Wednesday, February 01, 2006

When the I's don't have it

During the first week of school each year at South, I give my students a list of "bad words" I do not want to see in their papers or writing prompts. The list includes "I think," "I believe," "In my opinion," "I don't think," and "I don't believe."
Though there are some sterling examples in American speeches and literature of people using those words, for the most part they do nothing but weaken writing.
"Nobody cares what you think," I tell the students, which always brings righteous indignation from a few. I pick one student and use his or her name to make my point, reciting two sentences.
"I think John is a good student."
"John is a good student."
"When you say, 'I think,' you are indicating you have some doubt that John is a good student," I tell them.
"When you leave those two words out, you make it sound as if there is no doubt he is a good student. It's still an opinion, but it sounds like undisputed fact.
Some catch on immediately. Others continue saying, "How can I say what I think if I can't say 'I think?' " " Sadly, one or two obstinately continue using the words throughout the year, weakening their writing each time.
I am reminded of the "I think" lesson each time I read some of the columns in area newspapers. It is not an easy job writing a newspaper column. I did it for more than 20 years and I wrote some that were terrible. During that time, I wrote more than 1,000 Sports Talk columns, most of which were profiles of high school athletes. When I was at the Lamar Democrat, I wrote a humor column called "The Inside Corner," which usually focused on some item on the news. Some of them are almost unbearable to read now. A few hold up pretty well, even after more than 16 years. The columns I enjoyed the most came after I became editor at The Carthage Press. Some were profiles of people connected to news stories, others offered fresh takes on news stories or opinions. For the most part, the personal pronoun I was not featured unless I was relating an experience connected with a news story.
So when readers have commented recently on some of the columns that are running in Joplin-area newspapers, for the most part I am in complete agreement. The Dave Barrys and Erma Bombecks are few and far between. For the most part, I do not want to read about columnists' home lives, their children, etc, unless they are connected to some local news story.
I also do not want to read about columnists mightily struggling on what to put in their columns. (And when that happens on the second or third column, it leads you to believe the newspaper might be wise to find some other use for that space.)
Part of the problem comes from newspaper editors and publishers who believe columns should be used to introduce the readers to the reporters. While there is some merit to that, if a reporter writes enough columns, the reader will learn about the reporter's personality and what the reporter values through the choice of topics and how the columnist writes about them.
Unfortunately, too many reporters fall into the trap of writing about their home lives and over the past 20 years I have only see one columnist in this area, Nancy Hughes of the Lamar Press, who did this effectively.
Of the local columnists, Bruce Vonder Haar of the Joplin Daily and Michael Davison of the Globe are writing solid sports columns on a regular basis. The only other Globe columnist I look forward to reading on a regular basis is Ed Simpson. Many times I do not agree with him, but he usually writes about topics that interest me.
I have had no problems with John Hacker's columns for the Daily, though some of my readers have. Telling readers just what goes into putting out a new newspaper offers some insight into just what a chore John and his crew are tackling every day as they battle the firmly entrenched Globe.
There are some fine niche columns in area newspapers, covering everything from genealogy to car care to library services. Those are fine for reaching a limited number of readers.
Marvin VanGilder at The Carthage Press has written an absorbing column on area history for years and also writes another column in which he comments on current affairs.
What kind of columnist should area papers be using? The Globe would be better off reducing the frequency of Mike Pound's column and finding two alternating columnists, one who can dig into the personal side of events in the local news and another who can comment forcefully on those same stories.
The Daily could use a steady dose of the kind of feature Michelle Pippin did recently on the late Jamison Alexander, the Joplin High School student who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.
Signature columnists bring the reader back day after day, or in the case of weeklies, week after week. Right now, no such columnist is featured on the pages of area newspapers.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:16 AM

    Randy, you are not always right (!). Although in principle I agree with what you say about expression, the word "I" or the words "I believe" or "I think" are not in themselves bad words. And "I think John is a good student" does not mean the same thing as "John is a good student."
    Ask a lawyer.
    That aside, I agree that students need to have more faith in their opinions and be willing to back them up. But telling them not to use the word "I" causes some bad trouble of its own.
    Here's a site for your students to go to, when learning to write good columns. It is NPR's "This I believe" columns, resurrected from a 1950s radio program.
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138

    Happy writing!

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  2. Anonymous6:25 AM

    After moving here two years ago from another state, I am feel as though I am living in a time machine transported to another era.


    I could write a column with more flare, personality and interest than Mr. Pound. He is an abominable columnist. And then there are those two lonely, self-absorbed women attempting to pen columns on cooking and what ever else happens to be written on or in their calendar. I can't remember their names.


    Edgar Simpson and Max McCoy are the only two bright spots. I almost refuse to buy the paper and have tried a subscription...you couldn't train a puppy on it's content or size.The Joplin Globe online is enough news for me and the price is right.

