WSJ Bold Move on Political Style

Bakelite · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 12:43 pm

Wall Street Journal bans use of term `GOP' The Associated Press
12/2/02 11:51 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Starting this month, The Wall Street Journal has eliminated the use of the acronym GOP, saying not everyone knows that it stands for "Grand Old Party" or the Republican Party. In an internal memo issued last week, the editorial staff was told to stop using the term in headlines and copy. If GOP appears in a quotation, staffers were instructed to include an explanation, Brigitte Trafford, a spokeswoman for the newspaper, said Monday. "Because the short form may seem baffling (or even spin-doctored) to some new readers, we want to avoid its use in articles and headlines," the memo said. "Beginning in December, use it only in the direct quotations and then be sure to explain what GOP means. Even among people who know that GOP refers to the Republican Party, many may not know that it stands for Grand Old Party," it added. -----What will they think of next?

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 4:53 pm

Great idea! I am sure that banning GOP will make their one-column headlines much more comprehensible to people who are too stupid to know what GOP stands for.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 7:10 pm

Call me eccentric, but I've always despised "GOP" in headlines (that it doesn't belong in body type is a foregone conclusion). It's a short step from "GOP" to "Dems."[ December 02, 2002: Message edited by: blanp ]

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 8:38 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Call me eccentric, but I've always despised "GOP" in headlines (that it doesn't belong in body type is a foregone conclusion). It's a short step from "GOP" to "Dems."[ December 02, 2002: Message edited by: blanp ]<hr></blockquote>I don't like "GOP" either, but when I'm trying to write a 72-point, 11-pica headline, I get over it.
If possible, I then use "Republicans" in drophed or readout."Dems" is prohibited at my paper -- and I've had to bounce it while in the slot. No, copy editors don't do any layout at my paper, and appeals to page designers for better headline counts seldom get far until the night editor or other news editor tries to rewrite a hed.

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:46 pm

I vote for a ban on the use of the adjectival term "sharply" ... if it can't be quantified -- but only subjectively measured -- it has no place in a news story. It's a loaded term, much like with "refused to comment" vs. "declined to comment."

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 02, 2002 11:02 pm

GOP doesn't bother me in a hed. Don't like it in copy.

DrewR · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 12:38 am

The biggest heds in the Journal are about 36 points, if I remember correctly, so deskers there have ample space (not to mention time) to write something actually lucid. And whenever that's the case, relying on acronyms, which tend to be confusing, seems to be a bit daft. Acronyms are generally frowned on in Journal style. So, fr'instance, the National Security Agency wouldn't be NSA on second reference. Instead it would be the security agency or, simply, the agency -- unless clarity was at stake. Weird, huh?

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:05 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Dean Betz:
Wall Street Journal bans use of term `GOP' The Associated Press
12/2/02 11:51 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Starting this month, The Wall Street Journal has eliminated the use of the acronym GOP ....
<hr></blockquote>If this were the ACES discussion list, I would point out that "GOP" is not an acronym.

ramblerdan · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:21 pm

At the risk of starting an argument ... the purpose of a hed is to inform, not to impress. Abbrevs. allow more info in a hed, and more info beats flawless prose, in my book. Besides, I'm troubled by the "down the memory hole" aspect of this. People knew what GOP meant last week, but they don't know today? GOP=Republican Party. Do people need to know about Martin Van Buren to use "OK"?

Bakelite · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 4:33 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by ramblerdan:
People knew what GOP meant last week, but they don't know today? GOP=Republican Party. Do people need to know about Martin Van Buren to use "OK"?<hr></blockquote>I can think of good reasons to have a style rule that prohibits the use of "GOP," but I doubt that the Journal's readers don't know what it means.

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 5:16 pm

So kill me, but I don't see a problem with using GOP in a hed. I think it better to use a well-known nickname for Republican than to wind up going through all sorts of contortions to say something else in a one-column hed and then explain what the hell you are talking about in the key, or doodad, or Tobin, or whatever the hell anyone calls those things now.

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 03, 2002 5:23 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by ramblerdan:
Abbrevs. allow more info in a hed, and more info beats flawless prose, in my book.
<hr></blockquote>Abbrevs.! Great!I don't allow them through slot. GOP just seems so ingrained that it doesn't bother me.BTW, you should see the garaged '66 Rambler my son is refurbishing...

Rio · **Posted:** Wed Dec 04, 2002 2:44 am

As a former copy editor at The Asian Wall Street Journal, I can't resist weighing in on this.I was at The AWSJ when Reuters announced that it wouldn't use the word "terrorist" because "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter," or some such politically correct bullshit. And I remember what a big laugh we had at the office about it. How could an august news organization make itself look so silly, we asked ourselves.Sadly, I have to ask that question now about my former employer. How could this happen? The only answer I can think of is that layoffs and buyouts have gutted Dow Jones management of everyone with an ounce of common sense.First, how can the Journal say that no one knows what "GOP" means? Hello? The Journal takes great pride in the fact that its readership is so smart and rich. And these people don't know what the GOP is?? Please.Second, headline writing is going to be a lot tougher there. Slick redesign or no, the WSJ loves its one-column headlines. As the 2004 presidential race gets under way, not being able to use "GOP" is going to slow down the copy desk page flow, and result in crappier headlines. I can't wait to see what gems the paper comes up with.Drew: Speaking of the redesign, I believe the Journal allows bigger head sizes than 36 point now. Maybe all the way up to 42! (Be still, my beating heart...)[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: Gary Kirchherr ]

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Wed Dec 04, 2002 6:55 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Gary Kirchherr:
The Journal takes great pride in the fact that its readership is so smart and rich.<hr></blockquote>And I assume largely Republican.

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