Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

Copy editing is often overlooked when discussing the more prominent roles in the production of a publication but it is perhaps one of the most important factors in determining the overall quality of a newsmagazine as the copy editor wields a significant amount of power in determining the style and success of the publication. A copy editors position includes checking written material, usually as the final step before it is sent to the printer and to correct errors in grammar, spelling, usage and style. A copy editor is expected to complete these duties in a timely fashion as the edits need to be made to the stories before the final versions are submitted and the writers are often consulted before the edits are made, especially when such edits deal mainly with the style of writing, instead of grammar. A copy editor's mandate also includes keeping an eye out for libel (defamatory untruths that could lead to lawsuits) and errors of fact. These jobs are sometimes shared by a separate position called a fact-checker but it is important for the copy editor to be a final defense against such potential for libel. At some publications, copy editors may also have the liberty to rewrite copy. They are the last chance to correct bad writing that may still be seen as proper by grammatical and technical standards. (Williams)

Headline writing and caption writing are also sometimes jobs given to copy editors at some publications. Headline writing can be a very important part of the publication process as the headline is generally the way in which to grab the readers

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

attention and keep them reading the article. In this way, trusting the job of headline writing to the copy editor is placing even more responsibility in their hands as the readership of the magazine may depend on it. Caption writing is also an important role that is often left to the copy editor.

Looking into the history of copy editing can show some of the important roles copy editors have held over time. Our ancestral authors wrote and edited ancient text like the dead sea scrolls and early Renaissance material. (Stefan) Copy editing is a process that can be traced back to the first writings in history, most notably with the invention of the printing press by Johannes Guttenberg that created a necessity for a greater division of labor as the volume of works able to be produced increased. Copy editing and final editing became important departments in response to the growing volume of printed text. Copy editing has played an important role in the most famous book in the world, the Bible. This has been a great source of controversy as advocates of different versions of the Bible have disputed the true intent of the words as altered by various editors. The slight variations of words with similar meanings can cause an uproar as the synonyms may still have slightly varied implications which can change the meaning of the passage as a whole. This illustrates the immense importance copy editing can have; and importance great enough to even shake the foundation of biblical faith.

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

Perhaps the most accurate description of the troubles that a copy editor often faces in the in the quest to accurately edit a piece of writing is this quote by a New York Copy Editor

Self-doubt. Its always good, before changing something, to stop and wonder if this is a mistake or if the writer did this for a reason. When youve read a piece five or more times, it is tempting to believe that it must be perfect, but you have to stay alert for anything you might have missed. Eternal vigilance! It also helps to have read widely (and well), and to have noticed, while youre at it, how words are spelled. Of course you have to be attentive to detailsyou have to be a bit of a nitpicker yet be constructive in your nit-picking. You have to love language. And not be too proud to run spell-check. (Redroom)

This quote perfectly describes the insecurities that might accompany a copy editor as they struggle to put away a piece of writing after having edited it multiple times, waiting for an error to appear that they may have missed before hand.

There are many skills that a good copy editor must possess if they are to be effective at their craft. Something that is important for the copy editor to possess is not only editing skills but writing skills as well. In fact, most copy editors at publications have started their careers as reporters or writers of some sort. This is often an important foundation to have as a copy editor as it allows them to make not just technical

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

corrections, but corrections to make the actual quality of the writing better. A good copy editor usually will have a degree in English or journalism. Their writing skills are important to have, but it is also important the editors keep in mind that they do not want to change or destroy the writers voice just to interject their own personal preferences into the piece. Good editing involves being able to reword a passage while still maintaining the integrity of the piece itself. Good copy editors also need a strong set of grammar skills so that they can properly identify sentence errors and make the appropriate corrections. (Kaminsky)

The copy editor may question the author's assumptions. Publishers have different protocols for the duties of the copy editor. The ideal of copy editing is to keep the text as clean, interesting and economical as possible. Copy editors cut the fat and seek to avert major revisions, while serving the best interests of the reader. (Stefan)

Copy editors must also have a strong knowledge of the editing process and what specific marks need to be made to alert writers of the changes made. The importance of these symbols extends far beyond the technicalities as it establishes a hierarchy of authority for the copy editor to make clear and concise marks for the writer to make the appropriate corrections.

Another one of a copy editors duties may include having a knowledge of page layout design. Although on our own publication, The Muse, we have separate positions

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

for layout design, some newsmagazines might not be able to afford this luxury so copy editors are put in charge of these responsibilities. One of the more popular programs is known as Quark and has proved to be invaluable to many American newspapers. Hank Glamann, co-founder of the American Copy Editors Society made the following observation about ads for copy editor positions at American newspapers,

We want them to be skilled grammarians and wordsmiths and write bright and engaging headlines and must know Quark. But, often, when push comes to shove, we will let every single one of those requirements slide except the last one, because you have to know that in order to push the button at the appointed time.

