More Media Errors

I am continuing my series on media errors. The media, which presents itself as authoritative, makes numerous factual, grammatical and pronunciation errors, as well as misleading statements. The following is my compilation of additional ones I have noticed since my last post on this topic:

Referring to Sufism as a “sect”

Sufism is not a sect, but Islamic mysticism.

“54,000” Americans killed in the Korean War

There were 37,000 Americans killed in the Korean War. The higher figure is a well-known error that people, including in the media, continue to repeat.

Referring to the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico as “busted”

“Busted” is a basic grammatical error. The correct word is “broken,” although in this case, because the well was blown out, it would be acceptable to say that the well had “burst.”

See also my posts, Media Errors on Iraq and Afghanistan, from March of 2009, Misleading Media Phrases, from May of 2009 and Afghanistan Is Not the Longest Ever U.S. War, from June of 2010.