Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Why do news anchors talk like that? | JOURNALESE
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Aug 20, 2025 Rob and Jess dive into the quirky world of journalism, discussing why news anchors have peculiar speech patterns and examine the strange spelling of terms like 'lede.' They explore the creative yet often confusing nature of headline writing, featuring amusing concepts like 'knobbly monsters.' The duo also unravels the etymology of the word 'magazine' and critiques common journalistic clichés, highlighting how language shapes narratives and influences the integrity of news reporting.
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Press As The Fourth Estate
- The press is called the Fourth Estate because it acts as a societal power alongside clergy, nobility, and commoners.
- Edmund Burke may have popularized the term during 18th-century British parliamentary debates.
Tabloid Versus Broadsheet Origins
- Tabloid and broadsheet originally refer only to physical paper sizes, not quality of journalism.
- 'Tabloid' later gained a pejorative sense because smaller papers often favored sensational stories.
What Tabloidese Does To Language
- Tabloidese uses punchy synonyms and slang to save space and attract attention.
- Words like tot, romp, lag, and probe are common because they fit headlines and tone.
