You and your 2nd year Media and Communications classmates sweat blood and go through hell to complete your research project involving cross-tabulations and all sorts of numbers, only to have the press generalise it as a "survey... conducted by Singapore Polytechnic students."
I feel your pain, peiwen. They may as well have said "survey conducted by some members of the human race in the vicinity of Dover Road".
News Excerpt:
Talk on Cellphone? Many youths prefer to sms
Over half of 800 youths surveyed spend most of phone time on sms
By Billy Teo
WHEN it comes to the most preferred activity on mobile phones, SMS reigns as king, according to a recent survey of mobile phone habits conducted by Singapore Polytechnic students.
Excerpt:
this is my own opinion here, but this article kinda irked me a bit. ok, to be more specific, it's just that line that went "...conducted by Singapore Polytechnic students".
not that it wasn't accurate. in fact, our writer billy teo gets even the spelling of my institution right, not that most people get it wrong.
the problem, and it's a big problem to me, is that billy isn't specific enough. in your opinion, do you think reporters/journalists should be as to-the-point as them can be? as if their careers depended on it?
i think the correct phrase to replace "Singapore Polytechnic students" should be "Singapore Polytechnic's 2nd year Media and Communication students".
