Question: Where does -30- come from?

EricaCNPA · Number of posts: 142 Age: 28 Registration date: 2007-06-13

Where does -30- come from?

Quote:

"Journalism is so full of funny phrases and traditions," Reynolds says. "I wanted the kids to know there was a long tradition behind each of these terms and style rules and know that it didn't come out of nowhere."

The use of the symbol was once so prevalent that it made its way into Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, which says 30 is "a sign of completion." But the tradition of using it to cap off a piece of sprightly copy dropped off considerably when the computer replaced the typewriter — the what? — in America's newsrooms. So it's a term whose meaning is lost on many younger journalists.

Read the American Journalism Review story

Apparently, this is an area of some debate. Do you know the answer?

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Erica Jolley-Meers
Digital Media Coordinator
CNPA