Lightning The Load

On Friday's Nightly News broadcast, an on-screen transcription of comments by BP CEO Tony Hayward included the following statement: "I personally think it's right that I should be the lightening rod because it allows everyone else to get on with doing their job...." "Lightening" means to make something lighter, as in color or weight. A "lightning rod" is used to attract electrical lightning, or in Hayward's case, to attract criticism away from others. It would be so easy for the Nightly News producers to get these things right. But they don't.