Here sociolinguistic analysis can make its second contribution. It provides
harder evidence than is possible in other methods of investigating inaccuracy.
Newsworkers are noted for receiving researchers and their findings with
hostile disbelief. 15 But editing inaccuracy constitutes a failure by the copy
editor's own professional standards. The copy editors who introduced them
would themselves condemn these inaccuracies if made aware of them in
retrospect. Pointing out the bias in where and how the inaccuracies occur
should stand a little better chance than most arguments of persuading
newsworkers that there is indeed a problem.