Paul Waldman: Not that it's the most important thing going on here, but the "experts say" tic is so maddening. JUST SAY IT. You don't have to write "experts say" when you're stating a simple fact. Sport reporters don't write "Experts say the Chiefs won last year's Super Bowl" because that would be idiotic.

Not that it's the most important thing going on here, but the "experts say" tic is so maddening. JUST SAY IT. You don't have to write "experts say" when you're stating a simple fact. Sport reporters don't write "Experts say the Chiefs won last year's Super Bowl" because that would be idiotic.

The ninth paragraph of @washingtonpost.com article about Trump encourage Russia to attack the U.S.’s NATO allies offers the gentlest possible correction to Trump’s bs. (The second paragraph reports that one of the leaders of a NATO country called him “sir.”)

It’s a hedge against the truth, in case someone disagrees with it

> You don't have to write "experts say" when you're stating a simple fact. You do, if one of your most important goals is to evade taking any ownership or responsibility for your reporting.

Experts say you don’t actually have to add “experts say”.

And the headline writers' "Hear's What To Know" tic. 🤮

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