• MeepsTheBard@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    10 months ago

    That’s what the [sic] is for. It’s showing “here’s what the person literally said, to make sure we’re not misquoting them.”

    It’s standard practice, as “stepping up and taking charge” would mean substituting someone else’s words for your own, which is a slippery slope. “Oh he said X, but meant Y, so I’ll write that instead” can very easily be abused by people actively looking to misrepresent other’s words.

    Source: BA Journalism, who had to use [sic] when quoting non-native English speakers (was part of an immigration story). Whenever possible, I’d try to clarify/ correct mid-interview: “oh, you said A, but I think you might’ve meant B. Is that correct?” That way, you know for a fact it’s still their words.

    • DarkNightoftheSoul
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      10 months ago

      Urbandictionary.com is a mostly unmoderated wikiish popular-definition site. It does not have editors. It is not a publication. I was using the irony of polite language for that vulgar “publication” to be sarcastic on the assumption that most people know about urbandictionary. It also occurs to me belatedly that “that publication” is nonspecific and could reasonably refer to either the publisher of this article or, as was intended, urbandictionary.

      Source: misspent youth