Obscure Box

It's a brave sub that opts for a headline with so much potential for mispronunciation.

So it was that the ABC posted a story it headlined "Cup punt not child's play" on Melbourne Cup day (Tuesday November 3, 2009).

Read the headline with care

I'm sure the linguists have a name for it; that move from the first word to the second requires some care when reading aloud.

The vocal move from "cup" to "punt" requires an extra pause to stop the words running into each other, and that pause can make the second word come out all wrong.

Broadcast blooper tapes are full of such unfortunate mispronunciations.

Those Google ads need a close watch.

Look at this highly inappropriate ad that appeared on on a story posted on the Brisbane Times website, originally from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Iron lung or furnace?

The story "Dead after 60 years in iron lung" (Saturday October 31, 2009) told how June Middleton had died at a Melbourne nursing home and had spent 60 years in the iron lung.

Not sure it's a good idea to talk about a furnace - even if as the ad says it's a fat burning furnace - when talking about an iron lung.

Who hasn't cursed at the automated telephone answering systems that have infected many organisations today?

Press 1 for rage, press 2 for even more rage and press 3 if you would like to swear at our automated response system in another language.

"I just want to talk to someone," a very forward UK bank advert once said many decades ago.

Amused then to find this message on the About section of the Grandparents Information website.

Are they 'real'?

Why the speech marks on real?

Partial quotes have their place but they can also convey some doubt or uncertainty over what is said. It 'may' be true.

Surely better for Grandparents Information just to say that when people call they will speak to a real person.

The Australian Government's Department of Ageing and Health is asking some probing questions of people who complete the consent for the H1N1 influenza vaccine.

After the usual name and date of birth questions, it then asks for your sex.

How many genders?

But there are three tick boxes to that question (see picture).

How very forward of the department to recognise that there are women and men in this world, and some people who consider themselves in between.

The transgender community must be delighted.

However, since the federal government's stalling on any recognition of same sex marriages I rather suspect this is some bureaucratic blunder and there's probably been some harsh words said to those who should have proof read the document before it was sent to the printers.

Staff at the health centre I visited say some cheeky people are simply putting "yes" in the first box, before declaring they're either "Female" or "Male" status.

Amused!

Too often these days you call an organisation looking to speak to someone for a story only to be told you'll be sent a media release.

Sometimes the protesting works and you get to speak to a human being, sometimes it doesn't and you are left with a statement that claims to be the words of a human being.

How do you know the person actually said those words?

Maybe they are just the carefully crafted words of a chain of media people, spin doctors, PR managers, minders and the rest.

Heart Foundation

Look what I found when I chanced upon a quote that claimed to be the words of a representative of Australia's Heart Foundation.

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man’s disease. In fact, only 3 per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women."

Who said that? Interesting question.

The quote has its origins in a 2005 survey conducted by Stollznow Research for the Heart Foundation and medicine company Pfizer Australia, published in the March 2005 edition of the Pfizer Australia Health Report.

Health Report #13, page 3

The report says that "97 percent of people are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women", and that phrase was reworded for a Latest News piece on the Pfizer website, in "Heart disease - the silent killer of Australian women" (12 March 2005).

The quote is now attributed to Dr Lyn Roberts, Heart Foundation Chief Executive Officer.

"The survey conveys that only 3 percent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women."

Two years later on 17 May 2007 and Heart Foundation issues a media release as part of its Go Red for Women campaign in which Dr Roberts gives birth to the quote.

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only 3 per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women," said Dr. Roberts.

The release is picked up by the Heart Foundation's partner website idonate.com.au on 24 May 2007 and copied word for word.

What is more interesting is a report in The Canberra Times titled "Heart of the nation takes a ruddy glow" (12 June 2007).

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only three per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women," he said.

He said? Who's this he? Well the quote is attributed to the Heart Foundation ACT chief executive Tony Stubbs.

Then the Herbert River Express carries a report "Bambaroo goes red for a cause" (16 June 2007) in which the same quote, word for word is attributed to the Heart Foundation's health director Karen Uhlmann.

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only 3 per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women," Ms Uhlmann said.

A year later and the Heart Foundation is at it again with the 2008 preview of the Go Red for Women campaign. So no doubt Dr Roberts will have something to say on the matter.

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only 3 per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women," said Heart Foundation Chief Executive Officer Cameron Prout.

Who? I know the Heart Foundation has an important message it's trying to get out but please tell me its entire staff don't go around reciting the exact same quote all the time, word for word. Surely somebody is capable of a little variation.

Sadly not, as the Maroondah Journal proves in "Taking it to heart" (3 June 2008).

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only 3 per cent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women."

Who said it this time? Heart Foundation chief executive officer Kathy Bell, Victorian division.

Later that month and we have published in officeprofessional.com.au a story headlines "The number one killer of Australian women – heart disease" (11 June 2008).

"It is still widely believed that heart disease is typically an old man's disease. In fact, only 3 percent of Australians are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women," Heart Foundation chief executive Maurice Swanson said.

So Maurice Swanson is now echoing the exact same quote as Kathy Bell, Cameron Prout, Karen Uhlmann, Tony Stubbs and Lyn Roberts.

At least they're consistent.

But the Heart Foundation case serves as a warning that the quotes issued in a media release are not necessarily the words spoken by the person mentioned.

So next time you get a media release, either say up front in your journalism that the quote is in a statement from whoever or whatever organisation, or better still try to speak to a person and get your own quotes instead.