The certifiably insane Randy Michaels, CEO of the Tribune Company, apparently thought it was a good idea to create a list of 119 words that can no longer be used. I’m not sure if these words are banned just at WGN or at all Tribune Co. products.

I worked in the WGN newsroom last summer, and I have no idea how they are going to cope. 90% of the news we get in the City are composed of these words!

I mean, come on! “Authorities” “fled on foot” “youth” “behind bars” “senseless murders” “shots rang out” “sources say”. At least the fine folks at WGN will still maintain that folksy, down to ea… “welcome back” “we’re back” “touch base” “folks” “our top story tonight” “stay tuned”

I’m honestly tempted to get some video of Mark Suppelsa and bleep out all these ‘banned’ words. The newscast you’d be left with would be more incoherent than Governor Quinn explaining his budget proposal.

Words banned by Tribune Company CEO Randy Michaels

  • “Flee” meaning “run away”
  • “Good” or “bad” news
  • “Laud” meaning “praise”
  • “Seek” meaning “look for”
  • “Some” meaning “about”
  • “Two to one margin” . . . “Two to one” is a ratio, not a margin. A margin is measured in points. It’s not a ratio.
  • “Yesterday” in a lead sentence
  • “Youth” meaning “child”
  • 5 a.m. in the morning
  • After the break
  • After these commercial messages
  • Aftermath
  • All of you
  • Allegations
  • Alleged
  • Area residents
  • As expected
  • At risk
  • At this point in time
  • Authorities
  • Auto accident
  • Bare naked
  • Behind bars
  • Behind closed doors
  • Behind the podium (you mean lecturn) [sic]
  • Best kept secret
  • Campaign trail
  • Clash with police
  • Close proximity
  • Complete surprise
  • Completely destroyed, completely abolished, completely finished or any other completely redundant use
  • Death toll
  • Definitely possible
  • Diva
  • Down in (location)
  • Down there
  • Dubbaya when you mean double you
  • Everybody (when referring to the audience)
  • Eye Rack or Eye Ran
  • False pretenses
  • Famed
  • Fatal death
  • Fled on foot
  • Folks
  • Giving 110%
  • Going forward
  • Gunman, especially lone gunman
  • Guys
  • Hunnert when you mean hundred
  • Icon
  • In a surprise move
  • In harm’s way
  • In other news
  • In the wake of (unless it’s a boating story)
  • Incarcerated
  • Informed sources say . . .
  • Killing spree
  • Legendary
  • Lend a helping hand
  • Literally
  • Lucky to be alive
  • Manhunt
  • Marred
  • Medical hospital
  • Mother of all (anything)
  • Motorist
  • Mute point. (It’s moot point, but don’t say that either)
  • Near miss
  • No brainer
  • Officials
  • Our top story tonight
  • Out in (location)
  • Out there
  • Over in
  • Pedestrian
  • Perfect storm
  • Perished
  • Perpetrator
  • Plagued
  • Really
  • Reeling
  • Reportedly
  • Seek
  • Senseless murder
  • Shots rang out
  • Shower activity
  • Sketchy details
  • Some (meaning about)
  • Some of you
  • Sources say . . .
  • Speaking out
  • Stay tuned
  • The fact of the matter
  • Those of you
  • Thus
  • Time for a break
  • To be fair
  • Torrential rain
  • Touch base
  • Under fire
  • Under siege
  • Underwent surgery
  • Undisclosed
  • Undocumented alien
  • Unrest
  • Untimely death
  • Up in (location)
  • Up there
  • Utilize (you mean use)
  • Vehicle
  • We’ll be right back
  • Welcome back
  • Welcome back everybody
  • We’ll be back
  • Went terribly wrong
  • We’re back
  • White stuff
  • World class
  • You folks