Wednesday, March 20

Area Man not actually from area.

Man about town, county, or state. 
HEATH, OH — Local editors are perplexed as to why they referred to Rick Monroe—of Fort Wayne, Indiana—as Area Man in a recent story instead of the more appropriate term "regional man."

Editorial standards for geographic proximity can vary in specificity from market to market, but a general consensus of news sources use Area Man when the man in question lives within 30 miles of the city limits. Anything beyond that triggers more apt descriptors like Regional Man or in the case of The Ledger — Ohio Man.

Reporter Jack Fang uncovered the tame reason for the error. "He was staying with his cousin, Steve, who everyone refers to as an Area Man."

Monroe has only been in the news once before — in an Indianapolis Star story about a bestiality sting on a local, err, area farm, and was referred to vaguely as "Fort Wayne Man."

Monroe, when contacted about the mistake, became highly agitated.

"Wait, are you calling yourselves local editors? As far as I'm concerned you're regional editors! And I'm Rick Anthony Monroe, not Rick Andrew Monroe, who was the horse sex prowler!"

Monroe's brother Steve reluctantly admitted to the Ledger that he was more of an areola man himself.