Illiteracy is rising among
Los Angeles area journalists.
In writing about "the
public outcry" over Santa Monica's proposed Hines project [Santa Monica Daily Press, February 7, 2014, front page], David Mark Simpson wrote that we are in
the "eye" of the storm. He then described a "large
protest," which he apparently saw as the most tumultuous part of
this outcry.
Yet the "eye of the storm" is the calm part of
the storm -- not the tumultuous part.
Journalistic illiteracy
also marred the December 26, 2013 issue of The Argonaut [page 9],
which described The Doors as "the penultimate Venice band."
But penultimate means "next to last." Clearly the writer of
this caption (no byline was given) meant ultimate, not penultimate.
The internet has encouraged both illiteracy, and its acceptance, even among the college-educated. That is sad, but true. But still sadder is that even print journalists are not immune from this growing illiteracy.
======================
