Drogheda Leader - why is it so awful?

eth0_ · 06-11-2009 8:57pm #1

I've been away from Drogheda for a few years and am unsurprised to see the quality of the Leader is still dreadful.

Spelling mistakes, dreadful grammar and this week they printed some lovely photos of bonfires at halloween - illegal bonfires with tyres and wheelie bins on them (clearly visible in the photos) made by skangers.

Why is it so difficult for them to use a spell checker or to understand the rules of grammar?

Stephentlig · 07-11-2009 12:04am

eth0_ wrote: »

I've been away from Drogheda for a few years and am unsurprised to see the quality of the Leader is still dreadful.

Spelling mistakes, dreadful grammar and this week they printed some lovely photos of bonfires at halloween - illegal bonfires with tyres and wheelie bins on them (clearly visible in the photos) made by skangers.

Why is it so difficult for them to use a spell checker or to understand the rules of grammar?

I noticed this with the dundalk leader also, the case may be that they get so busy that they havnt the time to proof read it.

eth0_ · 07-11-2009 1:02am

I find that hard to believe. The Leader is mostly comprised of adverts and photos of people's 21st's!

Stephentlig · 07-11-2009 1:19am

eth0_ wrote: »

I find that hard to believe. The Leader is mostly comprised of adverts and photos of people's 21st's!

well, dishonesty is not usually something I would promote, as it usually cheats myself not including the person I deliver the lies to.

but I wouldnt give the leader too much of a bashing as its a free paper.

You/I should just e-mail them and I'm sure their nice staff would agree and work harder at proof reading it before its given out. I have to admit I look forward to the reader coming around on a wednesday, its a bit of craic for me in the mornings along with me orange juice and oatabix

''oh look look, *says stephen to his wife* its so and so who doesnt know how to apply make-up ( crimmin sisters *nudge nudge* ).

eth0_ · 07-11-2009 3:06am

Sorry, I wasn't accusing you of being a liar, I meant your suggestion was hard to believe as, as I said, there's not a massive amount of real content in the Leader compared to the DI.

Yes it is free, but that doesn't mean they should skip the quality control IMO.

D rog · 07-11-2009 6:20pm

The DI had pics of illegal bonfires too. I must just be getting old

bottomdog · 09-11-2009 12:17pm

eth0_ wrote: »

I've been away from Drogheda for a few years and am unsurprised to see the quality of the Leader is still dreadful.

Spelling mistakes, dreadful grammar and this week they printed some lovely photos of bonfires at halloween - illegal bonfires with tyres and wheelie bins on them (clearly visible in the photos) made by skangers.

Why is it so difficult for them to use a spell checker or to understand the rules of grammar?

Halloween is spelt with a capital 'H' ethO.

eth0_ · 09-11-2009 1:42pm

bottomdog wrote: »

Halloween is spelt with a capital 'H' ethO.

Well, it's a good thing I made that capitalisation error on an internet message board and not in copy for a poorly edited local newspaper, eh?

The Davestator · 09-11-2009 2:27pm

I too like the leader. SO what if there are some mistakes in it, dont read it if it offends you or the english language!
Its a local paper, and local papers wont be around much longer as it is too hard for them to make money are the price of other marketing comes down due to digital design and print. So enjoy it (or not) while you can!

Porkpie · 09-11-2009 3:50pm

Yes, the spelling mistakes are numerous, the grammar is terrible and near the back they always throw in some story of Amanda's 21st where "We danced the night away in Earth" (say in Drawda accent for full effect).

And they always have a really depressing story on the front page like "yobs set house on fire". But feck it, it's a free paper so who am I to complain?

eth0_ · 09-11-2009 6:48pm

I'm not really complaining...it's more that I feel embarrassed for them, tbh. I remember when the Leader first came out (what, 10 years ago now?) my Dad once circled all the spelling and grammar mistakes in the paper, and ten years later nothing's changed :-D

Spelling and grammar are a fundamental part of journalism courses, after all.

Trafford Lad · 09-11-2009 11:23pm

I love my weekly fix of "Look who's 21/30" etc...just for the names..Chantel, Chanice, Shania etc - great entertainment

Fr Pat Noise · 10-11-2009 1:32am

Talking of spelling mistakes, they did a profile on a guy this week... and spelt both his first and second names wrong :rolleyes:

Stephentlig · 10-11-2009 11:04am

I thought the best ''just a minute quiz'' for me was the crimmin sisters lol. When asked what period of ''history'' they would like to visit they replied with the words ''The future''

:pac:

furiousox · 10-11-2009 11:15am

eth0_ wrote: »

I find that hard to believe. The Leader is mostly comprised of photos of people's 21st's!

Usually something like this.......?

