BERNAMA Should Learn to Spell
The importance of spell-checking and double-checking one’s work cannot be stressed any further. Most bloggers (including me) do not normally spell-check their post, but in fact, they should. An article, and the mistakes in the article says a lot about the author. I swear I shall spell check and double check my work, including this blog, in the future.
It’s one thing for bloggers and amateurs to make mistake, it’s another thing when formal news source do the same. I was reading news online, when I came across the following:
Australian Prime Minister is Ruud!
In one heading, there are two mistakes: “Ruud” and “Bilaterial”. While “bilaterial” has been corrected, as of today, no one has bothered to correct “Ruud” yet. The post still can be found here. That’s extremely “Ruud” of TheMalaysianInsider.com to misspell the last name of a Prime Minister from another country. That’s all fine, until I scroll down to the bottom of the news and read the news source - BERNAMA.
Non-Malaysian might not know this, but BERNAMA, short for Berita Nasional Malaysia, literally Malaysian National News, is the Malaysian National News Agency. Immediately, I search for “Ruud” on the website, and I swear I could not have made this up, this is what I see:
Ruud's visit again
As of today, the news complete with the mistake can still be read. Since the news from The Malaysian Insider is sourced from Bernama, it’s mildly acceptable for them to make the mistake, but it doesn’t exempt them from spell checking their articles, especially with a huge ass heading of “Ruud”.
BERNAMA’s mistake, is another thing. It’s the Malaysian National News Agency, man! If they can make such simple mistake, what about the average Malaysian?
Now I know why our national English level suck ass. Maybe Australia should consider terminating the “bilaterial” ties with Malaysia.
fishhook:
right after reading this post yesterday, in today’s Star newspaper I saw the caption of his picture with the name Rudd…what the toot!!
July 24, 2008, 1:30 amkhensthoth:
Just to set the record straight, since I did not mention this in the post, the Australian Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd - a guy whose mandarin proficiency probably rivals many Chinese high school student in Malaysia.
July 26, 2008, 4:04 pmfishhook:
Ok. So it’s Rudd then.
But you got me confused there because in your post you mentioned that the name is Ruud. It’s the sentence right under the Malaysianinsider picture that you wrote the “Australian Prime Minister is Ruud!”. Did you make the same mistake too?
July 26, 2008, 7:24 pmkhensthoth:
Nah, I was merely pointing out the mistake MalaysianInsider and BERNAMA is making. Well, I should have made myself clear in the post though. Thanks, but his name is Rudd. =)
July 27, 2008, 12:33 pm