The Argus has gone too far this time

daveinprague said:

But, the articles title is 'University of Sussex reveals £500m expansion plan'

Im guessing they think the readers would get the point from that?

Having said that, im not a fan of the rag.

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Not Andy Naylor said:

It's almost certainly just me, but I'm at once bemused, baffled and annoyed by the Argus's habit of not mentioning any specific people or places in its intros. Take today's front page, for example. Main story, first paragraph. "A university is set for a £500 million expansion ..." Why not say "The University of Sussex"?

Page 2: "Bosses at a mental health trust ..." Why not "the Sussex Partnership mental health trust"? Page 6: "A major overhaul of a town's main shopping street ..." No reason not to mention that it's Horsham, is there?

It goes on: "a Sussex village" (Hurtspierpoint), "a city" (Brighton & Hove), and on page 15 "a council" and "a college" in the same opening sentence.

And of course, on page 7: "A football president has joined an elite group of heroes to become a freeman of the city." Mad, isn't it? Especially when the headline (Hero Knight to be made freeman) rather gives the game away about who this mystery president is.

But that's not my objection. I can accept that the Argus in some strange way wants to keep us in suspense and pique our curiosity. Until we read the later paragraphs and discover the dreary reality, "a town" might prove to be somewhere exotic in Patagonia or Muanmar rather than Hailsham or Crawley. Fine by me if they want to begin the story of Albion's eventual ascension into the Premier League with "A professional sports club has won promotion to an elite soccer competition."

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shaolinpunk said:

It's deliberate. The theory is that if, you lead with the location in the opening par, you're giving people that aren't from that area an excuse to stop reading

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Not Andy Naylor said:

And of course, on page 7: "A football president, who lives in an £800,000 detached house, has joined an elite group of heroes to become a freeman of the city." Mad, isn't it? Especially when the headline (Hero Knight to be made freeman) rather gives the game away about who this mystery president is.

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Not Andy Naylor said:

It's almost certainly just me, but I'm at once bemused, baffled and annoyed by the Argus's habit of not mentioning any specific people or places in its intros. Take today's front page, for example. Main story, first paragraph. "A university is set for a £500 million expansion ..." Why not say "The University of Sussex"?

Page 2: "Bosses at a mental health trust ..." Why not "the Sussex Partnership mental health trust"? Page 6: "A major overhaul of a town's main shopping street ..." No reason not to mention that it's Horsham, is there?

It goes on: "a Sussex village" (Hurtspierpoint), "a city" (Brighton & Hove), and on page 15 "a council" and "a college" in the same opening sentence.

And of course, on page 7: "A football president has joined an elite group of heroes to become a freeman of the city." Mad, isn't it? Especially when the headline (Hero Knight to be made freeman) rather gives the game away about who this mystery president is.

But that's not my objection. I can accept that the Argus in some strange way wants to keep us in suspense and pique our curiosity. Until we read the later paragraphs and discover the dreary reality, "a town" might prove to be somewhere exotic in Patagonia or Muanmar rather than Hailsham or Crawley. Fine by me if they want to begin the story of Albion's eventual ascension into the Premier League with "A professional sports club has won promotion to an elite soccer competition."

No, my problem with the Dick Knight intro is the maddening inconsistency.

Leave aside the fact that it should probably be "A football club president", why "THE city"? By their own insane, twisted logic it should surely be "A city".

It's too much. A newspaper has seriously annoyed a reader.

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Not Andy Naylor said:

It's almost certainly just me, but I'm at once bemused, baffled and annoyed by the Argus's habit of not mentioning any specific people or places in its intros. Take today's front page, for example. Main story, first paragraph. "A university is set for a £500 million expansion ..." Why not say "The University of Sussex"?

Page 2: "Bosses at a mental health trust ..." Why not "the Sussex Partnership mental health trust"? Page 6: "A major overhaul of a town's main shopping street ..." No reason not to mention that it's Horsham, is there?

It goes on: "a Sussex village" (Hurtspierpoint), "a city" (Brighton & Hove), and on page 15 "a council" and "a college" in the same opening sentence.

And of course, on page 7: "A football president has joined an elite group of heroes to become a freeman of the city." Mad, isn't it? Especially when the headline (Hero Knight to be made freeman) rather gives the game away about who this mystery president is.

But that's not my objection. I can accept that the Argus in some strange way wants to keep us in suspense and pique our curiosity. Until we read the later paragraphs and discover the dreary reality, "a town" might prove to be somewhere exotic in Patagonia or Muanmar rather than Hailsham or Crawley. Fine by me if they want to begin the story of Albion's eventual ascension into the Premier League with "A professional sports club has won promotion to an elite soccer competition."

No, my problem with the Dick Knight intro is the maddening inconsistency.

Leave aside the fact that it should probably be "A football club president", why "THE city"? By their own insane, twisted logic it should surely be "A city".

It's too much. A newspaper has seriously annoyed a reader.

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mejonaNO12 aka riskit said:

Trust me. From (very brief) experience of writing news for radio and print it is one the first tools you learn. It makes your life SO MUCH EASIER.

You and the reader/listener HATE repetition, so you find any way possible to get round it.

For example if I was writing something about Oscar Garcia I would start the first sentenece "Brighton manager Oscar garcia has...."

The second would say " The spaniard claims he......"

The 3rd "However the 40 year old, you took over from Gus Poyet has re-itterated...."

It's the same with starting an article.

You don't want to write "Sussex University is set for a £500m expansion" as you then have to start the new sentence with less flow.

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Guinness Boy said:

You'll probably find the OP has a lot of experience when it comes to writing.

In fact I have read very many entertaining articles by Not Andy Naylor.

Nick, it transpires, was writing for Gulls Eye when I was in Kickers and Lois Cords.

See what I did there?

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Guinness Boy said:

You'll probably find the OP has a lot of experience when it comes to writing.

In fact I have read very many entertaining articles by Not Andy Naylor.

Nick, it transpires, was writing for Gulls Eye when I was in Kickers and Lois Cords.

See what I did there?

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The Large One said:

Stating that you were a casual reader of Gull's Eye...?

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The Large One said:

Stating that you were a casual reader of Gull's Eye...?

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Toronto Seagull said:

You're admitting to wearing cords in your yoof?

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mejonaNO12 aka riskit said:

Trust me. From (very brief) experience of writing news for radio and print it is one the first tools you learn. It makes your life SO MUCH EASIER.

You and the reader/listener HATE repetition, so you find any way possible to get round it.

For example if I was writing something about Oscar Garcia I would start the first sentenece "Brighton manager Oscar garcia has...."

The second would say " The spaniard claims he......"

The 3rd "However the 40 year old, you took over from Gus Poyet has re-itterated...."

It's the same with starting an article.

You don't want to write "Sussex University is set for a £500m expansion" as you then have to start the new sentence with less flow.

Click to expand...

Not Andy Naylor said:

Precisely my point. You wouldn't start by saying "A Catalan football manager ..." A news intro especially needs to get the "who, what, why, where" in asap.

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Jack Straw said:

He would you report the wonder goal and following celebration that you witnessed on Sunday morning?

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Not Andy Naylor said:

Precisely my point. You wouldn't start by saying "A Catalan football manager ..." A news intro especially needs to get the "who, what, why, where" in asap.

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