Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels, issued a list of phrases that are considered unacceptable expressions on the Tribune Co.’s flagship radio station. This comes from: http://blogs.vocalo.org/feder/2010/03/memo-puts-wgn-news-staffers-at-a-loss-for-words/17374
Do you agree or disagree? I’d love for you to post a comment or two.
Michaels’ list:
- “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