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Talking Heads and the Language We Use

Submitted by Gene Patterson on April 27, 2009 - 9:00pm

So, I get an e-mail today asking why Larry Van Gilder had slammed me in his weekly Halls Shopper News column?

I hadn't - at that point - read the column.  I quickly read the column.

Larry was complaining about the use of the word "drastic" in describing Knox County Commissioner Mark Harmon's proposal to reduce the Knox County fleet, by a "local news anchor."

He didn't think it was an appropriate descriptor.

He may be right, though some surely will argue the point.

I had just interviewed Harmon for our program "Tennessee This Week," so a number of my friends assumed Larry was referring to me.

I'm not thin-skinned and can take criticism with the best of them (it comes from lots of practice), but for the record, he's not referring to me.

Just thought I'd pass that along to my friends out there.

 

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Van Gilder's Problem

Submitted by BayardJDonahoo (not verified) on April 29, 2009 - 12:10am.
Van Gilder is correct. It's a valid case of the press correcting the press. Using the adjective "drastic" (to describe a simple request that county workers drive their own cars) is definitely too strong. Van Gilder's problem is that he should have named the anchor. This anonymity gives the appearance of using softer than usual treatment on his fellow press members, besides leading readers to wrong conclusions, as in your case.