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Media Matters
August 13, 2003
Some Small (and Some Not So Small) Mistakes
By Jeffrey A. Dvorkin
Ombudsman
National Public Radio
Slips happen in journalism. Some are made in the rush to deadline. These mistakes should be, and mostly are, corrected before they get on the radio. That's what eagle-eyed editors are supposed to do. Some listeners have noted NPR's recent tendency toward more than a few mistakes, both of omission and commission.
Errors of Fact vs. Differences of Interpretation
The Middle East again is a notoriously subjective journalistic battleground. Every fact, description and conclusion is in dispute by the Israelis and the Palestinians and their U.S.-based supporters.
Over the past few weeks, factual errors and editing lapses were noted by some listeners as well as by two longtime critics of NPR's Middle East coverage, Electronic Intifada and CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting In America).
On July 28, NPR reported that the Middle East peace plan, known as the "road map," included the requirement for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. In fact, the road map makes no mention of prisoners.
On August 6, NPR reported that one of the released prisoners, Ahmad Ismail Abed al-Rahman al-Ghanimat served five and half years for "throwing stones" at Israeli soldiers. In fact, he was found guilty of belonging to Hamas (illegal under Israeli law) and for making bombs.
On August 8, NPR described the area called the Shebaa Farms as "land that wasn't evacuated when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000." Usually the Shebaa Farms is described as a "disputed area." In fact, the area was never part of Lebanon but was part of the area taken by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and is still claimed by Syria in its effort to have the Golan Heights returned. According to the United Nations, Israel has completely withdrawn from all Lebanese territory.
On August 10, NPR reported that the Israeli army said it killed three Hamas "militants" and that Israeli police had broken up a Jewish "terrorist" gang. In fact the quote from the Israeli army referred to Hamas "terrorists" not "militants."
NPR will run an on-air correction acknowledging the mistakes.
NPR's overall reporting on this complicated story has been both ambitious and solid.
As separate errors, none of the above is particularly egregious. Taken together and over a relatively short period of time, it appears to many listeners that the small, but important factual details about the Middle East continue to elude NPR. As some listeners have mentioned, it raises doubts about whether NPR can ever get this story right.
Some journalists, in my experience, tend to dismiss these sorts of criticisms whenever they come from partisans. That would be a mistake. These advocates know the details at least as well as the journalists. Occasionally better.
When it comes to the Middle East, the partisans are quick to point out examples of NPR's alleged bias on the issue. They are not inclined to heap praise when they think NPR does a good job. The critics don't need additional help from NPR's lack of attention to detail and its tendency to self-inflicted wounds.
Pronouncing 'Schism'
Many listeners wrote to correct NPR on its varying pronunciation of the word "schism." The word was used in reference to the Episcopalian Church with regard to homosexual prelates and the risk of a split (schism) as a result.
Keith George from Davis, CA writes:
On all the recent programs related to the current Episcopal Church turmoil, I have not heard one speaker -- guest or host -- pronounce the word any way but SKIZM. It's SIZM, for heaven's sake. Also SIZMATIC. I feel like getting out my SKISSORS and editing the script...
News Vice President Bruce Drake disagrees and sent a note to staff saying:
...we will stick with SKIZ’-um as our style. This is one of those cases where popular use has overtaken traditional/historical use and SKIZ’-um is the most used and accepted pronunciation in American English.
Grammatical Pitfalls
Robert Jones from San Antonio observes:
...recently, I have noticed a subtle, but consistent, deterioration of the network's long-held pinnacle of proper grammar. Some recent examples:
1. "looking to" as in "he is looking to gain supporters during his campaign trip." What is wrong with a simple "expects" or "wants to" or "will try to?" Doesn't look mean to point one's eyes in the direction of?
2. "went missing" as in "the child went missing last week." Actually, the child didn't "go" anywhere (well, not insofar as being reported missing is concerned). Why not "reporting missing" "has been missing?"
3. "shut down" as in "the business shut down after the fire." Down denotes direction; what is wrong with "closed" "or stopped serving customers?"
4. "centered around" as in the controversy centered around the candidate's recent term in office. Try this one on a physics professor and watch his/her raised eyebrows. It's "centered on," "revolved around."
I realize there is the premise that if a word or phrase is used often enough in our language, that word of phrase becomes acceptable. I just keep wondering why we continually turn incorrect grammar into correct grammar. It would seem to me that, just because a lot of people use incorrect grammar that constitutes a reason to legitimatize its illegitimacy.
Lay vs. Lie
Carl Penny writes about a regular grammatical error on NPR: lay vs. lie.
I hope I misheard. I realize that it is not part of your mission to uphold standards of the language, but surely you must have editors? And you are not just public radio but national...
Sadly, Mr. Penny’s hearing is excellent. An Aug. 8 Morning Edition profile of photographer Edward Weston reported that:
We are standing now before a close-up of an old high-heeled shoe laying in a heap at the side of the road next to a rusty tin can.
Reference librarian Kee Malesky agrees:
Oh, it's a pandemic. This is my #1 Pet Peeve. I've tried to explain it to editors, but it's a bit complicated. And I rarely hear anyone -- news media, entertainment, etc. -- get it right.
LAY/LIE: The action word is "lay." It takes a direct object. "Laid" is the form for its past tense and its past participle. Its present participle is "laying."
"Lie" indicates a state of reclining along a horizontal plane. It does not take a direct object. Its past tense is "lay." Its past participle is "lain." Its present participle is "lying." "I will lie down." "I will lay the book on the table." "Yesterday he lay down." "I laid out the dinner plates." "The boxes were lying on the floor."
On that note, I am going to lie down for a while under a tree beside a lake until after Labor Day.
Listeners may contact me at 202-513-3245 or at ombudsman@npr.org.
Jeffrey Dvorkin
NPR Ombudsman
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