Globe and Mail Public Editor: At The Globe, Dr. doesn’t just mean medical doctors
The Globe style guide has clear rules for honorifics, but errors are sometimes repeated and compounded.
By Sylvia Stead for the Globe and Mail
A recent story about tax law was criticized for a mistake about a name by one of the story subjects and she was right.
The reporter spoke to three experts about whether Olympic medalists should be taxed for their bonuses they received if they made the podium. The experts were all referred to as Mr. or Ms. in the article even though one of them, Lindsay Tedds, is identified as associate professor at the University of Victoria’s school of public administration. She should have been described as either Prof. or Dr. on second reference.
Dr. Tedds is a regular source and writer for The Globe and Mail on tax and economic issues. She is always referred to as an associate professor, but not always as Dr.
By my search, she has been referred to as Dr. Tedds in two articles, Prof. Tedds in one and Ms. Tedds in the above article and two others.
She wrote about the error of calling her Ms. in her blog and noted that in a previous Globe story she had also been described as Ms. on second reference. She notes in her blog that “.. were I to complain to the Globe the answer will be that they don’t refer to academics as Dr. to avoid confusing us with medical doctors. I know this because I have, on several occasions in the past, complained.”
Now, I was not aware of a previous complaint but the answer she was given is not correct.
Continue reading this on the Globe and Mail website where it was first published.
Sylvia Stead is the Public Editor of the Globe and Mail.