Unlike the AP, they do have the correct symbol for kilometers per hour.

 

Carleton

 

From: Kilopascal [mailto:kilopas...@cox.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2013 09:35
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:53222] Has National Geographic switched to metric on TV?

 

If it is on YouTube, can you post the links so the rest of us can see?

 

I can think of a number of reasons why.  In the past if anyone wrote to
National Geographic and asked them to do metric, the response they were
always given was that National Geographic's primary audience was American
and surveys of Americans always resulted in a demand for USC only.  This may
be changing and the influence of the world wanting metric is more important
than the smaller US audience wanting USC.  You can't ignore the world
anymore.

 

It is also possible these programs are increasingly being produced by
non-Americans who use metric.  The programs are then bought by National
Geographic and they stick their name on it.  The American narrator may just
be a voice over who follows the script of a non-American.  

 

Here is National Geographic's style guide on unit use:

 

http://stylemanual.ngs.org/home/M/metric-international-measurement

 

 


METRIC AND INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT 



METRIC AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC uses standard measurements except in natural history and
science articles where metric, if appropriate, may be substituted.

Supplement maps generally use standard measurements with metric in
parentheses.

Weight and measures may be abbreviated in credit lines and map notes. Such
abbreviations do not take periods; plurals do not add s or es:
            vase 12 cm, 16 mm, f/22, 11 sq mi, three hr, 8-in snake, 11 min
30 sec, 49-yr span.

Note their style guide uses incorrect symbols for hours and seconds.

 

 


[USMA:53222] Has National Geographic switched to metric on TV?
<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=subject:%22%5BUSM
A%3A53222%5D+Has+National+Geographic+switched+to+metric+on+TV%3F%22>  


ezra . steinberg
<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=from:%22ezra+.+st
einberg%22>  Mon, 02 Sep 2013 21:42:30 -0700
<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=date:20130902>  

I've just looked at a few nature videos from National Geographic that were 
uploaded to YouTube and was surprised to hear all the narration using metric

only. 
At first I thought there was British (or South African) involvement because
the 
first narrator I heard was a Brit (or South African). But the third video
had 
an American narrator and everything was still done in metric only. 
 
 
Is this a deliberate shift on the part of the National Geographic division
that 
does nature videos? (If so, it is most welcome! And let's hope it sticks.
:-) 
 
 
Ezra 
 

 

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