Heh. Running AP Copy Unedited ...

Gatekeeper · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:32 pm

Everyone:I just found this tidbit at AOL ... <blockquote>quote:<hr>With Kerry having emerged essentially unscathed from a crowded Democratic field and Bush now aiming his $100-billion-plus campaign machine directly at the Massachusetts senator, the general election contest already seems well under way.<hr></blockquote>Whew. And I thought $100 million was a lot of cash. The president's campaign fund-raising really is going through the roof. ---Gatekeeper-30-

Bakelite · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:54 pm

That story first moved in advance Thursday afternoon. The AP is now aware of the error.[ March 14, 2004: Message edited by: Dean Betz ]

Dapper Dan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:01 am **Posts:** 273

Think that's bad? I caught an error about a football player signing "a $13.5, five-year contract." The word "million" was missing.

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:01 pm

Gotta be careful with that, though. A few years ago someone on our desk inserted the word "million" into a story about a sale of land, when in fact the property had been sold for one dollar, a formalistic device sometimes used to give added legal effect to deeds that are really gifts.

Craig Lancaster · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:20 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Dapper Dan:
Think that's bad? I caught an error about a football player signing "a $13.5, five-year contract." The word "million" was missing.<hr></blockquote>Here's a tangential editing point: Beware the headline on a football signing that says "Joe Jockstrap gets $15 million from Colts." In football, the only major sport with non-guaranteed contracts, that's almost never the case. In fact, the so-called big-money contracts are usually structured to force a renegotiation or the player's release after a certain number of years.In most cases, the only guaranteed money -- and thus, the only number worth trumpeting -- is the signing bonus.If I had a nickel for every time I've flagged this stuff in copy, I could sign somebody to a $15 million contract.

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:27 am

Amen to that Craig. A similar thing applies to boxing purses.

Gatekeeper · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:56 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Dean Betz:
That story first moved in advance Thursday afternoon. The AP is now aware of the error.[ March 14, 2004: Message edited by: Dean Betz ]<hr></blockquote>That's good. I'm assuming AOL must have run with an older version of the story, since I came across it early Sunday afternoon.Gatekeeper-30-

Bakelite · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 9:03 am

I discussed the error with a desk supervisor on Sunday afternoon, but I don't think the AP moved a corrected take.Which is not acceptable.

Gatekeeper · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:37 am

^^^Hmm ... no, that isn't a good thing. Of course, that's the AP for you nowadays ... sometimes they do move the corrections, sometimes not (or slowly).The AP sort of ticked me off again today: Now they've decided not to move most of the weather copy anymore over the Weather Wire. Starting Wednesday, we have to go to the Internet and get the data for ourselves from either the YourAP Web site or various NWS Web sites. Which means we have to do all the hard return removals, UNCAPPING everything and other sundry editing functions that were already done for us.*sigh*Gatekeeper-30-

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2004 11:34 am

Actually, Gate, that is a ridiculous error by AP. Bush has $100 TRILLION at his disposal to buy this election.Oh, and regarding the need for editing AP. Not only do we have rim editors who think AP copy does not need to be edited; we have supervisors who can't understand why time is "wasted" editing AP. During an evaluation a few years back I brought up the need for rim editors to do more work on AP copy, and I was looked at as if I were a lunatic. "AP copy is pre-edited," I was told. Whatever that means.

Gatekeeper · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:17 am

^^^Heh. I think it's safe to say that Bush has enough funds on hand to more than adequately fund his re-election campaign.After catching a fair number of errors in AP copy (of world, national and state origin) in the scant 5 1/2 years I've been on desk, I'm all for giving it at least a critical read rather than just running it as is. Fortunately, most of my colleagues feel the same way.Gatekeeper-30-

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:30 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Bumfketeer:
Not only do we have rim editors who think AP copy does not need to be edited; we have supervisors who can't understand why time is "wasted" editing AP. <hr></blockquote>I can't understand, then, why time is "wasted" reading the newspaper.

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:35 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I can't understand, then, why time is "wasted" reading the newspaper.<hr></blockquote>NO I DO NOT. Wash your mouth out. (apologies for shouting).

Juana Bean Editor · **Posted:** Mon Mar 29, 2004 2:41 am

AP = Always Proofread

Testy Copy Editors

Heh. Running AP Copy Unedited ...

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