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Why would you use 'dead' (Uyghur leader 'dead' at 85) instead of using 'passed away', 'left from this world'...u the literal, reporter people know what word to use better than ordinary people; the 'dead' sounds so rude to me, i'm sure other Uyghurs also feel the same way, hopefully, you take good care next time, thank you!
Feb 19, 2010 03:03 PM
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Dear reader: You raise an excellent point about the evocative power of language, and in a eulogy or other, more personal communication, we suspect most journalists themselves would employ a euphemism—something less stark and more poetic, perhaps, than “dead” or “dies.” In news reporting, however, our job is to convey facts with the utmost accuracy, balance, brevity, and clarity, so we almost always use these words. A place exists on our commentary pages for personal essays, commentaries, and, yes, remembrances, and we invite you to submit a contribution using the language of your choosing for our review. Thank you for writing.
Mar 04, 2010 04:27 PM
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