Unintelligibly illiterate BBC News article link text

Post by **spot** » Tue Dec 17, 2019 7:46 am

"The teen's using Instagram to chat about mental health".

That's BBC hyperlink text.

That's an apostrophe.

It shouldn't be there.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jan 12, 2020 5:50 pm

"Sex tech makes a splash at tech show"

That link is just vulgarity.

"Pringles tubes burnt to crisp in M1 lorry fire" is just as bad. Who was on duty last night?

Post by **spot** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:18 am

And this one is the Guardian, sadly.

The study found that the murres mostly likely starved to death. The seabird must eat half its body weight to survive, but food grew scarce amid intense competition from other creatures.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... th-america

The seabird must eat half its body weight every second? hour? day? week? year? Over the course of a lifetime?

Post by **spot** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:57 am

"NHS pledges elderly rapid response community teams".

By pulling pensionable social workers back out of retirement, perhaps.

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:06 pm

spot;1529815 wrote: "NHS pledges elderly rapid response community teams".

By pulling pensionable social workers back out of retirement, perhaps.

IS that their way of reminding us that EMTs and medics are getting older?

Post by **spot** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 5:06 pm

I have grown more convinced over the past few years that the department which prepares the link texts has at least fifty staff who do nothing else and are bored to teers. They compensate by seeing which of them can be silliest on any given day. No other explanation makes sense.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 9:06 am

"Trump ordered to remove envoy in Ukraine in 2018 - video"

What gibbering cobblers is that?

Who on earth is in a position to order the President of the USA to remove one of his envoys?

Of course he wasn't ordered to. He gave an order that the envoy be removed. That's a total reversal of the link text. "Trump ordered removal of envoy" would work.

Plonking BBC staff in major upstuff yet again, foisting clickbait on long-suffering users.

eta:the link text has changed to "Trump ordered Ukraine envoy's sacking in 2018 - tape" so someone finally worked out there was a problem. The article's headline is still "Trump ordered to remove envoy in Ukraine in 2018 - video" though. But at least the clickbait aspect of the link has gone.

Post by **spot** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 5:42 pm

Rather unbelievably I felt compelled to actually complain on the contact form this time. I've never done that before.

As follows:

You've put the wrong link to the Nicholas Parsons Official Website on his obituary, followed by the words "Why you can trust the BBC". It's http://nicholasparsons.info/ not .co.uk

For the official BBC obituary I suspect you ought to fix it.

Post by **spot** » Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:10 am

The Guardian's at it this morning. Lack of lubrication presumably.

"90,000 unsafe condoms seized in the UK over two years "

Post by **spot** » Thu Feb 20, 2020 3:51 am

I am entirely baffled by a report in today's Guardian. The banners announce

Effects of Storm Dennis spark fears of Aberfan repeat in Wales

Landslide leads to inspections of coal tip to avert similar disaster to that which killed 116 children in 1966

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... -landslide

I had been under the impression that no authority had been allowed to site any school under a coal tip from the day of that disaster to this. Am I mistaken? Is there actually, in Wales or indeed in any other part of the British Isles, a school capable of being reached by any landslip of any coal tip anywhere in the country regardless of how extreme the amount of stormwater dumped on it? Really, truly, seriously?

Or is the Guardian merely scaremongering in order to increase circulation.

Post by **spot** » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:14 am

There are times when I simply can't penetrate the mind of whoever writes news items for the BBC news website. What possible meaning can I glean from this

Scientists say they have seen a remarkable collection of blue whales in the coastal waters around the UK sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

Their 23-day survey counted 55 animals - a total that is unprecedented in the decades since commercial whaling ended.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51553381

Am I to take it that in the decades before commercial whaling ended, those numbers were commonplace? Why was commercial whaling ended, if that's the case?

Post by **spot** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:04 am

What a gem of a headline from AP:

"Hawaiian Electric to extend service suspensions to mid-May"

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:02 pm

spot;1531732 wrote: What a gem of a headline from AP:

"Hawaiian Electric to extend service suspensions to mid-May"

Our company (Utilita) have decided to have maximal staff working from home (including myself when I return on 2/4), taking Emergency Calls only, with Sales & Miscellaneous non essential staff being Furloughed. However, we have taken the decision to continue with meter installs, as this means that the more of our customers have Smart Meters the more they'll be able to manage their Gas & Electricity Payments from home.

Post by **spot** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:36 pm

"Some of London's most popular landmarks are devoid of the usual crowds as people stay indoors to help combat coronavirus."

Some, BBC? Is that the best you can manage?

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 02, 2020 1:59 pm

"Coronavirus: Paramedic 'emotional' as stranger buys food shop", apparently.

Twaddle, BBC.

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:09 pm

And the Guardian, screwing up units again. "In the last month, there was a 535% rise in daily traffic to the Zoom.us download page". Or hourly, or per minute, or any time unit you care to use. Why is there a time unit on the 535%? It's the rise in traffic.

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:05 am

Yet more illiteracy on the part of the BBC link editor. "Coronavirus: Trump says peak is passed and US to reopen soon"? No, it is past. It has been passed, it is past.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 12:23 pm

Every day they reach a new peak. With their distaste of Social Distancing, far from being past the peak, they've only just begun.

Post by **spot** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 1:04 pm

I was correcting their grammar, not the facts they were attempting to convey. Correcting their facts would take far too long.

Post by **spot** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:44 am

The BBC appears to carry confirmation that the scientific community has made contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life.

"When I first checked the visibility of OJ 287, I was shocked to find that it became visible to Spitzer right on the day when the next flare was predicted to occur," said Dr Seppo Laine, a Caltech, US, staff scientist who oversaw the Spitzer viewing.

"It was extremely fortunate that we would be able to capture the peak of this flare with Spitzer, because no other human-made instruments were capable of achieving this feat at that specific point in time."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52464250

"no other human-made instruments"? So alien technology was capable well as the Spitzer telescope?

Or is human-made slightly tautologous.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue May 26, 2020 3:59 am

spot wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:44 am The BBC appears to carry confirmation that the scientific community has made contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life.

"When I first checked the visibility of OJ 287, I was shocked to find that it became visible to Spitzer right on the day when the next flare was predicted to occur," said Dr Seppo Laine, a Caltech, US, staff scientist who oversaw the Spitzer viewing.

"It was extremely fortunate that we would be able to capture the peak of this flare with Spitzer, because no other human-made instruments were capable of achieving this feat at that specific point in time."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52464250

"no other human-made instruments"? So alien technology was capable well as the Spitzer telescope?

Or is human-made slightly tautologous.

SETI appears to have concluded that there are no aliens, they’ve stopped processing signals and closed up shop.

Post by **spot** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:16 am

I'm trying hard to interpret this:

This orbiting telescope was launched in July last year and despatched to an observing position some 1.5 million km from Earth. Once commissioned and declared fully operational in December, it was left to slowly rotate and scan the depths of space.

eRosita's first all-sky data-set, represented in the image at the top of this page, was completed only last week. It records over a million sources of X-rays.

"That's actually pretty much the same number as had been detected in the whole history of X-ray astronomy going back 60 years. We've basically doubled the known sources in just six months," said Kirpal Nandra, who heads the high-energy astrophysics group at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53102718

If they claimed to have rediscovered them or observed them again then yes, the numbers work. Doubled doesn't.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:42 am

spot wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:16 am I'm trying hard to interpret this:

This orbiting telescope was launched in July last year and despatched to an observing position some 1.5 million km from Earth. Once commissioned and declared fully operational in December, it was left to slowly rotate and scan the depths of space.

eRosita's first all-sky data-set, represented in the image at the top of this page, was completed only last week. It records over a million sources of X-rays.

"That's actually pretty much the same number as had been detected in the whole history of X-ray astronomy going back 60 years. We've basically doubled the known sources in just six months," said Kirpal Nandra, who heads the high-energy astrophysics group at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53102718
If they claimed to have rediscovered them or observed them again then yes, the numbers work. Doubled doesn't.

A missing “new” between million and sources?

Post by **spot** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 12:59 pm

Bryn Mawr wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:42 am
A missing “new” between million and sources?

If they found a million new ones which doubled the number ever found, they'd have seen two million. They can scarcely have not seen any of the ones already observed.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 1:43 pm

spot wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 12:59 pm
Bryn Mawr wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:42 am
A missing “new” between million and sources?
If they found a million new ones which doubled the number ever found, they'd have seen two million. They can scarcely have not seen any of the ones already observed.

