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In digital age, copy editors still uphold journalistic responsibility
By Jan Leach The Internet changes almost everything, and journalism is no exception. But does it change journalism ethics? Now that newspapers, magazines and most traditional media organizations post news and information immediately to the Web, copy editors have even more responsibilities. They still ensure accuracy and fairness. They still check facts and flag conflicts.…
Read MoreEight tips for editing online
By Sue Burzynski Bullard Four editors who have handled breaking news online for their publications offer the following suggestions. Although their publications vary in size and format, they agreed on many of the same tips for online editing. The editors are: Steve Buttry, director of community engagement at tbd.com; Emily Ingram, overnight producer at The…
Read MoreEditing’s Rubik’s cube: Online, the shape of the story changes
By Sue Burzynski Bullard When a blogger reported that University of Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez was quitting the team, editors at the Lincoln Journal Star had to decide quickly whether to publish the report. They were hearing the same buzz. Although social media networks like Twitter and Facebook were exploding with the Martinez story, none…
Read MoreReaders prefer edited news, research sponsored by ACES finds
By ACES Staff For years, copy editors have been preaching that editing matters in stories posted on websites as much as it does in those published in print. But the rush to be first online has often meant that stories get posted without going through the copy desk. Questions about how readers view the quality…
Read MoreHead hints from Newark
By ACES Staff Joel Pisetzner wrote this guideline for editors at the Newark Star-Ledger. All right, you already know how to write headlines. I know that. I read them every day. But a couple of you have been kind and inquisitive enough to ask how I write a headline. So here it is, starting with…
Read MoreWords commonly confused
By John McIntyre Cement/concrete — The powder in a bag is cement. Concrete is the substance made from cement, water, sand and gravel If you’re not writing about a powder, don’t use cement. Exhaustive/exhausting – Exhaustive means thorough and complete — in the sense that a topic is exhausted, used up.Exhausting means profoundly tiring. Flack/flak…
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