British English vocab question

Is it that the newspaper is Briticising or that the American speaking is changing their words so that the audience can understand better? I think it would be unethical for the newspaper to alter a direct quote. Have you seen the same person quoted using different words in a US paper vs. a British one?

I see this a lot as well, particularly in the Metro paper (Not a huge example of great journalism, I understand).  The 60 second interview section is always taking American interviews and peppering them with British slang/phrases.  It is so obviously not the words of the interviewee, it is silly.

... but maybe that is the precise appeal of reading literature from other places? The escape to new worlds?

Yes, agreed! My favorite books are those set in other countries. But I can't recall ever reading a book set in another country (written in English) that has been full of Americanisms or Britishisms. I guess it's possible that I've been blissfully unaware, though!

Also, I like the angle that this thread has taken. I agree with the general consensus here that Americanizing novels is not a good thing. Just to clarify: I edit language books, hence the need to be very specific with American vs. British English.