Originally posted by NickFitz
View Post
Yes, the paper's style guide will dictate something like "Show temperatures in celsius, with fahrenheit in brackets on first mention" but some busy (and almost certainly scientifically-ignorant) sub-editor failed to realise that the first figure referred to an absolute value, the second to a relative difference, and they had to be treated differently.
Enforcement of style guides under tight deadlines has a history of causing problems. The Telegraph's style guide dictates that amounts in foreign currencies should be followed by the current equivalent in pounds sterling, in brackets. In the early Seventies this resulted in a photo appearing with the caption "Elizabeth Taylor arriving at Heathrow airport yesterday. She told waiting journalists 'I feel like a million dollars' (£473,000)"
Enforcement of style guides under tight deadlines has a history of causing problems. The Telegraph's style guide dictates that amounts in foreign currencies should be followed by the current equivalent in pounds sterling, in brackets. In the early Seventies this resulted in a photo appearing with the caption "Elizabeth Taylor arriving at Heathrow airport yesterday. She told waiting journalists 'I feel like a million dollars' (£473,000)"
Comment