"We had a great night!
l nearly died when l seen the cake and presents!
l just want to say thanks to my sister who done a great job with the decorations!" :pac:

eth0_ · 10-11-2009 1:05pm

Stephentlig wrote: »

I thought the best ''just a minute quiz'' for me was the crimmin sisters lol. When asked what period of ''history'' they would like to visit they replied with the words ''The future'' :pac:

Who are the Crimmin sisters?

Wertz · 10-11-2009 8:44pm

eth0_ wrote: »

Who are the Crimmin sisters?

Triplets from Dundalk, blonde, petite, do modelling work...worth a look on google images.
Don't know what they were doing in the drogheda leader though...they're never out of our local rags...

PDN · 11-11-2009 9:47am

Fr Pat Noise wrote: »

Talking of spelling mistakes, they did a profile on a guy this week... and spelt both his first and second names wrong :rolleyes:

They did a profile on me once and put somebody else's photo in with my name under it. The poor guy got dog's abuse all week over something I'd said!

Darksaga87 · 12-11-2009 1:09pm

A few months back when all the kids were back in school and they do the usuall pics in the paper.

I cringed when i seen the mistake they had done. Insted of putting in the names of the children it was left as a picture and beneath it "img-0123, img-0124, img-0125" etc.

I was looking at it going "Are they for f-ckin real?"

Unless of course they are the actuall names of the children and they only speak in 1's and 0's?

furiousox · 12-11-2009 1:44pm

Darksaga87 wrote: »

A few months back when all the kids were back in school and they do the usuall pics in the paper.

I cringed when i seen the mistake they had done. Insted of putting in the names of the children it was left as a picture and beneath it "img-0123, img-0124, img-0125" etc.

I was looking at it going "Are they for f-ckin real?"

Unless of course they are the actuall names of the children and they only speak in 1's and 0's?

Not jumping to the Leader's defence, but there's a reason for that.
Some schools and parents aren't comfortable with the kids names, ages etc being printed with their photo.

Times we live in.......:(

Darksaga87 · 12-11-2009 7:41pm

Im sure they could have done more than leave it as "img." unde the childs picture.

Ive seen it before if the school didnt want to print names, they would put the name of the school under the name, or just leave it blank. But just draging and dropping, and copy and paste, is just pure lazy.

Whiskey Devil · 13-11-2009 7:27pm

Written for morons, by morons.

Fr Pat Noise · 13-11-2009 8:18pm

furiousox wrote: »

Not jumping to the Leader's defence, but there's a reason for that.
Some schools and parents aren't comfortable with the kids names, ages etc being printed with their photo.

Times we live in.......:(

Is this true???

How paranoid can you get?

furiousox · 13-11-2009 8:44pm

Fr Pat Noise wrote: »

Is this true???

How paranoid can you get?

Absolutely true, sometimes the school has the policy, sometimes its the parents discretion.

Stephentlig · 13-11-2009 10:55pm

perhaps they should leave it as a monthly edition, thus giving themselves more time to make it right. sounds like they are not ready for the ''once a week'' print.

PDN · 14-11-2009 4:08am

Stephentlig wrote: »

perhaps they should leave it as a monthly edition, thus giving themselves more time to make it right. sounds like they are not ready for the ''once a week'' print.

I think it'll take them more than a month to master basic literacy.

Stephentlig · 14-11-2009 5:37pm

PDN wrote: »

I think it'll take them more than a month to master basic literacy.

BQQ · 14-11-2009 5:48pm

Darksaga87 wrote: »

A few months back when all the kids were back in school and they do the usuall pics in the paper.

I cringed when i seen the mistake they had done. Insted of putting in the names of the children it was left as a picture and beneath it "img-0123, img-0124, img-0125" etc.

I was looking at it going "Are they for f-ckin real?"

Unless of course they are the actuall names of the children and they only speak in 1's and 0's?

*ahem* People in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones. :pac:

DublinWriter · 14-11-2009 5:56pm

I object to that rag of a free-paper being left half-wedged in our letterbox, letting all the heat out.

I'm putting a sign on the door that reads "Please deliver all copies of the Drogheda Leader in the green bin at the side of the house. Thank you."

Stephentlig · 14-11-2009 5:56pm

eth0_ wrote: »

Well, it's a good thing I made that capitalisation error on an internet message board and not in copy for a poorly edited local newspaper, eh?

BqQ, i tink Etho has already adresed dis tipe of ting.

Stephentlig · 14-11-2009 6:04pm

I'm putting a sign on the door that reads "Please deliver all copies of the Drogheda Leader in the green bin at the side of the house. Thank you."

cheers dublin writer, *gathers a thousand copies of the dundalk leader he had stored in his house* I'll be over in a minute.

Drogheda Leader - why is it so awful?

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