Publisher's Notebook

Before you can say you have finished writing something, you have to proofread your work. Before you file anything, you have to proofread your work. Make sure you say what you mean.

The other day I got an e-mail message from a colleague who knows I like to tinker with headlines – it was one of those viral collections of “Oh no, did they really publish that?” headlines. The papers that printed the headlines below shall remain nameless. I can say on good authority that none of these appeared in Virginia Lawyers Weekly.

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Panda Mating Fails, Veterinarian Takes Over

Miners Refuse to Work After Death

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

War Dims Hope for Peace

If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

Man Struck By Lightning, Faces Battery Charge

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery, Hundreds Dead