A Kansas newspaper proves that proper punctuation is the difference between a heart-warming human interest story and a cringe-worthy one.
The Pratt Tribune published a story highlighting the area’s tenth annual Disability Mentoring Day, an event in which local businesses allow students to shadow workers in a variety of jobs based on their skills interests.
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But this year, the paper’s coverage of the community event โ headlined “Students get first hand job experience” โ has raised major eyebrows after a Twitter user shared it online.
Writer: “Is it ‘firsthand’ or ‘first hand’?”
โ AJ โพ๏ธ (@NCSox) October 29, 2017
Editor: “Either one is fine.” pic.twitter.com/36xHxrG9q1
The original poster shared a photo of the story along with a witty caption: “Writer: ‘Is it “firsthand” or “first hand”?’ Editor: ‘Either one is fine.’ “
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Since Saturday, the post has been liked more than 100,000 times and retweeted by more than 40,000 users.
While some used the thread as an argument that “hyphens are important,” others made punny comments about the story headline when left as-is.
The first two words of the story are “Eager Students”. Yeah I’d say so.
โ Obligatory Pumpkin (@cfb_poindexter) October 29, 2017
Must have been the editor’s first time, ’cause their hyphen broke ๐
โ Kathryn Vie ๐ณ๏ธโ๐ (@KathrynVie) October 30, 2017
This story has a happy ending….
โ Demetri Rizos (@HarryAgganis) October 29, 2017
Others shared similar headline snafus in the comments to keep the laughs going.
@FeitsBarstool would you rather… pic.twitter.com/l7vPbyeHZ7
โ AOrp (@AOrp27) October 29, 2017
โ Ian Parry-Okeden (@IanParryO) October 30, 2017
โ Emily (@ThePlanetEmily) October 30, 2017
๐ pic.twitter.com/tCWtNIfe6R
โ Chris Birrane (@AlZheimerHammer) October 30, 2017
Case in point: punctuation and grammar matter.