Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Why has the Canberra Times (masthead shown above) dropped the use of the words "yesterday", "today" and "tomorrow" when reporting on matters and events?
I've noticed that this practice has been in operation for some time. I find it annoying and, in some cases, confusing.

For example - I will buy a newspaper this morning (Wednesday 3rd. April 2013) and when reading through it I will notice the following peculiarities:-
  • Reports relating to something which occurred yesterday will say "Tuesday" instead of "yesterday".
  • Items concerning something which will be happening tomorrow will say "Thursday" in lieu of "tomorrow".
  • Most annoying of all, however, is that the newspaper does not refer to "today" when informing us of a matter relating to this very day of issue but they will say "Wednesday"!

This third practice caused confusion yesterday - yes, Canberra Times, YESTERDAY, not "Tuesday" - to whit:-
The paper had an item regarding the closing of the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition at the National Gallery.
The report stated that it was closing on "Tuesday" yet the paper in which the article was printed was Tuesday's (2nd. April) edition.

So which "Tuesday" was one to conclude that the exhibition was closing?
Next Tuesday (9th. April) would have been the natural assumption. After all, if it was closing on Tuesday 2nd. then surely the term "today" would have been used, would it not?

But no - we now have a newspaper which has removed the three basic words relating to the passage of time and which have been in use for centuries.

Why?


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