infuriating use of "our"

[mungo_one]

Note to Editors!
Whilst I enjoy reading the magazine every month, there is one thing that really infuriates me, and that is the annoying use of "our" to describe your reporters! "Our" Claire did this, "our" Rob did that etc. Come on editors...is this necessary in a serious magazine? Or is it just me?!
Regards, "our" kid.

 

[Damian]

It is you

 

[Dustydog]

Note to Editors!
Whilst I enjoy reading the magazine every month, there is one thing that really infuriates me, and that is the annoying use of "our" to describe your reporters! "Our" Claire did this, "our" Rob did that etc. Come on editors...is this necessary in a serious magazine? Or is it just me?!
Regards, "our" kid.

You're joking!
Ah well.Little things. .......

 

[Mel]

It is a media/sales device to make you, the reader feel part of the organisation. To give it a warm and cosy family feel. This feeling of belonging makes you feel safer and more secure and therefore more likely to buy the next issue, trust the advertisers and buy their products and thereby increase the revenue of the magazine.

It doesn't work on everybody.
mel

 

[DeliDave_]

Is this a windup?

 

[Sproket]

Is this a windup?

😗

 

[DeliDave_]

:lol:

 

[Gozza]

I suppose it's a bit of a compliment that this is the worst thing the mag has done to annoy anyone!
I'd noticed the affectation and I suppose I find this folksy use of English a bit amusing and unneccessary but it doesn't bother me enough that I'd write and complain about it. I'd assumed it was how the magazine differentiated between house journalists and other contributors. But I think Mel's explanation is probably right.
As for the original post being a wind up - as I said it doesn't bother me that much, but if Gozza Junior started reading the magazine and using "Our Billy" in everyday speech thinking it was good English I might feel a bit differently. Although I might consider it a fair trade off if it meant him reading a caravan magazine!

 

[LizziePope]

Hi all!

Thanks for this thread – it has made me smile! 🙂 As Gozza posted, if that is the magazine's worst offence then we are probably doing well.

You've got it spot on, though – although I'd counter that it is less an advertorial thing, more an effort to make the magazine and its readers a stronger community. Caravanning is a wonderful, friendly, social hobby that we're all trying to share in, hence the use of inclusive terms. It's also handy on social media because especially with Twitter's strict character limit, writing 'Our Rob' instead of 'Practical Caravan's Rob' saves a lot of characters!