But if the article said "it records over a million new sources of x-rays" as I suggested then they would have seen two million sources.

Post by **spot** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 2:24 pm

I do apologize, the wrong "sources" had caught my eye.

Post by **spot** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:54 pm

"Fatal hurricane causes devastation in Central America"?

No, BBC. That's not what fatal means. The word you're fishing for is lethal.

Post by **spot** » Sat Dec 05, 2020 6:34 am

"The BBC's Sarah Rainsford went to one central Moscow clinic where vaccines are taking place"

Perhaps English is evolving and nobody told me.

Post by **spot** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:42 pm

"Trident missiles are deployed in four submarines, one of which is continuously at sea"?

Lose five points and skip a turn, Guardian. I think the correct phrase is "at least one of which is on patrol".

While we're at it, would anyone like to guess the final cost if "The MoD has said that developing the next generation of Dreadnought submarines would cost £30bn plus a £10bn contingency."? The combined development and implementation of the whole Trident program cost less than that contingency.

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:13 am

"The comedian, 55, was named winner of the show on Saturday, triumphing over contestants who were more than half his age."

Well done Mr Bailey.

I expect the BBC means "less than half his age". Baffling incompetence, equivalent to "I have a brother who is more than half my age".

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:53 am

spot wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:13 am "The comedian, 55, was named winner of the show on Saturday, triumphing over contestants who were more than half his age."

Well done Mr Bailey.

I expect the BBC means "less than half his age". Baffling incompetence, equivalent to "I have a brother who is more than half my age".

A variation of something being 'Cheap at half the price'.

Post by **spot** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 6:07 am

I have to ask - what does the word "Stranded" contribute to the link text "Withernsea: Stranded whale pod washes up on beach"?

Post by **spot** » Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:19 am

The "Exceptionally well-preserved snack bar unearthed in Pompeii" is not labelled Mars or Snickers or Twix or KitKat, it's the counter of a fast food outlet.

Thank you Guardian. I give up sometimes.

Post by **spot** » Fri Jan 01, 2021 6:56 am

Oh dear.

"French snail farmers lament sluggish year".

Ho Ho Ho, Guardian.

Post by **spot** » Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:59 am

"Washington Post: They are among more than a dozen lawmakers to miss Biden’s swearing-in, for varying reasons"

No... for various reasons perhaps, but none of them have varied their reason.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md ... story.html

Post by **spot** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:04 am

"Facebook apologises for flagging Plymouth Hoe as offensive term".

What with that and Whatsapp's current suicide, there are more incompetents associated with Facebook than seems sensible.

Post by **spot** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:19 pm

"Mr Duckett, from Fleckney in Leicestershire, found the object within 30 minutes of searching the field in Little Oxendon."

No, BBC. Your sub-editor has once again underperformed. Mr Duckett found the object while searching the field. He may possibly have found the object within 30 minutes of starting to search the field. What you claim is not possible.

Post by **spot** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:19 am

"The memorial to Mary Seacole in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, London, is only one of about 25 statues of women in the UK."

What on earth would it take to induce the BBC news website controller to hire better-trained staff? That's beyond ridiculous. How can "only one of about 25 statues of women" stand in place of "one of only about 25 statues of women"?

On a secondary note, I don't for one minute believe the 25 either, not by an order of magnitude at the very least. There are presently 85 listed and photographed just at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_s ... ed_Kingdom and instead of saying oh they don't count, go back and look at the cobblers the BBC just carelessly claimed.

Post by **spot** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:57 pm

The Guardian has a strange expression,

By global standards, the number of confirmed cases in PNG is low: 1,670. But fewer than 50,000 tests have been carried out across PNG – population nearly 9 million – for the entire pandemic, and the actual rate of infection is factors higher.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... of-control

So, "the actual rate of infection is factors higher". I have absolutely no idea what aspect of "factors" they are bringing to bear there.

I can see, in the OED, "A number by which a quantity is or should be multiplied; a multiplier; a ratio" - perhaps the Guardian is suggesting the actual rate should be multiplied by 2? Or perhaps by 3?

"Magnitudes" would be meaningful - factors of ten - but I seriously doubt "factors" alone carries the shock intensifier the paragraph needs.

Post by **spot** » Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:29 am

From the Telegraph, an unreedable Tory cesspool:

But a Telegraph analysis of more than 30 headlines shown during the two-hour programme revealed that foreign celebrity gossip magazines comprised a third of examples pertaining to show biased British coverage about the Duchess.

