cereal test

cereal test
 n.— «Editors apply what is generically referred to in the newsroom as the “cereal test.” Photos that might upset a reader over breakfast are screened very carefully, and are used only if the subject matter or news value warrants it.» —“Demi Moore cover photo had people talking” by Mike Foley St. Petersurg Times (Florida) July 21, 1991. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

Stub Your Toe (episode #1606)

Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...

If Grandma Had Wheels (episode #1603)

While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...