Klum & Seal Have Not Aged Well

(click for a larger view)

Heidi Klum is 34. Seal is 44. Neither look it, now do they? Can't wait to see how Klum looks in the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" (CBS, today, 9 p.m.).

I did NOT photoshop this. The photo caption reads ""Project Runway" host Heidi Klum says home life with her husband, singer Seal, is "colorful" and that Seal is the perfect dad." Here's the original.

[mortar-board tip to Mrs. DocLarry]

Another Edition of Things That Make You Go AAAAAAAAAUUUGGGGHHHH!

The Sunday News-Leader has a story about Reeds Spring biology teacher Mike Collins returning to his classroom. Toward the end is a discussion of an incident in 2005 when Collins admitted to forging a parental permission slip for one of his students.

Collins spoke to the News-Leader in March about the forgery. He acknowledged doing it, but said about 15 minutes after he turned the forgery in, he reminded it and confessed.

"He reminded it?" I know we live in the Ozarks and people don't always use proper English, but this was not a direct quote. Rather, the reporter wrote this phrasing and a copy editor approved it. According to my dictionary reminded means "To cause to remember; put in mind." So the above sentence says Collins caused the permission slip to remember, or Collins put the permission slip in mind. That latter one sort of fits, if a few extra words had been included in the reporter's sentence.

However, I don't think that's what the reporter meant at all. I'm betting the word the reporter meant to use was "remanded" which my dictionary defines as "To send or order back." In other words, Collins ordered the forged permission slip back, and cofessed to having forged it.

Simple typo? Maybe.

The more egregious error is contained in a graphic linked to the story, and reported in a side-bar story about the joint statement issued by three school board members who voted against reinstating Collins. The graphic is of the scanned statement with signatures of the three board members. It includes contact information, listing the phone number of board member Hank Smythe, followed by "not for publication" enclosed in parentheses. Smythe obviously did not want his phone number published. The News-Leader ignored that request. Why?

Smythe's phone number could have been blacked out, leaving his name and the parenthetical request. No reasonable reader would have wondered what had been blacked out and accused the News-Leader of hiding something.

I wonder, will the reporter and/or editor will apologize to Smythe?

Whatever Happened to Fact-Checking?

Roy Blunt (R-MO) is House Minority Whip. Matt Blunt is governor of Missouri. Roy Blunt has been in Congress since 1997. Matt Blunt has been governor since 2005. With those facts in mind, read this from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle (free subscription req.):

"The federal government is not going to tackle a number of the big issues, whether it's litigation, the environment across the country, expanding access to affordable health care," said Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, whose brother, Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is in Congress. "I think there's a sense that the federal government is paralyzed and a lot of these solutions are going to be enacted on the state level."

Sharp-eyed readers should find the major factual error right away.

The Augusta Chronicle is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States, publishing since 1785. It is owned by the Morris Publishing Group, which also owns, among others, the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post and The Examiner of Independence, Mo., both daily newspapers. So the company has a presence in Missouri. The Augusta Chronicle has a 74,567 circulation weekdays and 100,592 circulation Sundays.

One would think such a venerable publication would practice professional journalism. You know, like checking facts. If a reporter plans to explain the connection between a source for a story with the House Minority Whip she or he probably ought to check that connection before publication. It's quite simple to do. Use the Google.

One of my favorite journalism professors, a former managing editor of the Washington (D.C.) Star, taught me the three most important things in reporting: accuracy, accuracy, and accuracy. It's a pity so many news people have forgotten that lesson. But why let facts get in the way of a story, right? Some news people even believe it's OK to lie in print while scolding others.

Journamalism, indeed.

Hypocrite

Yes, that could apply to so many this week. But I'm specifically calling out the managing editor of the Community Free Press, Mert Seaton. In the latest edition (April 11-24) the lead article is by Ryan Cooper, the MSU student trouble-maker who asked two (2) Greenwood parents about sex offenders on the MSU campus. You know that story.

(Side note--I wish those who are up in arms about registered sex offenders on campus would explain which of the possible six (6) they're upset about. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol's database, three registered sex offenders list MSU as their school address and three list it as their work address. Cooper focused on one professor, as did the university, and pretty much all the critics. Odds are you're working with or very near a registered sex offender and probably have been for some time.)

Back to the Community Free Press. In an "Editor's Note" next to Cooper's story on the front page, Seaton claims the CFP had no intention of running Cooper's story until after an MSU news release identified Cooper as writing the story for the CFP. Seaton goes on to state:

We have not published the names of any registered sex offenders on campus. As journalists, we seek to inform the public while minimizing harm. We wish that other media outlets would follow our example.

On page 8 "Guest Columnist" Pat Nolan begins his column "MSU Follows Wrong Approach to Sex Offenders" with this:

Dr. Michael Hendrix has ample reason to ask when castigation will end.

Hendrix committed a sex offense more than 20 years ago, served his time, and registered as an offender. Hendrix has not re-offended and takes proactive measures to treat his addiction.

So managing editor Mert Seaton lied in print. The Community Free Press HAS published the name of a registered sex offender on campus, a mere seven pages after Seaton claims it has not.

As a journalist, I'm offended by Seaton's sanctimonious tone and hypocrisy. The Community Free Press lost credibility with this edition. Of course, failing to label the column by that rabble-rousing radio jerk or letters to the editor as "Viewpoints" means there wasn't much credibility to begin with.

They're How Good?

Click on the image to check Krispy Kreme's new advertising slogan. No Photoshopping involved. Some "journalist" at Agusta, Georgia NBC-affiliate WGAT thought the introduction of a whole wheat, low-cal doughnut newsworthy. The graphics person evidently thought otherwise.

[mortar board tip to suspect-device]