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While
mistakes in other newspapers make us laugh, we don’t find them so
funny in our own newspaper.
Well, OK, some of them are kind of funny, like the time The Baytown
Sun society page, away back when, topped off a wedding story with
the headline: “Couple exchange cows.” That must have been a mooooving
ceremony, huh?
One of the worst typos in the history of this newspaper was about
the weather. A news bulletin at the top of the front page stated
that the winds would shift to the north. That would not have been
so bad if the letter “f” had not been inadvertently omitted from
the word “shift.”
As soon as the paper hit the street, a reader commented, “Sure is
nasty weather we’re having.”
Not long ago Sun reporter Eleska Aubespin lamented a story in which
she mentioned “fried children.” I felt her pain. When I was the
city hall reporter, I once described plans for a new restaurant
that would include fried children on its menu.
The F.C. typo
happened again years later in a photo caption that stated fried
children would be served at a fund-raising dinner. What made this
error all the more poignant was the fact that the school superintendent
was among those pictured buying tickets.
It jumped out
of the frying pan again in the old Houston Post daily newspaper.
In a story about workers on strike at a ship channel plant, the
wife of one of the strikers was asked how they were surviving without
a regular paycheck. She then was quoted as saying: “We eat a lot
of fried children.” Well, she didn’t really say that; we knew what
she meant.
Enough of F.C.
Let’s turn our attention to other newspaper blunders – they’re plenty
out there. Just Google newspaper goofs and you’ll laugh out loud
a lot.
Former Sun reporter Debbie DeLoach Anderson got me started on all
this when she mailed me a collection of journalism gaffes that her
husband, Spencer, had received from former classmates in Lexington,
Ky.
If you don’t mind, I’ll make a little comment in parentheses after
headline. Sorry, I always have to get my two cents in.
Here we go:
“Worker suffers leg pain after crane drops 800-pound ball on his
head.” (It’s a wonder he didn’t have a headache.)
“Bridges help people cross rivers.” (What will they think of next.)
“Homicide victims rarely talk to police.” (If anyone has a right
to remain silent, you’d have to agree that …)
“Meeting on open meetings is closed.” (Yes, what we need is more
transparency in government.)
“Hospitals resort to hiring doctors.” (Whatsamatter? Can’t a nurse’s
aide do a heart transplant?)
“Marijuana issue sent to a joint committee.” (Where the grass grows
greener?)
“Bugs flying around with wings are flying bugs.” (Think about it.)
“Federal agents raid gun shop, find weapons.” (Mission accomplished.)
“Man accused of killing lawyer receives a new attorney.” (I would
advise the new attorney to demand full payment up front -- just
in case.)
“Starvation can lead to health hazards.” (Can’t win for losing.)
“Parents keep kids home to protest school closure.” (But what if
it snows?)
“Statistics show teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age
25.” (We’re all getting older.)
© Wanda Orton
Baytown Sun Columnist, January 24, 2015 column
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