News junkies have jargon too

A reader once asked why we use the term “mug shot,” or “mug,” because it implies a booking photo when someone is arrested. Meanwhile, the S-R newsroom tosses this word around several times a day to describe a photo of a person’s full head and face. A headshot, if you will.

Terms that call for a bit of attention:

• package: This term leaks into Daily Briefing every now and then too, when there’s more than one item grouped together into a story package.

• nut graf: er, the number of wackjobs in Spokane increases exponentially as the Gypsy curse gets worse. Or the turning point paragraph in a feature story that explains the bigger picture.

• jumps: At least a couple readers have asked why articles are split in the middle of a sentence, where the page says, “See ARTICLE NAME, A11,” as opposed to splitting it with a complete sentence.

• tabloid: Just the book-fold size of a newspaper, like the PARADE section, or like Spokane7. The term tabloid has nothing to do with flashy or sleazy content.

Thin slices

Steve Smith was back this morning for the meeting. Gary Graham is out sick but will be back soon we hope.

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