Alleged News Story Potentially Reports on Suspected Shooting, Allegedly.
The Associated Press demonstrates how heavily lawyers have drilled into journalists that they have to hedge the way they describe anything that happens, to the point of ridiculousness.
The tragic story of a shooter going into a church and firing upon congregants in Knoxville, Tenn., was reported by AP on the Philadelphia Inquirer website this way:
A suspected gunman has opened fire during a church service in Knoxville, Tenn., and several people are injured. [Emphasis added]
This was the lead of the article. The fact that there was a gunman is pretty evident from the fact that several people were critically injured. Why do we have to refer to him as a "suspected" gunman. It was a real gunman.
The word suspected, or alleged, or purported, or police claim, is only really necessary to describe the actual suspect when he/she is identified. But it's just plain silly and careless writing and copy editing to open the story with "A suspected gunman..."
Just say what happened. It's that simple.
posted by Steve Lubetkin at
6:19 PM
1 Comments:
the alleged bride is suspected of assault following an incident in which a bridesmaid suffered a laceration to her left hand in a melee. the melee was apparently initiated when the alleged bride threw what appeared to be a loosely bound collection of vegetable matter, reputed to be flowers, in the general direction of several women, who appeared to be innocent bystanders. reportedly, the alleged bride and a man who claims to be her husband, fled the scene in a stretch limousine. evidence of her guilt in the event is supported by the presence of similar vegetation on her husband's jacket lapel, and rumors that the duo are intending to abscond from custody for several weeks. the duo are rumored to have air tickets to cancun, mexico, where they will be out of reach of US authorities. it is not known whether the bridesmaid will also file a civil action.
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