BBC reporting of Electrification announcement

[LE Greys]

I've noticed both the BBC and Sky making a lot of on-screen errors in the last few months (sometimes I'll grab my Sky remote, rewind get a photo if I can) and also errors on the BBC website.

It's not good, but inevitable when you have a mixture of fewer staff, less sub-editors and people rushing to be first. I guess besides a little joke or sigh, there's no major harm done - unless the typo is enough to suddenly say something offensive.

The most recent was Sky talking of the 'Mars Landind' on-screen for some time before someone noticed and they pulled the graphic. Again, nothing major (the error, not the Mars landing!) but does make me think it doesn't reflect well on the media as a whole.

There have also been loads of subtitle errors (my great aunt is losing her hearing and uses them a lot). It's got worse since the move to Salford, so it's possible that staff cuts have left less time for proof reading. Subtitling live programmes has always caused strange results, typing them into phonetic keyboards and relying on a form of spelling checker does that, but this is on recorded programmes and is often is not changed when they are repeated.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Broadcasters and newspapers leave details such as the selection of stock photos or video to sub-editors, who have neither the time nor the interest in researching a news item beyond selecting the first (apparently) relevant image they find. There are plenty of people working in the media who have specialised knowledge of the railways, but they're not the ones who make decisions about what images are used to accompany a news item. The rather amusing selection of heritage railway footage to accompany an item about more modern train technology may not be a mistake. Even sub-editors like a laugh.

 

[MidlandMainlie]

Broadcasters and newspapers leave details such as the selection of stock photos or video to sub-editors, who have neither the time nor the interest in researching a news item beyond selecting the first (apparently) relevant image they find. There are plenty of people working in the media who have specialised knowledge of the railways, but they're not the ones who make decisions about what images are used to accompany a news item. The rather amusing selection of heritage railway footage to accompany an item about more modern train technology may not be a mistake. Even sub-editors like a laugh.

Did anyone see the 1 o'clock news story today about rail fare increases accompanied by a photo of a HST in GNER livery.

 

[LE Greys]

Did anyone see the 1 o'clock news story today about rail fare increases accompanied by a photo of a HST in GNER livery.

A matter of taste, perhaps.

Oh the fun I could have as a sub-editor!

 

[MidlandMainlie]

A matter of taste, perhaps.

Oh the fun I could have as a sub-editor!

Might be more appropriate when announcing First have won the West Coast franchise

 

[krus_aragon]

There have also been loads of subtitle errors (my great aunt is losing her hearing and uses them a lot). It's got worse since the move to Salford, so it's possible that staff cuts have left less time for proof reading. Subtitling live programmes has always caused strange results, typing them into phonetic keyboards and relying on a form of spelling checker does that, but this is on recorded programmes and is often is not changed when they are repeated.

A favourite of mine was the subtitles to the opening ceremony of the olympic games back in Beijing. The text was talking up the cultural influence of the olympics, but then said:

... but for these athletes, it is simply a dream to be chaste.

​

 

[tbtc]

Might be more appropriate when announcing First have won the West Coast franchise

Well, the Guardian's "map" shows the franchise will serve Soke On Trent and that Holyhead services passing right through Llandudno (not Llandudno Junction) - the second point may be splitting hairs though.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/15/virgin-trains-west-coast-mainline-firstgroup

 

[table38]

Well, the Guardian's "map" shows the franchise will serve Soke On Trent and that Holyhead services passing right through Llandudno (not Llandudno Junction) - the second point may be splitting hairs though.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/15/virgin-trains-west-coast-mainline-firstgroup

Looks like Llundudno to me but it might just be my dodgy screen

However our favourite paper the Daily Mail leads the way and shows how it should be done by a stock photo of both a First and a Virgin liveried train side-by-side

Oh just spotted the trains north from Manchester avoiding Preston too

-- update --

They fixed the typos on map - the power of RailUK Forums I guess