Taking Artistic License, or Just Plain Misuse of Punctuation?
I have a really random, but interesting thought to ponder here.
Now, maybe this stems from people using Google so much (having to type "in quotes" to get the best search results), but I have noticed that the extreme use of "quotes" is steadily becoming an overused form in the media these days. It isn't just me noticing this, is it? (I mean, imperfect as we all can be at times, I still am a picky grammar whore, okay?)
For example, in an online newspaper article I was looking at earlier, their headline read: Federal Way police seek "serial hotel robber"
That was their exact usage (hey, they forgot some capitalization there, but never mind that). Now, I don't know what a "serial hotel robber" does differently than, say, a regular serial hotel robber - I suppose it's because they aren't sure if it's the same person, although it sounds like it is from the details they provide in the story. Still, a robber is a robber, right? Is it really necessary to emphasize this with "quotes" all over the place? I mean, yes, even I have used them when making "hypothetical" statements or whatnot, but I do believe in most situations, they aren't "necessary" (see what I mean?). Yes, when quoting someone directly, it's quite okay to, for example, "make sure you quote me on that," but this is in terms of improper usage.
I mean, it's kind of sloppy journalism, when it comes down to it. Bad! I realize in the age of the Internet, the media moves at a very fast pace and the news people want to get the story out quickly, but it's coming at a cost, making some look really unprofessional. I see it a LOT in copy and reprints of articles online, in places you'd expect better editing. This stuff really jumps out (and I'm sure not just to me) and is kind of disconcerting. Has America truly been "dumbed down" that much? Let's blame teh Internets! ;@ )
Why this sticks out to me is that during my Screenwriting I classes, the instructor said to leave out "quotes" when emphasizing points while doing a synopsis or treatment for a screenplay. This in fact may just turn off the script reader altogether and is just not necessary. I would think those who went to journalism school would know this, but it seems like it's becoming "acceptable" as the bloggers and so forth do this more and more, and in the meantime is causing much confusion. Perhaps it will become more "widely adopted" (I'm doing all these quotes to prove a point, by the way), but when it comes down to it, technically, it's bad grammar. Then again, I was always the girl who *enjoyed* writing the oft-required five paragraph essays in school, while most moaned and groaned over the idea. I'm also the girl who owns a copy of The Elements of Style, being the aspiring writer sort that I am. (I'm planning to consult that book later, just to see what it says.)
Does anyone else out there have further insight or observation on this? Seriously, being the "word nut" that I am, it's something that really stirs my brain matter! Does anyone else out there even think about random stuff like this? (You know you do!) Tell me I'm not alone here, okay?
As Forrest Gump says: And that is all I have to say about "that". ^_~
Now, maybe this stems from people using Google so much (having to type "in quotes" to get the best search results), but I have noticed that the extreme use of "quotes" is steadily becoming an overused form in the media these days. It isn't just me noticing this, is it? (I mean, imperfect as we all can be at times, I still am a picky grammar whore, okay?)
For example, in an online newspaper article I was looking at earlier, their headline read: Federal Way police seek "serial hotel robber"
That was their exact usage (hey, they forgot some capitalization there, but never mind that). Now, I don't know what a "serial hotel robber" does differently than, say, a regular serial hotel robber - I suppose it's because they aren't sure if it's the same person, although it sounds like it is from the details they provide in the story. Still, a robber is a robber, right? Is it really necessary to emphasize this with "quotes" all over the place? I mean, yes, even I have used them when making "hypothetical" statements or whatnot, but I do believe in most situations, they aren't "necessary" (see what I mean?). Yes, when quoting someone directly, it's quite okay to, for example, "make sure you quote me on that," but this is in terms of improper usage.
I mean, it's kind of sloppy journalism, when it comes down to it. Bad! I realize in the age of the Internet, the media moves at a very fast pace and the news people want to get the story out quickly, but it's coming at a cost, making some look really unprofessional. I see it a LOT in copy and reprints of articles online, in places you'd expect better editing. This stuff really jumps out (and I'm sure not just to me) and is kind of disconcerting. Has America truly been "dumbed down" that much? Let's blame teh Internets! ;@ )
Why this sticks out to me is that during my Screenwriting I classes, the instructor said to leave out "quotes" when emphasizing points while doing a synopsis or treatment for a screenplay. This in fact may just turn off the script reader altogether and is just not necessary. I would think those who went to journalism school would know this, but it seems like it's becoming "acceptable" as the bloggers and so forth do this more and more, and in the meantime is causing much confusion. Perhaps it will become more "widely adopted" (I'm doing all these quotes to prove a point, by the way), but when it comes down to it, technically, it's bad grammar. Then again, I was always the girl who *enjoyed* writing the oft-required five paragraph essays in school, while most moaned and groaned over the idea. I'm also the girl who owns a copy of The Elements of Style, being the aspiring writer sort that I am. (I'm planning to consult that book later, just to see what it says.)
Does anyone else out there have further insight or observation on this? Seriously, being the "word nut" that I am, it's something that really stirs my brain matter! Does anyone else out there even think about random stuff like this? (You know you do!) Tell me I'm not alone here, okay?
As Forrest Gump says: And that is all I have to say about "that". ^_~