Les Jones

Word of the Day > Word of the Day: Editorial We

This starts off kinda dry. Keep reading and you will be rewarded with punny goodness.

From Wikipedia, after explaining the royal we:

The editorial we is a similar phenomenon, in which editorial columnists in newspapers and similar commentators in other media refer to themselves as we when giving their opinions. Here, the writer has once more cast himself or herself in the role of spokesman: either for the media institution who employs him, or more generally on behalf of the party or body of citizens who agree with the commentary.

Similar to the editorial we is the practice common in academics of referring to a generic third person by we (instead of the more common one or the informal you):

By adding three and five, we obtain eight.

This came up because of Brittney's post:

Know why the City Paper's blog sucks? Because no one uses "I" or "me." They are writing that thing in the dry style of newspaper journalism.

They're eschewing the use of I and me? That means they're writing in the "editorial we."

They should write their blog in French. Then they could write in the editorial oui.

Or they could type in all lowercase. Then they'd be writing in the editorial wee.

Of course if they were really having fun they'd be writing in the editorial wwwhhheeeeeee!!!!!

LATER: And if they wet themselves while they're writing? The editorial wee-wee.

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