To: Webeditor@nypost.com, letters@nypost.com
Re: Proofreading. A Lost Art?
Dear Editors,
I read some portion of the online edition of the NYPost nearly every day, and enjoy your breathless coverage of media, politics, crime and entertainment. Your coverage of the Fire Fiend manhunt was especially noteworthy. Usually I am charmed by your neologisms (I believe Page Six coined the term "canoodling")and your casual editorializing. But an error in yesterday's article by Raakhee Mirchandani, "Food Cutie Hides Booty, " crossed a journalistic line that pained me enough to tap out this missive.
It is located mid-way through the article in reference to Ray's fall wardrobe changes. "This season, in an effort to stay comfortable - one of Ray’s main tenants of fashion - it’s more flared jeans, jersey tops and ballet flats." I believe Mirchandani meant to use the word tenet i.e., "a central principle or belief" according to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English, 3rd Edition, rather than tenant, "a person who rents land or property from a landlord" (ibid.)
This may seem rather innocuous, but in a sea of gossip blogs and entertainment television, the New York Post should endeavor to remain "the tabloid of record." This is accomplished by rigorous reporting and research and proofreading for grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage. While your style may be that of chatty adolescent, your adherence to strict journalistic standards must be akin to that of Ben Bradlee. The Post has a long and distinguished history as the foremost source of sensational news and features, but lazy errors will quickly sweep you into the dustbin of history alongside the likes of AJ Benza and Perez Hilton.
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