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MAKING COPY SHINE WITH EDITING

Making Copy Shine with Editing

The long-awaited day has finally arrived.

The yearbook is being delivered and every staffer anxiously

waits to tear into those boxes and break the binding on

their precious publication.

All the sleepless nights, last-minute photo-ops and

computer blindness have all been for this moment — seeing the

satisfied look on the faces of your peers.

You hand out your pride and joy to a student and watch

them walk away smiling, but then they stop… turn… and head back to

you.

You know what comes next.

walsworthyearbooks.com/yearbooksuite


“You spelled my name wrong.”

“Do you know you spelled varsity wrong?” “That’s not what grade I’m in.”

Maybe the perfect publication is a pipe dream.

There is just too much to do in such a short time to make sure

everything has been copy-edited and fact-checked.



However, no matter the excuses we make, this fact remains: errors diminish credibility and journalistic integrity.

How can we be trusted to tell a student’s emotional tale or accurately

document the history of a school year if we can’t spell the word “success” correctly?

You can’t learn to edit copy overnight. It is an art that is

learned and acquired over time with practice.



To get started, we need to look at the foundation for building an

insightful eye for copy-editing by examining the following areas:


Lesson 1: Assessing the Story

Objectives – In this lesson, you will:

Learn to read through copy to first assess what it needs in terms of

information and editing

Learn to look for angles in stories

Begin to practice questioning every word and sentence in a story for

accuracy, grammar, spelling and punctuation



When someone is injured and paramedics arrive at the scene, their

first responsibility is to assess the situation.

They must determine the nature and severity of the problem before they ever go into action.

The same is true of copy editing.

Before we jump in with our red pens and bleed comments

and editing marks all over someone’s hard work, we must first diagnose the piece.



Allow your mind to roam freely over the story and see what you react to.

Your original thoughts may be jumbled and confused,

but you can organize them later.

Edit for the “big picture” first, because if the story lacks a

message and focus, then it doesn’t much matter if a few words are

misspelled.



GET READY

The best editors are those who continually expose themselves to quality writing.

By constantly reading good writing, a copy editor learns what to expect when editing.

Editors need to internalize the qualities of strongly written pieces, so they can identify the weaknesses in the writing in front of them.



GET READY (continued)

The best editors are also writers. How can you expect to edit

a story and advise a reporter on how to best fix it if you are not going

through the same struggles?

Writing is not a black-and-white operation and neither is editing.

It is complicated and the only way for an editor to be effective is to

understand what it is like to be on both sides of the process.



GET IN THE MINDSET

A keen editorial eye is obsessive.

The savvy editor has the mind of a perfectionist — no small error should be left unaddressed and no comment should be left unchecked.



GET STARTED

Read through the story once without making a single mark.

Allow yourself to see it through the eyes of the audience.

Note your initial reactions and questions.

o How did you feel after reading it?

o What message did you take away from the story?



GET STARTED (continued)

Remember, the best writing is invisible.

If the piece is well-written, the ideas will suit the story so well that the message, not the language, will make an impression.


After the first read-through, determine the

severity of the situation. Is this editing process

going to be a walk in the park or is this story

on life support and in need of a ton of

attention? Are a few word choice corrections

going to solve the problem, or do we need to

go back to the drawing board and re-organize

it entirely? Are small fixes enough or will it

need a complete overhaul? Figure this out

upfront so you can prepare accordingly.



DETERMINE THE DAMAGE


GET INQUISITIVE

After reading through the story once and jotting notes about your

initial reactions, it is time to establish the internal monologue.



GET INQUISITIVE (continued)

Read the piece again and have a conversation with it, as though the

story is speaking and you are answering.

o What questions does the story pose?

o What parts are confusing/clear?

o Am I reacting positively or negatively? Why?

o What does this mean?

o Why would he/she do this?

o Why should anyone care about this?

o Why is this important?

o What are they really trying to say?

o What/who is the source of the information?

o Are the facts correct?

o Are there multiple sources?

o Does the story meet the staff’s guidelines and goals?



GET INQUISITIVE (continued)

Think of it as revision — revision literally means “seeing again.” This time through, try to see the story in as many different

ways as possible.


Lesson 1, Activity 1: Assess the Story

Read through the following story once to get your initial reaction and then re-read to question the piece.

Write questions that come to mind as you read.

Use the questions listed on the preceding slide to help you get started.



As Julia Hudson sat in her room, she listened to music while trying not to absorb the chaos that protruded through the walls. Leaving her troubled past behind her, Hudson learned tricks to balancing family and school-related stress. Both Hudson and Ashlee Valek entered a mindset filled with hope and took away a new outlook on life after overcoming difficult life situations. With below average grades and violent experiences, Valek chose what to do next in her life. “I got into a fight right before I went there, and they were talking about how I need to go to a different school because I was causing such problems, and I had a choice of whether I stayed here or I went to PACE,” Valek said.



Along with the struggle of the decision to change schools, Valek dealt with a loss in her family. “My little cousin just passed away, and that made me want to change because life can end at any time, and I don’t want to waste my time having fun. I want to do something worthwhile,” Valek said. This pushed Valek to attend the Practical Academic and Cultural Education (PACE) Center for Girls, a place that helped individuals learn responsibility and gain self-esteem. “They assigned me a counselor for anger management, and I talked to her about everything,” Valek said. With the help her counselor provided, Valek gained skills to help her in life.



“I learned a lot more skills on how important it is to turn your homework in and to graduate on time, instead of thinking the GED is the only way out of high school,” Valek said. Hudson, another student who aspired to change her life, dealt with her own issues. “I just have the typical teenage problems with who I am, and having to take care of my family when I need to be taking care of myself, and having to be strong,” Hudson said. Although Hudson struggled with personal problems, she hoped to set an example for others. The beginning of her public speaking passion all boiled down to sharing what seems important to her and giving others advice.



“I would never want anyone to cope with their problems in distorted ways through substance abuse, unhealthy relationships or anything. I want to help people,” Hudson said. As Hudson shared her experience with local community organizations, she gained a new perspective on life as well as insight on herself. “I have accepted more of myself. I have even more things to rely on for the future and even more things to be excited for. It gives me a drive,” Hudson said. Both Valek and Hudson once struggled with personal battles, violence, and family problems. However, relying on their own drive, they both created for themselves a better future.



Get the angle established.

After reading through the story twice, the message or angle of

the story should be clear.

o Make sure the angle is strong.

o Is it an approach that has been done before?

o Stories just about something “new” won’t cut it — what about the

something “new” is worth writing about?

o Is the angle specific enough?

o Is it focused on people?



Discuss angles.

If you assess the angle of the story and find it to be weak, start by

talking to the writer.

o Listen to the writer.

o Urge the writer to put their interview and notes away and just tell

the story.

o Let them talk about the subject and see if you can find the angle in

their explanation.

o Ask them to write a headline for the piece if they haven’t already. If

it is too difficult to find a headline that works, the angle is probably

still unfocused and vague.


Lesson 1, Activity 2: Create an Angle Tree

List all the ideas in the story as branches.

Next, determine what the trunk of the tree

should be. What is anchoring all these

ideas together?

Now, redirect the other ideas in the

branches to connect back to the trunk.

If a branch idea has no connection to the

trunk, cut it off. It will only weigh down the

rest of your tree.

Now, fill out your own angle tree on the

next page.



Lesson 1, Activity 2: Create an Angle Tree

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