    The television anchors, both morning and afternoon, are like watching The Flintstones....the stone age meets the 21st century.

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  3. Anonymous7:26 AM

    Randy, I'm afraid you are waging a losing battle. The "I" is here to stay in columns. Self-absorbed, egotistical, world-traveled journalists who "have seen it all" will continue to write about tier own lives, their wives, their childrens, their travails about deciding what to wear to a football game, or anything else that is personal. We will continue to be inundated about the schedules of some writers who tell us where they went, where they dined, what they ate, the recipes they asked for, and the things they bought. The new generation is obviously going to continue this sickening approach to column writing. For proof just read what ex-members of the Chart at Missouri Southern have written in vqrious blogs and in various columns about their days at MSSC or U and wonder how they got away with those shenanigans and why nobody seems willing to call them on what appears in some cases to be criminal acts. Anyway, they are examples of the self-absorbed journalists of today--and unfortunately--of tomorrow.

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  4. Anonymous7:52 AM

    How did you redo the times on your posts to appear as if they were written during non-school hours? There were dozens of posts with time stamps between 9 and 11:30 a.m., and many between 1 and 3 p.m. Just curious.

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  5. Anonymous8:26 AM

    Mr. Murrow: Lawyers are still debating the definition of "is," thanks to William Jefferson Clinton. Monkeys that know sign language could also debate whether the two statements mean the same thing, only with monkeys, the debate is more enjoyable. Adding "I think" to any statement in column writing violates two of the three guiding tenants of newspaper writing: brevity and clarity. "I think" adds superfluous words and confuses readers. It's also lazy.

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  6. Anonymous8:40 AM

    "I think, therefore I am," as Descartes said.

    Although the first person might not be best for newspaper reporting, there is nothing wrong about the word "I" and to say "I think John is a good student" does not imply that one is unsure of one's opinion.

    Today's reporters have to use a lot more skill than that when installing their (or the Bush Administration's) opinions in their supposedly objective newspaper stories.

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  7. Anonymous9:24 AM

    "I think I let the dog out this morning," as my 15-year-old daughter said upon discovering Rover's present in the dining room.

    Does that not convey unsurity?

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  8. Anonymous9:24 AM

    I tend to agree with your theory on the "I think" phrase, however, "I think" you might be overthinking it.

    I really enjoy the columns that Marian Kelly writes as a guest columnist for the Globe. They are very entertaining.

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  9. Anonymous12:49 PM

    Just because you don't like something Randy, doesn't mean the rest of the public doesn't either

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  10. Anonymous1:03 PM

    Marvin VanGilder hasn't had any original work in his local history column in 20 years. Anyone can open up old county history books and rehash the same old tales. The Globe fired a columnist for such blatant plagarism.

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  11. Anonymous2:56 PM

    Look past the literal, people.
    The problem isn't so much the use of the letter "I" as it is the plethora of self-absorbed columnists that write only dull "columns" about their own lives. My mechanic doesn't feel the need to tell me all about his last argument with his wife. The kid serving me big macs doesn't bore me with tales bemoaning the difficulties of preparing my lunch. Even Mike Wallace doesn't force me to suffer the ramblings of what he would do if he were king. I don't know why these "columnists" (or most bloggers for that matter) think we are so interested in their own dull lives. I get the paper because I want the news, not a new best freind. Hey, my kid is cute too. Yours isn't so special.

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  12. Anonymous4:48 PM

    I'll say it again. I would not want my child in Mr. Turner's class.

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  13. Anonymous4:51 PM

    That's why America is such a great country. People have the right to let their children remain ignorant.

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  14. Anonymous5:10 PM

    Come on, leave Marvin alone, he is writing about Carthage for God sake, what is there to say for very long?
    I agree with the I's, I have opinions and don't need any news persons, just the news please, I'll draw my own from that.

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  15. Anonymous12:20 PM

    If its so stupid, why are you reading it?

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  16. Anonymous3:06 PM

    Did it ever occur to all of you budding Hemingways and Steinbecks out there to write a column of your own and submit it to your local paper? Then you could enjoy your own fine writing and the thrill of seeing your name in print.

    Here's your first assignment: Give us your take on President George Bush's State of the Union Address. Give us 500-600 words in the next 30 minutes.
    Oh yeah, all statements better be accurate, all names must be spelled correctly, and the piece better not contain anything libelous or which could be misconstrued as being libelous.
    And don't go over 600 words. After all, we have to have room for William Rusher.

    Not so easy after all, is it?

    Joe

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  17. Anonymous11:20 PM

    Joe, that's easy. My take on the SOTU:

    "9/11. 9/11. 9/11. And let us not forget, 9/11."

    Need we say more????

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  18. Anonymous8:44 AM

    Ed:
    You're 491 words short. Bad reporter. No donut.

    Joe

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