|
Monday, 08 June 2009 09:30 |
|
An onlooker: a sub-editor. As in (regarding some upskirt paparazzi shot) "An onlooker said...". Used to give some credence to "Look, you can nearly see her [insert bodypart]!" guff.
"Friends said": we said. But that would make the piece editorial and not reportage, so we couch our insults with this phrase, thus keeping the lawyers off our backs.
Leak: press release.
An insider revealed...: a press officer sent a round robin e-mail.
A senior insider: we actually phoned them up and talked to someone.
Please note that these tactics are not limited to the Mail, and almost all papers use them. |