It always disappoints me to see typos, grammatical errors, and just-plain-the-wrong-words-used online. It's especially disappointing when it's a site I respect, such as the New York Times. The effect it has is to erode my confidence in the reporting.
At least the New York Times (print and online) is aware of its errors. (See the excellent After Deadline blog, which points out and dissects mistakes that slipped through the cracks or made it past the copyeditors. And note how readers comment when there are errors in the blog itself.)
But There's No Time
The excuse I hear most often about why there are errors on websites that post new content frequently is that there is no time to fully vet the content. Well, guess what? Newspapers do it every day. That's because they have copyeditors who edit, fact-check, and proofread the stories before they're printed. (And yes, I'm aware that these positions are being eliminated by many publications as we speak.)
This is a message to everyone in editorial charge of websites that aim to be serious journalism: Accuracy = Trust. Accuracy includes spelling, usage, and grammar. Please take the finished product as seriously as you take the content itself. You can do that by hiring a copyeditor.
Here are just a few of the avoidable mistakes I see on websites and in blogs that I respect. I'll keep adding to the list, so check back often.
Mashable
Deepak Chopra Apologizes for Starting Earthquake on Twitter
—Headline of story, posted April 4, 2010
Wordsintotype: He didn't start the earthquake on Twitter. He apologized on Twitter. Should be "Deepak Chopra Apologizes on Twitter for Starting Earthquake"
Planet Green
After languishing in reputation hell for years, and reputed to cause heart disease on the level of hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (which were considered to be better for your health!), renowned nutritionist-biochemist, Mary G. Enig, Ph.D championed the health benefits of including coconut oil in ones diet.
—"Is Coconut the New Soy?", posted April 7, 2010
Wordintotype: Should be one's. There are also several comma errors in the sentence.
TreeHugger
The planes are due to start flying on Tuesday, which is welcome news to the 150,000 Brit's who are stranded around the world.
—"Under the Volcano: Impact Of The Air Shutdown in London," posted April 20, 2010
Wordsintotype: Should be Brits (plural). Adding an apostrophe makes it a possessive, which it's not. Also note that the story headline is incorrectly capitalized.
Curt spent hours in the local library pouring over financial newspapers.
—"How a Can Collector Died a Secret Millionaire," posted March 31, 2010
Wordintotype: Should be poring, not pouring.
The virtues of the virtual office was something TreeHugger Founder Graham Hill believed in from the beginning . . . .
—"Ask Graham Hill About Managing a Virtual Office," posted April 5, 2010
Wordsintotype: Virtue was, but virtues are.
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