Re: New memo puts WGN news staffers at a loss for words

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: : Glad to see that "Fuck" didn't make the list!!! : : From Robert Feder @ Vocalo: : : : : Sure, you�d think the chief executive officer of a company struggling to emerge from bankruptcy and desperate to salvage an $8 billion buyout-gone-bad would have better things to do than pester his underlings with crazy proclamations. But in the case of Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels, you�d be wrong. : : The man at the top of the troubled media empire took time out of his real job this week to issue a list of words and phrases � 119 of them, to be exact � that must never, ever be uttered by anchors or reporters on WGN-AM (720), the news/talk radio station located five floors below his office in Tribune Tower. : : Believe me, I�m not making this up. : : WGN news director Charlie Meyerson, good soldier that he is, passed on what he identified as Michaels� �list of forbidden �newsspeak� words and phrases� in a memo to his staff Monday, with the explicit warning: �Don�t say them on WGN.� : : Meyerson, a veteran Chicago newsman, has long championed the idea of delivering the news in a down-to-earth, conversational manner. That�s all well and good. As Meyerson explained in his memo: : : �The real goal here is to avoid using words that make you sound like you�re reading, instead of talking � that shatter the image you�re speaking knowledgeably to one person. By not using �newsspeak,� you enhance your reputation as a communicator.� : : But Meyerson takes it a step further, directing his staff to keep tabs on each other�s compliance: They�re to report any on-air infractions by their co-workers, making sure to note the precise time and date on �bingo cards� he provided that contain a random assortment of Michaels� forbidden words. If you ask me, that�s just plain creepy. : : What�s even more disturbing is that the CEO of a major institution would engage in such petty and insulting micromanaging of subordinates. Here, without further ado, is Randy Michaels� complete list of unacceptable expressions on the Tribune Co.�s flagship radio station: : : �Flee� meaning �run away� : : �Good� or �bad� news : : �Laud� meaning �praise� : : �Seek� meaning �look for� : : �Some� meaning �about� : : �Two to one margin� . . . �Two to one� is a ratio, not a margin. A margin is measured in points. It�s not a ratio. : : �Yesterday� in a lead sentence : : �Youth� meaning �child� : : 5 a.m. in the morning : : After the break : : After these commercial messages : : Aftermath : : All of you : : Allegations : : Alleged : : Area residents : : As expected : : At risk : : At this point in time : : Authorities : : Auto accident : : Bare naked : : Behind bars : : Behind closed doors : : Behind the podium (you mean lecturn) [sic] : : Best kept secret : : Campaign trail : : Clash with police : : Close proximity : : Complete surprise : : Completely destroyed, completely abolished, completely finished or any other completely redundant use : : Death toll : : Definitely possible : : Diva : : Down in (location) : : Down there : : Dubbaya when you mean double you : : Everybody (when referring to the audience) : : Eye Rack or Eye Ran : : False pretenses : : Famed : : Fatal death : : Fled on foot : : Folks : : Giving 110% : : Going forward : : Gunman, especially lone gunman : : Guys : : Hunnert when you mean hundred : : Icon : : In a surprise move : : In harm�s way : : In other news : : In the wake of (unless it�s a boating story) : : Incarcerated : : Informed sources say . . . : : Killing spree : : Legendary : : Lend a helping hand : : Literally : : Lucky to be alive : : Manhunt : : Marred : : Medical hospital : : Mother of all (anything) : : Motorist : : Mute point. (It�s moot point, but don�t say that either) : : Near miss : : No brainer : : Officials : : Our top story tonight : : Out in (location) : : Out there : : Over in : : Pedestrian : : Perfect storm : : Perished : : Perpetrator : : Plagued : : Really : : Reeling : : Reportedly : : Seek : : Senseless murder : : Shots rang out : : Shower activity : : Sketchy details : : Some (meaning about) : : Some of you : : Sources say . . . : : Speaking out : : Stay tuned : : The fact of the matter : : Those of you : : Thus : : Time for a break : : To be fair : : Torrential rain : : Touch base : : Under fire : : Under siege : : Underwent surgery : : Undisclosed : : Undocumented alien : : Unrest : : Untimely death : : Up in (location) : : Up there : : Utilize (you mean use) : : Vehicle : : We�ll be right back : : Welcome back : : Welcome back everybody : : We�ll be back : : Went terribly wrong : : We�re back : : White stuff : : World class : : You folks

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