Outsourced editing

Wow. Didn't know this was happening.

Nielsen folds Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews

Nielsen folds Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews

What a great class

My students have outdone themselves this time. Their work on the Gree-ality Web site was above and beyond. They wrote some great stories on the City Council's impact on UNC students. They also took photos and created a video that is pretty darn hilarious, imho.

Missing the local story

Missing the local story — Again

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Error sullies sportswriter's good name

I was excited to see that Marion Jones is attempting a comeback in basketball. According to a story by William C. Rhoden of The New York Times, Jones is practicing in anticipation of playing for the Women's National Basketball Association this summer.

Unfortunately, the story contained a major error. (It's been corrected on the Web site, but it will always be there in print.) In the original article, Rhoden wrote that the last time Jones played organized basketball was during her freshman year at the University of North Carolina in 1994-95. As a point guard, Jones was a key cog in the Heels' run to the national championship. But that was not her final season on the court.

After missing her sophomore season with a broken foot, Jones led the team to a 29-3 record in 1996-97. Jones skipped her senior year to concentrate on track. She won five medals at the 2000 Olympics but lost them all after she admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.

A simple call or e-mail to the UNC athletics department would have helped Rhoden avoid the error.

The reason I caught this error is because I covered a few ACC basketball games in 1996-97 for The Herald-Sun in Durham, N.C. Simply put, Jones was spectacular. Her speed and court savvy, combined with Tracy Reid's play in the paint, made the Heels fun to watch. And I'm not just saying that because I got my master's degree at UNC.

I love Rhoden's writing. But from now on, every time I read one of his articles, I'll question all the facts. That's why checking facts is so important.

Boy, this is annoying!

One great thing about the Internet is that anyone can be a publisher. The problem is that anyone can be a publisher. Most people have no training in the hows and whys of journalism. Take the new Facebook group I came across today. It's called "University of Northern Colorado Men's and Girl's Basketball."

Yes, you read it right. Stop spitting coffee on your computer screen.

Is it 2009, or 1959? This is insulting, people. If you don't understand why, ask yourself why it's not "boy's" basketball. It's just plain mean to refer to "men" and "girls" and expect readers to see them as equals. Get it? If not, go to the AP Stylebook. My 2009 edition has the following under the "girl" entry:

Applicable until 18th birthday is reached. Use woman or young woman afterward.

I realize many 17-year-olds attend college, but because most females at universities are 18 and older, I tell students to use "women" in reference to college students when specific age is not known. Here's another way to look at it: Would you use "boys" or "men"? Women goes with men. Girls goes with boys.

Better yet, go to UNC's athletics Web page. You won't find any "girls" or "boys." I'm getting kind of sick of having to spell this out for people. As far as I'm concerned, if women want to refer to themselves as "girls," they can go for it. But if you're trying to support a team, have a little consideration for what people of my mother's generation went through so that women could even play Division I college basketball.

The name's the same

It looks like Greeley's new mayor is Tom Norton, husband of UNC President Kay Norton. Talk about a power couple.

Anyone think Phillipsen would have won had he endorsed medical marijuana two weeks ago?