Rahm Emanuel 'Bedeviling' News Organizations With His Name

NPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard makes note of the curious way that news organizations choose to identify White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, whose very name is like a dead fish mailed to everyone's style guide:

...when he's quoted or mentioned on radio, TV, or print, reporters and anchors generally identify him on first reference as Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

But for some reason -- most likely his unusual first name -- news organizations are conflicted on how to identify Emanuel on the second reference. Standard news editorial practice across the board is to give a person's full name on first reference and only the last name on second reference.

But not for Emanuel.

Oddly, several news organizations refer to him on a second reference as "Rahm Emanuel." NPR has just decided to make that a policy after correspondent Nina Totenberg referred to Emanuel three times by his first name only on-air.

Naturally, I feel compelled to point out that in the vast majority of news reports, Rahm Emanuel is most often referred to as "senior White House adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity."

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[lightbulb10]

Well it's like the 3 Karamozov - at least that's how their round table hit the media not so many years ago. Plus the eldest brother was taken into some of the policy making. With 3 cooks in the public kitchen with the same last name, first name defaults to distinguisher. The first name is seen as common reference outside media - it's not an extremely popular name - not to mention better than being referred to as Rambo (???)

[holeybuybull]

He could be referred to as Avi Lieberman, Israeli Minister of Defense. That seems to be one of his priorities.

[bubbepenny]

nonsense. get a life

[BannedNBoston]

Be more accurate "That Wallstreet insider JERK!! "

[Blackorpheus]

There must be an infinite number of ways to refer to Rahm Emanuel, none of them favorable.

[bubbepenny]

silly boy. YOU, that is. glad to see you think you are in the "know". you're not!

[Blackorpheus]

You say I'm not in the "know." I can tell you how Rahm really severed his finger. How's that?

[Tmboy]

Because they know the public is slow and will assume that they are saying "Emanuel" as a first name

[RSKaz]

My brother the "bagger," thinks Emanuel is Hispanic, ranting incoherently about Rahm allowing illegals to "flood the country to take our jobs." Of course, big bro lost his gig under Bush, but why split hairs.

[Whinger]

Rahm means "pleasing" Hebrew in origin, interestingly can also be Ram!

[bubbepenny]

it's AVRAHM - like in abraham.

[S1m0n]

What wrong with calling him "Emmanuel"?

[coveark]

Barack Obama has more sense in his little finger than most politicians. No doubt his choiceof Rahm was a good one.

[USAFVET76]

Its a circus administration and he is one of the ring leaders.

There are many names possible to reference him. But, none of them would have anything to do with supporting taxpayers, small business, military, or working people. Its just not in his blood or political genes. Like his daddy BO.

[bubbepenny]

what planet do you call home? it certainly isnt earth.

[PhilipTaylor]

How about "DLC KING in charge of Corporate Money" as the second reference?

[FearlessFreep]

How about "that jerk"?

[nogimmicks]

Rahm got us those Paulson replacements for the Obama "economic team". They turned out worse that Paulson and continued to focus of making the GoldmanS. the Fed banks, AIG etc. extremely rich by wasting the taxpayer dollars and mega-borrowing from the future.

[Etherealechidna]

"Oh the alarm for the dryer went off" The extent of the importance of this story

[mesioul]

I don't get it... it's a simple name. But if they oddly find it easier to say the whole name rather than just the last, so what?

Personally, I find it comforting to have someone close to the President who understands Israeli concerns, when there is so much false propaganda about them. (I haven't spent as much time in Israel as Emanuel, but enough to see through the rampant falsehoods).

That wasn't difficult, saying Emanuel. Maybe they just have issues with the religious significance of the name (Emanuel= Hebrew for "God is with us"). But really, it's just a name.

[gbrooks]

Yeah, he really does understand Israeli concerns, he was raised by an Israeli t3rr0rist.

[bubbepenny]

first get your facts straight before spouting nonsense.

[CO2feedsPlants]

i wonder if anyone has ever sent him a fish...