There are some important emotional qualities that a copy editor must possess in order to be effective at doing their jobs in a way that is conducive to the work being done around them. A copy editor must be sure to be sensitive to the things that they are changing and not be abrasive in their edits or comments. For example, people often use personal anecdotes in Feature stories. If a copy editor were to note that the personal anecdote is unnecessary and doesnt make sense, the writer may take offense, and that wouldnt be good. Also, after working on a story for a substantial amount of time, a writer may feel attached to a story and take edits suggested personally. For this reason, copy editors must be sensitive to the writers feelings. If the writer disagrees with the edits and takes offense, it may be best for the copy editor to suggest editing

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

compromises. This is an example of how the position of copy editor is an integral part of a newspaper staff. Copy editors must be team players and empathetic with the writers they advise. In addition to the emotional qualities necessary to be a competent copy editor, a keen attention to detail is also necessary. Copy editors must notice and correct even the smallest grammatical errors, or inaccuracies within a story. Copy editors are the last step in writing a story before the story is published. The accuracy of a story is reflective of the competency of a newspaper. Inaccurate stories or grammatical errors decrease the reliability of a newspaper, thus making a newspaper look bad. If copy editors arent successful in this task, they are hurting the newspaper. As Mr. Moore says, if youre not helping, youre hurting. This statement proves to be veracious with all aspects of a newspaper staff, especially the role of copy editor.

Personally, I feel that there are some changes that could be made to the Muse in terms of copy editing. It has greatly helped the Muse to have copy editors this year, but I think that some things can be changed. The system we have in place right now tends to be less effective than it could be because people are not held accountable for having actually made their edits to their stories. In the previous issue, I copy edited the majority of the stories that went into the magazine but not all of the edits that I made were fixed in the final drafts. This issue, I have copy edited far fewer stories as people seem to be slacking in terms of turning in their stories. My suggestion would be to make the section

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

editors more responsible for getting their staffers to turn in their stories to the copy editors. They should also be wary of who is actually putting in the edits made and who is simply getting back the edited copy and not acting on it.

I do like Daniel Milsteins idea for the copy editing desk. The past few issues, he has set up a desk in the Muse room designated for copy editing. Staffers know thats where they are to go when they need their story edited, and it makes the whole process of copy editing a lot more organized and manageable. Copy editing is essential to the success of a newspaper, and having a specific and prominent place where this occurs further emphasizes the importance of this process. The copy editing table also ensures the organization of the process itself. When there are numerous stories in a newspaper and numerous copies of each story, the process can get a bit out of hand. The trays on the copy editing desk make sure no papers are lost and everything is in order. If this process was unorganized, the whole newspaper would be out of whack. No stories would live up to their potential, and there would likely be numerous errors in the printed newspaper. In turn, as previously stated, the credibility of the newspaper would go down the drain.

I also think that each person who gets their edits back should be required to have a brief meeting with the person who copy edited their story to clear up any confusion or discrepancies in the editing process. People seem to be more likely to actually make the

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

edits if they are explained to them. I also came up with the idea of making a list of the most common style mistakes made by writers on the Muse. By providing the Muse staff with this list, we can significantly cut back on the time spent editing stories and ensure that every story is perfect. Additionally, I would suggest doing more editing in terms of style and flow because even though a story might be grammatically and technically correct, some stories are still left with odd sounding phrases or wording.

The reason I became interested in copy editing to begin with is because of the style quizzes that were administered periodically throughout my sophomore and junior years. Although these quizzes are generally not met with a lot of enthusiasm, I think that they are beneficial because they would allow people to see if copy editing is something they would be interested in and they obviously help people become better writers and adherents to muse style. The main thing that I would suggest would be to supply the future copy editors with an Associated Press style book and an extended list of the more common style issues found in the Muse. The editors could then take this list with them over the summer and return to school prepared to identify and properly correct errors. Having the editors themselves lead copy editing seminars as Jonathan did in the beginning of the year would also be helpful not just to the rest of the staff but to the editors themselves because studies show that people are 90 percent more likely to remember something if they taught it to someone else. Ultimately, copy editors always have access to the Muse or Associated Press style books but having a strong

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

foundation and knowledge of style will definitely supplement their editing and make the process more efficient.

WORKS CITED

http://www.ehow.com/about_6530606_history-copy-editing.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_editing http://www.theslot.com/copyeditors.html, Bob Williams, The Lot of Journalism's Noble Misfits http://www.ehow.com/about_6530606_history-copy-editing.html The History of Copy Editing by Tracy Stefan

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

http://www.redroom.com/search/google? cx=008545506934621922162%3Aiggqubnk5a0&cof=FORID %3A11&query=copy+edit&op=Search&form_id=google_cse_results_searchbox_form http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-copy-editor.htm, A Kaminsky

MUSE

Sophia Otfinoski Muse Final Exam Copy Editing

SOPHIA OTFINOSKI PERIOD 6/MOORE COPY EDITING RESEARCH PAPER