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Style guide in Independent Newspapers

  • 03-06-2008 1:15pm
    #1
    Snickers Man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭


    Read this on the Indo's Website today.

    "Footballers from Northern Ireland who want to play for the Republic will have to meet tough restrictions, it was confirmed today. .......
    Controversy arose earlier this year when the Northern Irish FA protested after Londonderry-born Darron Gibson was picked for the Republic of Ireland team. "


    Now I know the official name of the City and County is Londonderry, albeit that the city is governed by Derry City Council, but isn't it usual for Irish newspapers to refer to it by the name which the vast majority of its inhabitants use?

    Or was somebody at the Indo just trying to make a snide point?

    I think we should be told.


Comments

  • #2
    jdivision
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    Various papers in the Indo group share copy, that could have been written in Belfast (the fact that it's not got a byline suggests it's possible) or by a wire service and the subeditor might have missed the reference.


  • #3
    Snickers Man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭Snickers Man


    A most plausible explanation.

    2-0 to the Rangers tendency with that one.

    First for getting the tightening of regulations.
    And second for slipping "Londonderry" past a gang of Fenians in Dublin.

    As one commentator might put it:"Oh there'll be a lot of delighted folk down Sandy Row way after that one"

    Almost makes up for bottling the SPL. :)


  • #4
    Overdraft
    Closed Accounts Posts: 175 ✭✭Overdraft


    Snickers Man wrote: »
    Londonderry-born Darron Gibson

    Let us pray that Darron's family doesn't see this. They won't be best pleased. At all.


  • #5
    santosubito
    Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭santosubito


    jdivision wrote: »
    Various papers in the Indo group share copy, that could have been written in Belfast (the fact that it's not got a byline suggests it's possible) or by a wire service and the subeditor might have missed the reference.

    I would hazard a guess that it is nothing more than ****e subbing. Subbing really has gone to the dogs there (or if I were an Indo sub, I'd change that to dog's).


  • #6
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Crips I thought this thread was about something important. Okay thats a lie - the words "style, Independent and Newspapers" in same sentence saw to that.

    Mike.


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  • #7
    Gobán Saor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 415 ✭✭Gobán Saor


    Snickers Man wrote: »
    Now I know the official name of the City and County is Londonderry, albeit that the city is governed by Derry City Council.....
    Nope, only the city is officially named Londonderry by the (temporarily) occupying power. The official name of the county is Derry.

    Anyway what would you expect from the group headed by "Sir" Anthony O' Reilly and whose style guide insists he be referred to as such? And of course the missus must be referred to as "Lady" O'Reilly:D:D


  • #8
    Gekko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,189 ✭✭✭Gekko


    I never knew there was a style guide, and I write for one of the INM papers!


  • #9
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    Gobán Saor wrote: »
    Nope, only the city is officially named Londonderry by the (temporarily) occupying power. The official name of the county is Derry.

    Anyway what would you expect from the group headed by "Sir" Anthony O' Reilly and whose style guide insists he be referred to as such? And of course the missus must be referred to as "Lady" O'Reilly:D:D

    You're wrong, actually.

    Both the city and county are officially (in the eyes of the nation that holds power in that jurisdiction) titled Londonderry. The city council is known as Derry City Council but a legal action found that it had no right or power to rename the actual city or county and that the name of the council had no bearing on that matter.

    Of course some will reject the authority of Britain in the North and as such will reject the notion that it has any authority in naming the county but that's another matter.


  • #10
    Gobán Saor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 415 ✭✭Gobán Saor


    Gekko wrote: »
    I never knew there was a style guide, and I write for one of the INM papers!
    OK then, try writing about "Mr. Tony O'Reilly" and see what happens.....:D:D

    Whether it's called a "style guide" or not, or whether it's a "house style" or some less formal direction, INM have acknowledged that it is policy to refer to the big cheese as "Sir Anthony." I'm sure you can confirm this?


  • #11
    Gobán Saor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 415 ✭✭Gobán Saor


    flogen wrote: »
    You're wrong, actually.
    Mea culpa.:o:o:o I don't know where I picked up that idea but it was firmly lodged in my brain. Ah well, to admit a mistake is merely to claim an increase in wisdom!
    flogen wrote: »
    Both the city and county are officially (in the eyes of the nation that holds power in that jurisdiction) titled Londonderry. The city council is known as Derry City Council but a legal action found that it had no right or power to rename the actual city or county and that the name of the council had no bearing on that matter.
    Yes, I vaguely remember that case. AFAIR it found that the official name of the city derived from a royal charter and could only be changed by the Queen of England should she be petitioned to do so by the Council. Even though she apparently is willing to do so if requested, the Council has opted not to bestow legitimacy on her by submitting such a petition. Personally, I think they are wrong not to do so and the satisfaction from erasing the colonial hangover of the "London" prefix to the 1600 year old name of Derry would be well worth the "acknowledgement" of what is a (temporary) de facto jurisdiction anyway.
    flogen wrote: »
    Of course some will reject the authority of Britain in the North and as such will reject the notion that it has any authority in naming the county but that's another matter.
    True, but pending re-unification, where an avenue exists to make a practical improvement by making the place more Irish and less British it should be taken.


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  • #12
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    Gobán Saor wrote: »
    Mea culpa.:o:o:o I don't know where I picked up that idea but it was firmly lodged in my brain. Ah well, to admit a mistake is merely to claim an increase in wisdom!

    To be honest I had it lodged in my brain the other way around - that is that the city was Derry and the county was Londonderry - but when I checked I found it was neither.
    Yes, I vaguely remember that case. AFAIR it found that the official name of the city derived from a royal charter and could only be changed by the Queen of England should she be petitioned to do so by the Council. Even though she apparently is willing to do so if requested, the Council has opted not to bestow legitimacy on her by submitting such a petition. Personally, I think they are wrong not to do so and the satisfaction from erasing the colonial hangover of the "London" prefix to the 1600 year old name of Derry would be well worth the "acknowledgement" of what is a (temporary) de facto jurisdiction anyway.

    That's exactly it - it was found that only the British monarch could change the name.

    Given that all but the most fringe elements of the nationalist movement have accepted the legitimacy of British rule in Northern Ireland I don't see why it would be a big deal to ask the British monarch to rename the city/county.
    True, but pending re-unification, where an avenue exists to make a practical improvement by making the place more Irish and less British it should be taken.

    Well that seems to be the realisation being reached by nationalist parties - they're not going to get a United Ireland in one go so now they're looking to take baby steps towards it.

    Anyway, this has veered way off topic and into politics - back to the whole media use of Derry/Londonderry!


  • #13
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,097 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Gobán Saor wrote: »
    OK then, try writing about "Mr. Tony O'Reilly" and see what happens.....:D:D

    Whether it's called a "style guide" or not, or whether it's a "house style" or some less formal direction, INM have acknowledged that it is policy to refer to the big cheese as "Sir Anthony." I'm sure you can confirm this?

    It was called a style book in the versions I've seen.


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