Before we let this bone go, indulge another posting on the Ramiro Burr-Douglas Shannon affair.
For the sake of accuracy, we must acknowledge that our profession has had a long, sad history of publishing ghost-written columns.
Consider a parenthetical before a 1949 entertainment column in the L.A. Times:
("While Hedda Hopper is in Europe her column is being compiled and written by her Hollywood staff.")
Might Mr. Burr have been better served by sharing a byline ... or by warning in parens "When I'm blocked or too lazy to come up with my own prose this column will be compiled and written by someone I rely on and respect but would just as soon not identify"?
Contact Lovell at glovell@aol.com
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