Michael Bloomberg Gets Pissy Over Word 'Maintain'
The financial news service started by Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a set of rules designed to wring all hints of subjectivity out of the copy, for example by forbidding use of the word "but," which implies a contradiction with the facts that precede it and thus editorial judgement on the part of the writer. It is, perhaps, with the same zeal for objectivity that the mayor flipped out at Newsday reporter Michel Frazier during a City Hall news conference for saying Bloomberg "maintained" he took certain actions relating to the Sean Bell case, as shown in the clip at left. Either that or the mayor just wishes he was in charge of all the reporters again, instead of at their mercy. Maybe he can add a chapter on this naughty word to his forthcoming book of rules for the entire world. [Observer]