Sunday, May 14, 2006

LA Times Misplaces Hollywood Sign!

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-unocal14may14,0,6417885.story?page=1&coll=la-headlines-california

First, the good news, though. The above linked story is an excellent history of the famed Union 76 orange ball - and it's current demise at the hands of the forces of evil. Read it. It's good.

However - and as is all too often with the LA Times - there always seems to have to be a however appended... there is this clinker in the middle of the piece:

In 1923, for instance, an L.A. Packard dealership is believed to have become the first U.S. business to use a neon sign. That same year, a sign reading "HOLLYWOODLAND" - later shortened - was erected to advertise a new development in the hills above downtown.

Hills above Downtown?

Uh - the only thing below the hills of the Hollywood sign is... drumroll please... Hollywood!

Well, OK, you get a bit further south and you hit.. Hancock Park and then... Koreatown. But downtown? Never. In fact the only hills that are above downtown are those of Elysian Park.

Now I understand that writer Scott Gold is still a newcomer to our fair city - so how about some of his colleagues chipping in and buying him a Thomas Guide.

It's the least you can do.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:45 PM

    I have a generally benign view of the LAT, but this one put some derision in my laughter. Where were his editors?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:12 PM

    As a former Times staffer, it is instructive to understand that some reporters are loathe to leave the office, which ever one they work in. That explains why a story about a Corona state lawmaker failed to note, in both story and graphic, that there was already a full set of exits at I-15 and Cajalco Road.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:13 PM

    As a former Times staffer, it is instructive to understand that some reporters are loathe to leave the office, which ever one they work in. That explains why a story about a Corona state lawmaker failed to note, in both story and graphic, that there was already a full set of exits at I-15 and Cajalco Road.

    ReplyDelete