Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mark Wallace asked if I could add pictures to my Banned List of clichés, and nominated the first here. Lloyd Bracey, who teaches TV journalists, persuaded me to ban reporters referencing stormy waters, for example, over footage of the sea. But this is different. This is about reaching for the most obvious image with which to illustrate an abstract subject.
1. Wedding cake decorations for reports and features about gay marriage
2. Poignant empty swings for stories suggesting that the authorities have failed children – nominated by Callum May.
3. Stretch of police incident tape for any article about crime – Ben Knights
4. The flames from gas-cooker rings for rising energy prices – Terry Stiastny
5. Faceless greebo lights a gigantic bifta, all but hands and lips obscured, for any story about drugs – Ed Pemberton
6. The statue on the Old Bailey roof for anything to do with the law or justice – Chris Bartlett
7. Pictures of people from the neck down for stories about obesity.
8. A woman with her head in her hands for all mental-health stories – Becca Reilly-Cooper
9. Precarious stack of coins for personal finance stories – Tom Powdrill
10. Aerial montage of suburbia for TV reports on property markets. Used, obviously, because we don't know what houses look like – "Bubblejet"
Next week Top 10 Best Prime Ministers We Never Had; let us have your nominations for the week after, Top 10 Most Over-Rated 1960s Bands, or suggest a Top 10 on Twitter @JohnRentoul or by email: top10@independent.co.uk
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments