Resources

By Matthew Crowley Where’s an undertaker when you need one? Maybe it’s a sign of hyperstimulation or an overwrought effort to break through the substantial digital din. But it seems “die” has died as an expression of extremity Cue the dirge. In a Nov. 29 New York Times article on Internet-text speech hyperbole, Jessica Bennett reported that “I’m…

By Mark Allen The end of daylight saving time brings back the standard point-counterpoint over that middle word: Is it singular or plural? Daylight saving time is the preferred rendering, but in casual use, it’s just as often plural. The form “daylight savings time,” exists for no particular reason except for our predilection to pluralize…

By Gerri Berendzen Today is National Dictionary Day. Why? Because Noah Webster was born on this date in 1758. Trivia fact No. 1: That makes him 200 years older than me. Title page of “A Dictionary of the English Language,” written by Noah Webster. By Noah Webster; engraved by H. B. Hall and Sons, 62…

By Gerri Berendzen Summer may be nearly over, but the tips offered by ACES members Katharine O’Moore-Klopf and Mark Allen during the July #ACESchat — “Summertime and you’re editing” — are good for the entire year. Whether you are freelancing and working from home, or correcting that copy from a traditional office, sometimes it can…

By ACES Staff The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association issued an open letter Monday for media outlets reporting the Caitlyn Jenner story. The letter said that many newsrooms have questions about how to cover transgender individuals and offers advice on wording so that coverage is fair and accurate. “We are not an advocacy group. Our mission is…

By Matthew Crowley Who goes there? The author, New Yorker copy editor Mary Norris writes, optimally followed by the copy editor, trailing noiselessly behind. In “Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen,” her terrific memoir-cum-usage guide, the longtime New Yorker copy editor describes all the good things editors can do with both activity…

By Katie Antonsson The Washington Post‘s Bill Walsh schooled copy editors this morning on all the classic mistakes they make, citing 20 frequent and nagging errors made by the experienced and inexperienced alike. They are wide-ranging grievances, from frequent punctuation faux pas to newfangled phrases that are undeniably growing popular. Read on for Walsh’s full list. 1) “One of…

By Brady Jones Friday night ABC News will air Diane Sawyer’s interview with Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner. Though specific details of the much hyped interview are scarce, many expect the Kardashian patriarch will discuss gender identity. Words and how we use them have immense power, and newsrooms and publications may have questions regarding transgender…

By Melissa McCoy The news that a young German co-pilot appears to have intentionally crashed a Germanwings jet into the Alps, killing all aboard, presents copy editors with challenges. How can your publication convey the news without further sensationalizing an already sensational story? When mental illness is a key part of the coverage, what can…

By Gerri Berendzen How do you quantify the value of the work that copy editors do? ACES-sponsored research by Fred Vultee conducted in 2011 showed that readers notice errors in news stories and find them distracting. That study showed the value of copy editing, and Vultee urged a gathering of editors at ACES’ 2015 conference Thursday…