In a fit of exasperation, after so much of my life was lost in removing 'so' from interview responses, I posted a moan some months ago (here actually). How gratifying to find I'm not alone (I wasn't then, actually). Thanks to 'holdthefrontpage.com' (the home of regional journalism, I read) I've found a super collection of others' pet peeves and annoyances - in this case, what PR companies do to annoy journalists.
The full version, compiled by PR consultancy Twelve Thirty Eight, is here as a pdf.
The initial link and a short summary is here.
My favourite quote (alas, anonymous'):
A special honourable mention went to PRs that preface all verbal
responses with “So”. “I don’t know where this comes from,” fumed one
technology correspondent. “I suspect San Francisco via Shoreditch, but it’s
worse than nails on a blackboard.
My own theory, after extensive study, is that the Germans may be to blame - the word 'also' in German doesn't mean 'too' but 'therefore' - and seems to perform the same function as 'Er' in English. Just a theory.
The full version, compiled by PR consultancy Twelve Thirty Eight, is here as a pdf.
The initial link and a short summary is here.
My favourite quote (alas, anonymous'):
A special honourable mention went to PRs that preface all verbal
responses with “So”. “I don’t know where this comes from,” fumed one
technology correspondent. “I suspect San Francisco via Shoreditch, but it’s
worse than nails on a blackboard.
My own theory, after extensive study, is that the Germans may be to blame - the word 'also' in German doesn't mean 'too' but 'therefore' - and seems to perform the same function as 'Er' in English. Just a theory.