for easy mistakes.

samifan24 · 03-13-2004, 05:10 PM

While looking at Dan Hinote's stats page, there was an "xxx" link, so of course I had to click on it. Well it brought me to a story from last year's playoffs. The first line reads:

" here it is!

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ The job of a hockey mom is never done, even when her son is playing in the NHL."

Yes, the "here it is

" actually appears in the story.

JeeberD · 03-13-2004, 05:17 PM

On their bracketology page they say that Nevada is in and that UTEP is a bubble team (last four out) for The Dance. Strange thing is, in the breakdown of how many bids each conference has they list the WAC as having two! Guess San Jose is getting in over the Miners this year...

kcchief19 · 03-13-2004, 07:57 PM

As a "former" journalist turned PR guy, I agree that errors always surprise me but they really shouldn't. As hard as I try, I'm not a great editor, even with my own work. I can rewrite my own work and rewrite the work of others but I'm not a strong editor. I will commit typos and I will occassional leave out a word here or there. I don't commit too many errors like the one above, but they do happen.

Are they more frequent today? I think so, mostly because the workload for both writers and editors has soared in the advent of the Internet. I don't know what the ratio of writers-to-editors is at ESPN.com, but I would imagine that the material they publish daily is large enough and the turnaround time so short that I wouldn't be surprised if a large number of articles never even passed by an editor.

Despite my background -- or perhaps because of it -- I'm more peeved about grammar and spelling errors than I am errors like this.

Desnudo · 03-13-2004, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcchief19

As a "former" journalist turned PR guy, I agree that errors always surprise me but they really shouldn't. As hard as I try, I'm not a great editor, even with my own work. I can rewrite my own work and rewrite the work of others but I'm not a strong editor. I will commit typos and I will occassional leave out a word here or there. I don't commit too many errors like the one above, but they do happen.

Are they more frequent today? I think so, mostly because the workload for both writers and editors has soared in the advent of the Internet. I don't know what the ratio of writers-to-editors is at ESPN.com, but I would imagine that the material they publish daily is large enough and the turnaround time so short that I wouldn't be surprised if a large number of articles never even passed by an editor.

Despite my background -- or perhaps because of it -- I'm more peeved about grammar and spelling errors than I am errors like this.

Don't you mean "like this one."

11-08-2003, 08:50 PM	#2
revrew Team Chaplain Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Just outside Des Moines, IA	As a professional editor, I can probably answer this one: Probably happened like this: 1. Writer composes piece. 2. Editor (might be original author, might not be) reads and edits, mabye even moves text around. But by the time the editing is done, and paragraph 5 gets bumped up from paragraph 13 where it began, the editor is so familiar with the text that he/she reads paragraph 5 without noticing Vannatta is not previously identified. Because of his/her familiarity with the piece, mentally Vannatta is already identified. 3. This editor is the final editor. If and when an editor gets involved heavily in a piece, it's usually only the most obvious things that get through. That's why it's good to have a fresh, unfamiliar copyeditor go over it again. That, most likely, didn't happen here. Only one editor makes for easy mistakes. __________________ Winner of 6 FOFC Scribe Awards, including 3 Gold Scribes Founder of the ZFL, 2004 Golden Scribe Dynasty of the Year Now bringing The Des Moines Dragons back to life, and the joke's on YOU, NFL! I came to the Crossroad. I took it. And that has made all the difference.

03-13-2004, 05:10 PM	#3
samifan24 Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: NC	While looking at Dan Hinote's stats page, there was an "xxx" link, so of course I had to click on it. Well it brought me to a story from last year's playoffs. The first line reads: " here it is! MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ The job of a hockey mom is never done, even when her son is playing in the NHL." Yes, the "here it is " actually appears in the story. __________________ "You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball...and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." -Jim Bouton Last edited by samifan24 : 03-13-2004 at 05:10 PM.

03-13-2004, 05:17 PM	#4
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	On their bracketology page they say that Nevada is in and that UTEP is a bubble team (last four out) for The Dance. Strange thing is, in the breakdown of how many bids each conference has they list the WAC as having two! Guess San Jose is getting in over the Miners this year... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

03-13-2004, 07:57 PM	#5
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	As a "former" journalist turned PR guy, I agree that errors always surprise me but they really shouldn't. As hard as I try, I'm not a great editor, even with my own work. I can rewrite my own work and rewrite the work of others but I'm not a strong editor. I will commit typos and I will occassional leave out a word here or there. I don't commit too many errors like the one above, but they do happen. Are they more frequent today? I think so, mostly because the workload for both writers and editors has soared in the advent of the Internet. I don't know what the ratio of writers-to-editors is at ESPN.com, but I would imagine that the material they publish daily is large enough and the turnaround time so short that I wouldn't be surprised if a large number of articles never even passed by an editor. Despite my background -- or perhaps because of it -- I'm more peeved about grammar and spelling errors than I am errors like this.

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