> I do not grant that a Sunday Morning Public Affairs Show is the equivalent of > a daily newspaper, and thus must restrict its vocabulary to the same mass > level. Clearly, piling on gratuitous multi-syllabic adjectives is tiresome > and gets in the way of communication (and now we are mirroring the thread on > HBO breasts). But in the context of her show, which was a rather free flowing > and abstract discussion reflecting on the 4th of July, (and not, for example, > an attempt to report a breaking news story), I don't think her use was > uncalled for.
I don't believe it was uncalled for, but I think she needs to remind herself that the average person is of average intelligence. Would I prefer to live in her world, a world that challenges viewers to rise above average? Yes, but since I apparently cannot spell grisly correctly, I guess I am living proof that intelligence is not the norm. > Grade Level and Circulation of Current Periodicals > Periodical Grade Level Circulation > Times of India 15 2,144,842 > London Times 12 619,682 > Los Angeles Times 12 1,292,274 > Boston Globe 12 707,813 > National Enquirer 12 2,760,000 > Sydney Sun-Herald 12 393,000 > China Daily 12 1,000,000+ > Atlantic Monthly 11 1,500,000 > Better Homes and Gardens 11 7,628,424 > Atlanta Constitution 11 606,246 > Cleveland Plain Dealer 11 479,131 > San Jose Mercury News 11 298,067 > New Yorker 10 1,900,000 > New York Times 10 1,680,583 > Washington Post 10 1,007,487 > USA Today 10 2,665,815 > TV Guide 9 13,200,000 > The Sun (UK Tabloid) 9 3,541,002 > Daily Mirror (UK Tabloid) 9 2,148,058 > Harpers 9 230,159 > Time 9 4,114,137 > Reader's Digest 9 12,212,040 > > Notice that: > > Two magazines with the largest circulations in the world, TV Guide and > Readers Digest, are written at the 9th-grade reading level. > The newspaper with the largest circulation in the world, the Sun, is written > at the 9th-grade reading level. > USA Today is written at the 10th-grade level. As for the survey, I would add to my initial statement that the rules of journalism as I defined them apply only to US journalists. From what evidence I've seen, most overseas journalists are expected to be smarter than their audiences, which may explain why Ms. Amanpour can drop a big word from time to time. I'd also add that the level of the average reader does not reflect what level the paper is actually targeting. I'd actually maintain USA Today is aiming for people with well below a 7th grade education, which is not to say they are not capable of substantive coverage, but the way it presents information often borders on juvenile. Also note that from an advertising perspective, the more educated the audience, the less likely they are to be swayed by standard marketing, so media aimed at the best of us will be less likely to turn a profit using conventional means. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
