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Charles Apple: The Visual Side of Journalism

 

‘Amusing stuff’ archive

Number of comments in parentheses

May 9: These guys don’t need a copy editor. They’re gonna need a lawyer.

At first glance, this social media marketing operation in Atlanta appears to need a copy editor. Judging by the spelling on the t-shirts they’re selling. Baby Robot Industries took a cute Twitter meme and turned it into a t-shirt. Once Major League Baseball gets wind of it, however, I imagine it’ll be lawyers these folks will need. Not copy editors. [...]

May 9: Why elementary schools need a copy editor

This is Sunrise-McMillian Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas. They have a bit of a problem. Eight years ago, the school added “McMillian” to its name to honor the school’s first teacher, who eventually became principal of the place. Recently, however, a relative of that teacher pointed out they’ve been spelling her name wrong all these years. See the “i” [...]

May 8: Curtail pop culture references? Illogical, Captain.

Today, Phil Blanchard of Testy Copy Editors ranted at the Reynolds Center’s BusinessJournalism.org against pop-culture references in news stories. Specifically, against Star Trek references in business stories. Dammit, Phil. I’m a designer, not a copy editor. As always, Phil has a point. I don’t necessarily think it’s my beloved Star Trek he’s ranting about; rather, it’s about using pop culture [...]

May 7: Why MSNBC needs a smack on the side of the head. And a copy editor.

Hey, wait! That’s no Colombian prostitute! That’s Nicolas Sarkozy, the outgoing president of France! Yeah, with this label mishap earlier today, I think MSNBC blew it. Um, so to speak. Here’s Mediaite‘s take in this today. Here’s how the Huffington Post reported it. — You know who else needs a copy editor? Local TV news operations. Chicago’s WMAQ-TV in particular. [...]

May 6: What reeks, my friend, are your spelling skills

Daniel P. Ray of creditcards.com sends along a tip about the headline on this story on the Fox Business web site. The story was posted Thursday with the bad headline and it still appears that way. Daniel tells us: “Reek havoc”? Their spelling stinks. It certainly does. It’s a fair guess that a copy editor never saw this. — You [...]

May 4: Everything should be copy-edited. Even ‘art heds.’ ESPECIALLY ‘art heds.’

That was the lesson learned today, I’d presume, by my friends at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. A rather unfortunate thing happened with the cute reflection-in-the-water gimmick someone attempted on today’s features front. As you can see. Yes, it does look almost like it says “shit yourself.” Obviously unintentional. But still: You have to watch out for things like this. Jim Romenesko [...]

May 4: Geekazoid Friday: ‘Will it go ’round in circles?’ (2)

That’s the question I have about the USS Enterprise found on the front page of today’s Courier-Post of Camden, N.J. Because, as you can see, there’s a part missing from one of the engines. With only one good engine, the good ship Enterprise will just go around in endless circles, right? I’m guessing the uncredited photo was shot at the [...]

May 3: More fun ‘Avengers’ movie treatments (1)

I have two Avengers movie treatments to show you today and another two in house to show you tomorrow. So far, that is. I’m hoping you folks will send me a lot more. — BILL KUCHMAN Washington, D.C. Private project Bill Kuchman — a designer for Politico, writes: Politico obviously doesn’t run movie previews/reviews, but I wanted to do something [...]

May 3: Taking story jumps to the next level, perhaps?

Readers tell us they hate jumps. However, that’s one thing we’ve never really learned how to do: Design an attractive, inviting front page, yet not jump stories. Looks like the folks at the News Journal of Wilmington, Del., have taken jumping to a new level, however. Check out the story across the top of Wednesday’s edition. Don’t see it? That’s [...]

May 2: The county’s solution might be closer than you think

The citizens of Lake County, Ohio, have a problem. They need a bridge demolished and removed. Suggestion: Call the local FBI office. I’ll bet they know where to find someone who’ll take out the bridge for you. And cheap. Yes, those two stories appeared side-by-side on the bottom of today’s News-Herald of Willoughby, Ohio, circulation 33,340. Thanks to my anonymous [...]

May 2: Last week: Student paper copyright issue. This week: Internet meme.

You know the story by now: Friday: College journalist shoots a great picture for the University of Colorado Independent of officials bringing a bear down out of a tree. Photo by Andy Duann — Poynter’s Andrew Beaujonwrites about the picture: The bear hangs in midair above a mat in Duann’s shot, as if it had slightly miscalculated before popping into [...]

May 2: For your consideration…

OK, this one’s cute… Average daily circulation for the New York Post is 555,327. The page is from the Newseum. Of course.

May 2: Way too many copy editors are unemployoed

Hey, Times-News of Erie, Pa.: There are lots of copy editors out there who are currently “unemployoed.” Just in case, y’know, you’d like to hire one of them… Yesterday’s front-page image — such that it is — is from the Newseum. Of course. — You know who else needs a copy editor? Local TV news operations. Chicago’s WMAQ-TV in particular. [...]

May 1: Wall Street Journal illustration is ‘lively and original and different’

Cathy Clabby — a friend from my old Raleigh News & Observer days and now a senior editor for American Scientist magazine in Research Triangle Park, N.C. — writes: I thought of you this morning when I saw an incredibly charming and inviting and clever illustration in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. I don’t know if you share good work [...]

May 1: Someone skipped mobile app design 101

Memo to the Associated Press: If I use your iPhone app to check out the day’s biggest news stories, I need to see the headlines. At the very least. If I can’t read the headlines, then your app does me no good whatsoever. Now, many of the headlines in your iPhone app, I can read. But that screencap shows three [...]

May 1: How the Metro art director wound up on Martha Stewart’s web site last week

Stephanie Hinderer is the national art director of the Metro tabloids distributed in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. I’ve also written about her side business from time to time: She creates business cards and sells them online. I asked her to tell me the cute story behind what she’s been up to lately. Stephanie replies: A few weeks ago, I [...]

April 26: The NFL Draft is like dogs playing poker (2)

Check out the amusing illustration Chris Morris created for the front of the NFL Draft special section in today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chris tells us: Something I rarely do anymore is good ol fashioned, wet brush painting. But after two straight months of vector (for the Rock Hall of Fame project) this was a nice change. I watercolored the Dogs [...]

April 25: For your consideration… (3)

One wonders why they have 24-hour news networks if this is what they have to resort to in order to fill those 24 hours. Like Miles Kahn — producer of the Daily Show — tweets today: This entire news segment is a cry for help. I mean, really: “Ask questions about the menu.” Excuse me, miss. Here, on the menu: [...]

April 25: An unusual recession-themed front page photo

Now, here’s something you don’t see every day on page one. Click for a larger view. The picture is by staffer Courtney Sacco. And you’ll note, of course, the little bit of Photoshop editing going on here. Average daily distribution for the free Metro Boston tabloid is about 163,000. The front page image is from the Newseum. Of course.

April 25: If you don’t have a copy editor, you’re pressing your Luck

Or, perhaps, going back to press your Luck. You’re looking at either the next hot, new sports collectible. Or the next sad joke. This card, I mean. Not necessarily the player. Yes, Leaf trading card company has put out the very first football card of who will most likely be the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, Andrew Luck. [...]

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