Is spelling important?

[Eric]

More spelling:

A South Korean couple is rescued from the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia more than 24 hours after it ran around, as a search continues.

Great for the couple, but why was the ship running around? Journalists seem to panic when writing under stress. If they make too many typos, why should we always trust their copy?

[Eric]

Here's another piece of thicko spelling:

09.14 Singer Charlotte Church will formerly settle her phone-hacking claim against News Group Newspapers at the High Court today. Miss Church, who gave evidence to the inquiry during the first module, is expected to be at court where details of her compensation will be made public. She is likely to receive between £380,000 and £500,000.

From Daily Telegraph, 27th February 2012

[Stiffelio]

Here's another piece of thicko spelling:



From Daily Telegraph, 27th February 2012

formerly???

[Eric]

---

That is correct, Stiffelio. Journalists are often under extreme time pressure. But if they are slipshod about the language, you suspect that they could also be slipshod about the content.

[Eric]

Buckles or Buckley? Look at this shambolic article in the Daily Telegraph by someone called Laura Donnelly. Probably not her fault because the dailies now save money by not employing proofreaders:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...G4S-chief.html

If the guards are supposed to speak English, the journos should be able to spell it - unless it's a case of Dr Buckles and Mr Buckley.