"Pertaining to show"? Seriously? What on earth was that meant to be.

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:02 am

When you were talking about the Khmer Rouge I went to the links you gave. Then I pressed on a few more links within the story. I couldn't believe the spelling mistakes.

Post by **spot** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:22 am

magentaflame wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:02 am When you were talking about the Khmer Rouge I went to the links you gave. Then I pressed on a few more links within the story. I couldn't believe the spelling mistakes.

I'd be surprised to see a BBC article without a spelling mistake these days.

What annoys me more are sentences like "The brutal regime, in power from 1975-1979, claimed the lives of up to two million people". I too have accurately and without exaggeration claimed the lives of up to two million people. That's because I mastered elementary school arithmetic.

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:11 pm

spot wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:22 am
magentaflame wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:02 am When you were talking about the Khmer Rouge I went to the links you gave. Then I pressed on a few more links within the story. I couldn't believe the spelling mistakes.
I'd be surprised to see a BBC article without a spelling mistake these days.

What annoys me more are sentences like "The brutal regime, in power from 1975-1979, claimed the lives of up to two million people". I too have accurately and without exaggeration claimed the lives of up to two million people. That's because I mastered elementary school arithmetic.

Ah I see what you did there.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed May 05, 2021 10:11 pm

Not the BBC but the Daily Excess.

Boris Sends Gunboats to Defend Jersey

Actually, Jersey is not under attack and does not need defending, the move is to prevent the French from fishing in the waters around Jersey.

Post by **spot** » Thu May 06, 2021 2:29 am

They do say round these parts there's talk of a blockade. We're preparing fireboats and checking the tides round Calais.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu May 06, 2021 8:41 am

"Atlanta cop gets his job back after shooting, killing Rayshard Brooks"
The Headline from DailyKOS, today.

So, the guy was fired, or something, but killing the guy helped him get his job back?
Hmmm.

Post by **spot** » Sat May 15, 2021 1:41 pm

"Damon Weaver, who interviewed Obama as an 11-year-old, dies aged 23" - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... e-house-23

No.

I recognize an arithmetic impossibility when I see one.

What's really needed is a changed word order. Shift "interviewed Obama" to after "old".

He interviewed Joe Biden too.

Post by **spot** » Thu May 27, 2021 12:15 pm

From RT this evening...

In search of ways to complement jabs or to treat patients who can’t be vaccinated, scientists have tested inhalable anti-Covid nanobodies on hamsters, saying they’re effective in fighting the virus by targeting its spike protein.

https://www.rt.com/news/

I really don't think I can inhale anti-Covid nanobodies on hamsters, but it's wonderfully reminiscent of John Cleese. Perhaps if they put the anti-Covid nanobodies on pollen or snuff I could manage it.

Post by **spot** » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:23 am

This takes the biscuit. I'm almost lost for words.

A massive fire in California last year may have destroyed up to a tenth of the world’s mature giant sequoia population, according to a draft report produced by scientists working for the National Park Service.

[...]Giant sequoias only grow in the peaks and valleys of a small central range of California’s Sierra Nevada. Because of the trees’ concentrated range, last year’s fire managed to literally decimate part of the world’s remaining population of the unique flora.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... astle-fire

You can see the reporter's mind morassing its way though this use of decimate. Finally has has a story about a genuine tenth, hence the "literally". He still can't stop thinking decimate means destroy, so he can't avoid adding "part" where if only he'd left it out he'd finally have got a medal.

Post by **spot** » Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:22 am

We have an appalling abuse of language on today's BBC news website:

The US-led military presence in Afghanistan has cost more than $1tn (£724bn) and thousands of lives on all sides - Afghan forces, Afghan civilians, western forces as well as their insurgent foes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57489095

That's partisan bias. The "US-led military presence in Afghanistan" has not led to an insurgency, it has led to a resistance movement.

An insurgency is what happens to a legitimate government, not to an occupation.

Nobody speaks of "the French insurgency" or "The Norwegian insurgency" in relation to the Quisling and Vichy governments, they are "The Resistance". They are what becomes the legitimate government after the occupation is defeated and the occupiers are forced to abandon the territory.

The BBC news department should seriously consider its assumptions.