Phil Spector dies in prison

33 views
Skip to first unread message

Bob Jersey

unread,
Jan 17, 2021, 7:58:06 PM1/17/21
to TVorNotTV
The NY-born songwriter and producer, who pioneered the "Wall of Sound" technique, later used it to eff up The Beatles' "Let It Be" album, and was convicted of Lana Clarkson's murder, has an acting credit as himself* in a third season "I Dream of Jeannie" episode featuring sometime-Monkees collaborators Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart...


B
*though the credits call his character "Steve Davis"

PGage

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 10:50:37 AM1/18/21
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
Why did so many obits for Spector yesterday use a form of the construction “convicted of murder”? If you are convicted of murder, you are a murderer. The former construction seems to be an editorial comment expressing doubt about his guilt.


--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/6cc10d42-4bd9-4469-a899-219eaa722885n%40googlegroups.com.
--
Sent from Gmail Mobile

Steve Timko

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 11:11:55 AM1/18/21
to TV or Not TV
Is OJ a murderer? Or Robert Blake? Neither has been convicted.

PGage

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 12:01:34 PM1/18/21
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
Exactly. In their obits, they should not be referred to as “murderer” but perhaps “accused”, maybe even “presumed” killer. 

Kevin M.

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 12:15:23 PM1/18/21
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
AP guidelines used to be (not sure if it has changed since I went to college) that people are referred to as murderers if they are found guilty or liable for someone else’s death. Otherwise, accused or alleged are used.

So OJ can be referred to as a murderer, whereas Robert Blake cannot.

--
Kevin M. (RPCV)

Bob Jersey

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 7:04:00 PM1/18/21
to TVorNotTV
Possibly because David Mamet wrote and directed a 2013 made-for-HBO movie about the case (Wikipedia) that, uhhh, chose to conveniently ignore a few facts... something journalists are also occasionally apt to do...

PGage, Jan 18th:
Why did so many obits for Spector yesterday use a form of the construction “convicted of murder”? If you are convicted of murder, you are a murderer. The former construction seems to be an editorial comment expressing doubt about his guilt.

B
 

Bob Jersey

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 7:13:59 PM1/18/21
to TVorNotTV
The current version of them [https://writingexplained.org/ap-style/ap-style-assassin-killer-murderer (link)] only refers to conviction, not liability following failure to convict, so OJ, sadly, is spared... (the official AP Stylebook is sold, whether as online access or a printed manual, hence this non-affiliated site)

Kevin M, to PGage, Steve Timko, and moi, Jan 18th:
AP guidelines used to be (not sure if it has changed since I went to college) that people are referred to as murderers if they are found guilty or liable for someone else’s death. Otherwise, accused or alleged are used.

So OJ can be referred to as a murderer, whereas Robert Blake cannot.

B
 

PGage

unread,
Jan 18, 2021, 11:22:25 PM1/18/21
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
As it should. OJ was not determined to be a murderer in his civil trial.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages