Monday, January 01, 2007

The Hindu gaffes

Initially when I started blogging, I used to write regularly about the goof ups of The Hindu. After a point, it got boring as it was easy pickings and I stopped posting on them. But what I read today made me revive that category.

The Hindu Metroplus tells us about the seven things to watch out for in 2007. First, the Cricket World Cup. Where you find this line
Will the Aussies send off McGrath and Warne uncorking champagne after the finals?
. Sudhish for your information, Warne retired from One Day Cricket long back, and he is retiring from all forms of cricket this week, except for the English County season.

Atleast that is an oversight, I can accept. But what about this, while writing about Small Cars?
Mayawati might have tried to put the brakes on the small car project but this year, the Tatas are determined to unveil what could be India's most significant automobile revolution in recent times.
Mayawati? It can't even be a typo for Mamata Bannerjee. This goof up on the same day when your editor allotts the entire editorial space to what is almost a CPI(M) press release about the small car project.

And why do you have to mention malls when writing about grocery retail? Surely Indians aren't going to Life Style or Globus to buy potatoes?

Guess this is the new year gift to us from Mr. N Ram.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Hindu's Metro Plus is largely fluff. I find it surprising that better and more established writers and journalists even agree to get their pieces featured there along with utter crap from others.

It does have its uses: TV listings, and train and flight schedules! Other than these (and perhaps the ads), one doesn't miss much by giving it a miss.

Anonymous said...

Earlier in the day, when I saw the Metro Plus story, i was wondering how an editor can miss this fact. Anyway somebody will complain this to Reader's Editor and he will write a big story next monday telling ever body that how hindu is open about its mistakes and how various deadline pressures affect the quality blah blah. Funny thing is that today Reader's Editor talks about grammar mistakes. Mothalla contenta olunga parunga aduthathu grammara paarkalam.

I cud not find any reference to the second item you have mentioned. Was that story published today ?

Anonymous said...

Abhi,
Except few pieces like S.Muthiah's column, most of the stories published in Metro Plus are mediocre. Metro Plus is targetted at local advertisers who otherwise could not afford to advertise in the main Hindu section. That does not means that Hindu can getaway with whatever they publish. According to Sudhish Kamath, even a metro plus story goes through four levels of review before it gets published. I am surprised not even one person could spot this mistake. This explains the professionalism of Hindu.

Anonymous said...

That guy is an idiot. Meet him in person and you'll see how fake fake can get.

Nilu said...

ennamo po, aduthha case un mela thaan..

tris said...

"You will say Tata to bikes, and `Aata' to Reliance. "

??

Chenthil said...

Abi, fluff is the right word. Still this was too much for me to pass up.

Saravanan, Sudhish has already put in his apology, using the same words, deadline pressure. Even Warne is somewhat understandable, old news and all, but Mayawati for Mamata shows that the editors too slept.

Anon, no comments.

Tilo, weelcome back. That was supposed to be wordplay I guess.

Suderman said...

Sorry to post these four times Chenthil, wanted to make sure there are fewer gaffes this time around!
:)
So here I go again:
Hi there!
Just to keep you posted that we've made corrections in the online edition.
I apologise for causing you much mental agony with such unacceptable errors and hope you will now be able to sleep tonight.
However, I also urge you to do a little research on new-age retailing and malls before you pose queries that undermine your brilliance.
Here's something for starters:
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2006/jun/08sld5.htm
Will Indians go to the malls to pick up potatoes?
When I last checked (at Hypercity), they did. With players like Reliance and Walmart getting into groceries and fresh food and sourcing materials straight from the farm, costs are bound to go down.
That para on retailing is about how we are going to have more of these superstores (styled like malls in case you didn't know) selling fruits and vegetables at extremely competitive prices.
And while I completely appreciate your criticism and judgement on wordplay, with your kind permission, may I do the same with your post?

1. "goof ups" is a hyphenated word.
2. "was easy pickings," I'm sure you concede, sounds like you are talking about doing something to your nose.
3. "stopped posting on them" - them "pickings"?
4. "after the finals?." You cannot use both the question-mark and the period next to each other, doofus.
5. For your information, Chenthil, "Sudhish for your information" needs a comma after Sudhish.
6. "Small Cars" need not be in proper case. The cars won't mind if you refer to them in lower. After all, they are 'small' cars.
7. "Mamata Bannerjee," though attracts a lot of banners, uses "Banerjee" as a surname. How's that for a start since you are in the business of spotting typos?
8. Don't you think that your allegation that my editor "allotts" the entire editorial space is an 'exagggggerated' claim, with the extra t and all?
9. Also maybe it is purely your enthusiasm in welcoming Tilo that you have said "weelcome back"...
he he!
Chill mate! The reason I did this dissection is to make you see that errors happen to the best of us.
So the next time you do your "pickings" of others, maybe you ought to clean your fingers first.
And, I wish you a very warm happy new year.
Cheers!

Chenthil said...

Sudhish, please note that the mistakes I pointed out in that article were not typos or bad syntax or punctuations. It was about facts, which you have accepted in your post.

Regarding Malls, better read up on the difference between a mall, a hypermart and a supermarket. For your information, I am in the business of selling potatoes.

And, if you have time, do search for The Hindu in my blog. You will find that I have been writing critically about The Hindu even before you started blogging - I apologise if I have pricked your balloon of self importance.

Anonymous said...

huh! this sudish has got an attitude problem. he thinks he is shakespears sister..lol
this guy doesnt even know the difference between GK and Grammar..
Hindu in olden days was a very good paper but people like Sudish oh god! save Hindu.

