I'll drink to that

People do care about how to spell. The New York Times editors say their readers know the difference between whiskey and whisky, and the paper has changed its style to accommodate them.

The dog that bit me

... and other tales of woe.
After I told the editing class always to use the relative pronoun "who" for people, not "that" or "which," one student asked me about how to refer to dogs. Are dogs "who" or "that"?

I've been looking for an answer to that one. I'm going to save "who" for people and let the dog be the one "that" ... . Ardent pet lovers would disagree. Go ahead. Even some grammar experts do. For example, Big Dog's Grammar at http://aliscot.com/bigdog/pronouns.htm. You can't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Students blog about editing

Students created the following blogs to fulfill an assignment in JOUR420, News Editing, at the University of Illinois. I'll be following them. And they'll be following each other.

Morning Lab, JOUR420, SP09
Tom Cyrs, http://tcyrstheloon.blogspot.com/
Terrell Starr, http://grammarking-terrell.blogspot.com/
Chris Sienza, http://theconcernedjournalist.blogspot.com/
Lindsay Ignatowski, http://redinkeverywhere.blogspot.com/
Regina Hernandez, http://reginajh.blogspot.com/
Amanda VanDyke, http://amandasanecdotes.blogspot.com/
Betsi Freeman, http://betisfly.blogspot.com/
Mayra Carranza, http://mayracarranza.blogspot.com/
Jing Gao, http://jinggao1.blogspot.com/
Kimberly Scarabello, updated Feb. 16, http://kimbereli.blogspot.com/
Schuyler “Sky” Opila, http://skyopila.blogspot.com/
Justin Hemenway, http://justinhemenway.blogspot.com/
Jean Kim, http://j420blog.blogspot.com/
Ann Colletti, http://annie-thoughtblog.blogspot.com/
Kate Leifheit, http://kateleifheit.blogspot.com/
Lisa Chung, http://www.lisaechung.blogspot.com/

Noon Lab, JOUR420, SP09
Keith Hollenkamp, http://apopcrisis.blogspot.com/
Patrick Wade, http://wittyandfun.blogspot.com/
Marie Wilson, http://mariewilson9.blogspot.com/
Brittney Foreman, http://editingbsblog.blogspot.com/
Erica Yuenger, http://ericayuenger2.blogspot.com/
Carly Rakes, http://letstalkediting.blogspot.com/
Rachel Stuart, http://rachstu87.blogspot.com/
Kayla King, http://editit420.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Murphy, http://stephaniej420.blogspot.com/
Katie Kritzberg, http://katienewseditingblog.blogspot.com/
Michael Carpenter, http://life-and-times-of-mike.blogspot.com/
Amanda Cornish, http://amandacornish.blogspot.com/
Kara Beach, http://kbeach2.blogspot.com/
Angelina Cole, http://angemangeolina.blogspot.com/
Jacob Hurwith, updated Feb. 16, hurwith2.blogspot.com
Tricia Ravelo, http://fortwonty.blogspot.com/

"New Media" Content

http://www.journalism.org/node/14356
Project for Excellence in Journalism monitors content of "new media."

Do as I say, not as I do, says SIU ...

The anti-plagiarism policy at Southern Illinois University may still be in draft mode, but the draft appears to borrow from policies at another institution, without attribution. Read all about it in USA Today.

You'd remember saying something like that, wouldn't you?

Last night Larry King asked Gov. Rod Blagojevich over and over about the content of the tapes that were played by the federal prosecutor after the governor's arrest in December. The transcript is on Lynn Sweet's blog at the Sun-Times. After what the rest of us believe to be remarks made by the governor about the "golden" Senate seat, King asked the governor five different ways, in succession, if that is what he said. The governor evaded the question five different ways. Finally, King moved on. Even King can't get some people to talk.

brought to you by Chinese news agency

I follow the news from Zambia a bit. The nation in southern Africa doesn't get a great deal of press. But the people there did just elect a president. Given the coverage of Zimbabwe, the neighbor to the south, and Congo, the neighbor to the north, you'd think, perhaps, that the peaceful transfer of power in Zambia might get a little of the world's attention. 

It did.

I read about the new president of Zambia as covered by Xinhua News Agency in China. That was the story linked by Google News.