Book Review: Weighing Anchors: When Network Newscasters Don’t Know Write from Wrong, by Mervin Block

Abstract

Weighing Anchors: When Network Newscasters Don't Know Write from Wrong. Mervin Block. Portland: Marion Street Press, 2012. 216 pp. $18.95 pbk.Readers expecting to find something new in Mervin Block's Weighing Anchors: When Network Newscasters Don't Know Write from Wrong are going to be disappointed. However, its message demands your attention-too many network news anchors and programs suffer from writing errors that erode the reputation of that individual and the quality of that broadcast.Block explains why his book, a reprint of many of his website posts, is important to educators, university students, and the general public.Most scripts at the Big Three networks are free of mistakes, but network scripts shouldn't have so many defects. So why write about faulty scripts . . . ? [Because] we expect a network to do good work; when it doesn't, it's worth a story.Block identifies the Big Three (ABC, CBS, and NBC) in the aforementioned pref- ace, but the book also evaluates CNN's anchors and programs. But he never explains why MSNBC and FOX News are exempt from his evaluation and criticism. This is one of the shortcomings of Weighing Anchors.Several themes emerge from Weighing Anchors. Block repeatedly discusses the important role a quality copy editor provides newsrooms, and how the absence of such an individual partially explains the numerous mistakes that appear on air. He cites examples from almost every prominent news anchor and program, including ABC's World News, NBC's Nightly News, CBS' Evening News, and CNN.The potential for qualifier words worming their way into news stories could be flagged by a strong editor, Block asserts. He reminds his readers that journalism stu- dents are taught not to characterize news as good or bad, happy or sad. Or amazing, shocking, disturbing or alarming. Listeners can decide for themselves how good or bad the news is.Block acknowledges budget cuts have eliminated the copy editor from many news- rooms, but he does not accept that as a sufficient reason for abandoning copy editing. The ND [news director] should choose someone who's a strong writer, knows English well and is confident enough to edit even anchors, he states.Another theme Block examines is network and cable television's overuse of learned. He notes,Some of broadcast's biggest names are among the biggest learners: they tell us they've this or that. And though they usually imply they've something important, whatever they've is often not new, or not true or not theirs alone.Block identifies multiple examples in which learned events were in fact stories disseminated by the Associated Press or another news agency hours (and in some cases days) before the broadcasts began. …