Anonymous said...

goes on to teach chenthil that people in glass houses shouldn't change with lights on. LOL!
to give critical analysis, you need to have more qualification than just a blog.

Anonymous said...

Sudhish kamath is a fool. He just shot himself in the foot with the opponent's gun.

Why use word verifications? Is your blog that popular for spammers to irritate you?

Nilu said...

There has got to be a name for this.

And, I take credit for it all.

Anonymous said...

Sudhish,
Don't shoot the messenger. If you want to, then you have to go after lot of people. Critics need not be perfect and even they make mistakes. If they have a valid point you have to accept it and should not complain that review had bad grammar or spelling mistakes. If the same rule is applied to you, then you can't do any movie reviews for your newspaper. Consider you thrash a movie like Vivah and the movie's director Sooraj Barjatya comes back and says that your movie TFLW is sucked so you should not talk about Vivah. Will you accept that ?

Also Chenthil does not claim to be the saviour of journalism and he has limited resources to run his blog. Unlike Chenthil, Hindu with its vast resources at its disposal, could not correct the fact on the issue that is dominating the media headlines for past one month. Its shame on Hindu.

Suderman said...

hi chenthil,
It is surprising to see you take all this so seriously.
I was just having a little fun. :) There is no need to get all that defensive. I just did a little nitpicking myself to illustrate that errors (factual or typos) are human and they can happen to anyone and NOT to make you look like a dick.
You are free to criticise The Hindu or the New York Times, it is a free world.
Your apology however has been accepted and I urge you to accept mine if I ended up "pricking your balloon of self-importance." I'm sorry da. Just thought you'll take it in the right spirit. Now I wonder why you didn't find my comment funny.
Cheers!

Ravages/CC said...

Sudhish,
Having read the post, and the comments, I don't think your comment was intended to be funny.

Nilu said...

Sudhish,

You should always explain why your jokes are funny, you know.

This Chandru is such an idiot that he does not understand your jokes.

Anonymous said...

sudhish ku kupparakai vizhandha meesai la man ottalai :)

adu purinjikongo ba!!

both nilu and ravages are fools, idu kuda teriyama pesaranga

Anonymous said...

It's not nice - you guys hounding the Indian Blogosphere's Karan Johar like this ;-). Chenthil, Nilu, Ravages - Shame on you!

Anonymous said...

Sudhish, you do realise that some people actually spend money to buy the Hindu. I don't think I spent a penny reading Chentil's post. What we pay for is for quality.So its really not justified for you to dissect chentil's post. Accept your mistake, but leave it at that.

Anonymous said...

Sudhish tooked a movee by name 4th letter word. I did not like the movee veri much. No sex and no joke. Also he is so seerious these days. He is threatening everybody. Everybody says that the The hindhu is losing it reputation because of seplling mistakes and wrong informasion. People should writed the good english like Kanath de la sudish.

Anonymous said...

Dear Chenthil,
I dont agree with you with regards to potatos not being available at hypermarts. Big bazaar for instance has foodbazaar which sells all veggies @ very low prices. Veggie @ Super malls are the places where MUMBAI is headed to. BigBazaar,CenterOne,Hypermart,ShakariBaandar are all examples of the same.BIGBAZAAR IS COMING TO CHENNAI SO IN FEW DAYS POTATOS @ MALLS....

Anonymous said...

Suderman seems to have arrived!
Your post is one of the 17(!) ones by various pricks who have belied themselves into thinking that they've attained Supremacy by noticing the two Blunders in the paper.
I've always had a doubt. Are you guys called pricks because your appendages are as small as pricks, or is it because they are small and pointed too?

Anonymous said...

@ Suderman, Suderfans and all other Sudermanis!!

This is ridiculous. Sudhish made mistakes and was pointed out the same. "attained supremacy"?? Now how ridiculous can that be?? As far as I can see, Chenthil has just pointed out errors. I dont see him gloating with joy! Hope Sudhish doesnt bloat more with his jalras around him.

Anonymous said...

ordinary people make news when they succeed.
only legends make news when they fail. you guys just made suderman a legend.
rock on suderman.
most bloggers including me only wish they had your job. that's probably why these many bitter comments.

Anonymous said...

That four letter word - DUMB.
Starring: Preeti, Sriram, Suderfans and sudermanis...
Produced by: KP Sudermani jattis (KP - Kizhinju Pona)
Directed by: The one and only self proclaimed humorist and Mr.Know-all - Suderman (with a quirky smile)...

Now, suderjanta, please use all other four letters on me that shall vouch for what I've scribbled above...

Prasanna said...

Hi Chenthil

http://prasannavishy.blogspot.com/2007/01/hindu-and-medai-pechalar.html

Suderman said...

Hi Chenthil,
a little unrelated to your post but given the attention I've got in your space, would like to spam everyone with a little info.
I have arranged for a community screening of my film That four letter word at 'Coffee?' on Saturday, 6th January at 4.30 p.m.
It is a free screening and seating is on a first-come first-served basis.
All vetti people are welcome to watch, criticise, nitpick, blog or give me any sort of feedback on my film.
Thanks.
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

In a virtual world an ant can freely criticize the lion. That's what is so great about it.
In a virtual world, a sori useless ant can irritate the lion by pointing out the obvious. That's what is so Fucking pissing off about it.
Chenthil, haven't you heard of the expression "Don't teach your father to fuck"?..
Pardon my French.

Boston Bala said...

Can't imagine how stupid mistakes could be easily corrected in tomorrow's clarification section.

Good catch Chenthil.

eyefry said...

Much ado about nothing.

And really - "Suderman"? WTF!