Friday, February 25, 2005
Cluelessness in San Francisco
I wonder how many soldiers are normally in the 579th Engineer Battalion Company?
Is it commanded by a light captain?
How about those desert camoflage fatigues? Is that a solid green DCU?
"the company's field commander" is a quaint little touch.
This reporter's heart is in the right place. But his word processor is writing checks his fund of information can't cash.
No big deal, if he's got solid editorial support. But apparently there's nobody at the SF Gate newsroom who knows the difference between a battalion and a company, or knows that the U.S. Army hasn't worn "fatigues" since sometime before Grenada.
Now, if journalists can't get this stuff right, how can they be expected to do any kind of analysis? How can they explain context to their readers?
After four years of war, and with a local unit gone for more than a year, can't the SF Gate be bothered to educate itself about this important beat?
Editors, how many veterans do you have in your newsroom?
Splash, out
Jason
Is it commanded by a light captain?
How about those desert camoflage fatigues? Is that a solid green DCU?
"the company's field commander" is a quaint little touch.
This reporter's heart is in the right place. But his word processor is writing checks his fund of information can't cash.
No big deal, if he's got solid editorial support. But apparently there's nobody at the SF Gate newsroom who knows the difference between a battalion and a company, or knows that the U.S. Army hasn't worn "fatigues" since sometime before Grenada.
Now, if journalists can't get this stuff right, how can they be expected to do any kind of analysis? How can they explain context to their readers?
After four years of war, and with a local unit gone for more than a year, can't the SF Gate be bothered to educate itself about this important beat?
Editors, how many veterans do you have in your newsroom?
Splash, out
Jason
