Comma Chameleon
In a list of three or more items, this optional comma comes before the conjunction.
What is the Oxford comma?
Libel is the written form of defamation, while the spoken form of defamation is called this.
What is slander?
Find the flub: "Its going to be a great day at the Exponent!"
What is the missing apostrophe in "It's"? (It’s going to be a great day at the Exponent!)
This technique involves angling a story in a way that makes one side seem more reasonable than it really is, often by putting the other side in an overly negative light.
What is framing?
This term describes a newspaper that is not controlled by the university administration but run by students.
What is independent?
A comma is needed before this conjunction when joining two independent clauses.
What is a coordinating conjunction? (Examples: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet)
A legitimate news source should always include this section, where journalists acknowledge and correct mistakes in previous reporting.
What is a corrections or retractions section?
Find the flub: "The reporters went their to cover the story about student protests."
What is "their" should be "there"?
When a journalist tries to present multiple conflicting viewpoints as if they are of equal weight or merit, even though one viewpoint may be less credible or supported by fewer facts.
What is false balance?
The current Editor-In-Chief for the Exponent.
Who is Seth Michael Nelson?
Identify the missing comma in this sentence: After the long meeting we went out for coffee.
What is a comma after "meeting"? (After the long meeting, we went out for coffee.)
A misleading headline that exaggerates or distorts the facts to attract readers is known as this.
What is clickbait?
Find the flub: "Each of the editors have a meeting at noon."
What is "have" should be "has"? (Each of the editors has a meeting at noon.) (Singular subject "Each" needs a singular verb.)
When a journalist presents a misleading comparison between two things, suggesting they are more similar than they are.
What is false equivalence?
The Exponent was a daily newspaper until this year.
What is 2016?
In this sentence, where should the comma(s) go? My brother who lives in Seattle is visiting next week.
What is after "brother" and after "Seattle?" (My brother, who lives in Seattle, is visiting next week.) (Because it’s a nonessential clause.)
This method of media manipulation involves taking a quote or fact out of context to change its original meaning.
What is cherry-picking?
Find the flub: "She said, “I can’t wait for the next issue”!
What is the exclamation mark should go inside the quotation marks? (She said, “I can’t wait for the next issue!”)
This fallacy occurs when an article presents one side of a story in a way that misrepresents or omits important details, skewing the overall narrative to fit a certain agenda.
What is "bias by omission?"
The path to becoming an independent entity began in 1968, when the university removed this editor-in-chief.
Who is William R. Smoot II?
The comma is incorrectly used in this sentence: I love to read, and write in my free time.
Why?
What is because there is no second independent clause? ("Write in my free time" is not a full sentence, so no comma is needed before "and.")
If a journalist publishes a damaging false statement about someone without properly fact-checking, this legal term describes their negligence.
What is reckless disregard for the truth?
Find the flub: "It took them ten days to find the body."
What is the number "ten" should be 10?
This term describes what emotionally charged words in reporting are. These words are used to manipulate readers' feelings instead of presenting objective facts.
What is "loaded language" or "emotionally charged language"?
The Exponent uses this format for its printed publication. It is the largest newspaper format and is characterized by long vertical pages, typically of 22.5 inches (57 cm) in height.
What is a broadsheet?