http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33652194

Dreadful reporting.

When I read it, it blew my mind.

deadlydarcy – Member
When I read it, it blew my mind.

You haven’t exactly picked it apart the way I hoped someone would…

I know a song about orchids.

When you see how it gets picked apart, you’ll be amazed.

Is there a grocer’s apostrophe in there somewhere?

The season for the project’s fieldwork is past its halfway point, but there is much more data still to collect. Some of the 29 orchid species on the list are yet to flower at all.

That’s a badly worded paragraph to start with 😉

There are not 29 orchid species still to flower at this time of year, the Green-winged (not green-wing) Orchid and the White Helleborine are NOT rare (probably the commonest orchids in Britain after the Common Twayblade)…

The article about the Frog x Common-spotted Orchid in Cumbria was much more exciting – do try to keep up!

There are not 29 orchid species still to flower at this time of year, the Green-winged (not green-wing) Orchid and the White Helleborine are NOT rare (probably the commonest orchids in Britain after the Common Twayblade)…

The article about the Frog x Common-spotted Orchid in Cumbria was much more exciting – do try to keep up!
The Green-winged and White Helleborine are more common than Common-spotted, Early Purple and Pyramid?
I know of one site alone where I can find Common Spotted, Early Purple, Pyramid, Frog, Fly, Lesser Butterfly, Twayblade and Marsh Helleborine, but I don’t know of anywhere that White Helleborine grows, or Green Winged, so I would suggest that they’re perhaps not as common as the Common-spotted, Early Purple and Pyramid.
At the right time of the year I only have to cross the road from where I work on an industrial estate in Chippenham to see Bee Orchids growing in serious numbers, with some Pyramid Orchids thrown in for good measure.

Just had a look at bsbi.org, and the distribution maps for a couple of orchids; first the White Helleborine:

[/url]White Helleborine distribution by Adrian Hillier, on Flickr

Then the Pyramid Orchid:

[/url]Pyramid Orchid distribution by Adrian Hillier, on Flickr
It’s pretty clear which has the wider distribution, which would suggest more common as a result…

There are not 29 orchid species still to flower at this time of year, the Green-winged (not green-wing) Orchid and the White Helleborine are NOT rare (probably the commonest orchids in Britain after the Common Twayblade)…

It doesn’t say that there are 29 yet to flower. It says that some of the 29 species on its list are yet to flower.

So, your definition of ‘dreadful reporting’ is using the term ‘rare’ instead of ‘less common’? You should email the science team with your outrage.

I used to come across this attitude quite often. Instead of welcoming the fact that a major news organisation is taking an interest in a subject close to your heart and bringing it to a wider audience, the immediate instinct is to nitpick the hell out of it.

i know nothing about botany. I read the article, the Orchid that looks like a twisted ear of wheat looks ace.

what was the question?

So, your definition of ‘dreadful reporting’ is using the term ‘rare’ instead of ‘less common’? You should email the science team with your outrage.

It’s not the content but the quality of the writing and that’s the issue here. It looks like an explosion in a comma factory.

Instead of welcoming the fact that a major news organisation is taking an interest in a subject close to your heart and bringing it to a wider audience, the immediate instinct is to nitpick the hell out of it.

If it’s an important enough or interesting enough to publish it deserves better reporting. Clearly the writer doesn’t give a toss and it hasn’t been checked before publication. Shame on you BBC.

Yes, shame on you for using a couple of extra commas, BBC. Shame on you for talking to two leading scientists in the field, plus the president of the BSBI, then writing an interesting piece that publicises their project. Clearly the reporter doesn’t give a toss. 🙄

If it’s an important topic and this is such a crucial error in it, I take it someone has contacted the science news desk at the website to complain and ask for a correction?

Shame on you for talking to two leading scientists in the field, plus the president of the BSBI, then writing an interesting piece that publicises their project.

As I said before the content isn’t the issue, you’re arguing at cross purposes.

Given the choice, would you rather see a topic you are interested in presented in a clear, easily readable, grammatically correct piece or as garbage like that?

I had no trouble understanding and appreciating it for what it is – an interesting science news story, written to a relatively short timescale. If a few extra commas cause you that much difficulty and angst, you must really struggle on a day-to-day basis.

Still, at the risk of repeating myself, if it offends you as much as your tone suggests:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/contact-us/editorial

Still, at the risk of repeating myself, if it offends you as much as your tone suggests:

I’m assuming in that vein that you’ve written to congratulate them on it?

Nah, just came on here to slag off the somewhat OTT criticism from the OP and others. Orchids aren’t really my bag. 😀

Nah, just came on here to slag off the somewhat OTT criticism from the OP and others. Orchids aren’t really my bag.

I think we’re reading from the same hymn sheet. 😉

ahwiles – Member

i know nothing about botany. I read the article, the Orchid that looks like a twisted ear of wheat looks ace.

what was the question?
My mum gets loads of them appearing in her lawn about this time of year. They’re pretty cool. No idea what they are or of they’re rare though.

Well, I’d have to admit, I never saw this coming.

An attack on the BBC through the medium of Orchids. 8)

Pyramidal, not Pyramid, Shirley?

Could’ve done with this research a few years ago when I used to play Sabre Wulf.