Copy Editing

On Copy Editing

"And we are the defenders of proper grammar, usage, spelling and what publications call style..."

I understand how the title news editing can cause one to sulk in their chair... however I'm excited.. well I won't go that far: I am interested. I have received, honestly, zero teaching in grammar, picking little things up along the way... and learning more by pattern than structural knowledge. So I am excited to learn. I was a bit discouraged that the grammar skills I would be taught were in a 'news editing' environment. The above quote is unsettling to me at first... but I am being to use a bit of perspective. My trouble is that, in my mind, their is no style in newspaper writing. I cannot explain the internal struggle I have had with inverted pyramid and standard column form. However, I am beginning to separate the highly emotional and personal... Gonzo... approach that I take (which their is a home for.. but I am beginning to realize maybe not the front page of the Times.)... with news writing.

Slot Man

I don't have much to say about the Slot Man... however the image of the copy editors working, heads down.. is.. I don't want to say disturbing... but is exactly the environment I do not want to be in. I am a writer, not a news journalist. But I will take what I learn from the news and apply it how I see fit.

How Can I Become a Copy Editor?

My journalism resume was more promising before I entered the Park J-program than when entering my third year of studies. I don't want to commit my life to the Ithacan. I don't. I have a year and a half to come up with something to present to AARP to fulfill my J-internship. I don't want to write breaking news. I want to write about old people. Despite my limited portfolio... my Aging Studies resume is pack... If my hopefully employer understands that I am committed to Aging and am trained in Journalism... I don't feel completely helpless... and I do have a year and a half to make some necessary changes.

The Lot of Journalism's Noble Misfits

Sometimes I think you don't need to be a good writer to work for a paper. The blame seems to be lost along the long chain of editing. I don't have much more to say.. other than I respect the work of copy editors. They know more than I do. I know how to observe.. I can grab a nice quote here and there... I can write what I see.. But I can't tell you if it is written incorrectly. I know this class may be a bit of a struggle for me.. but it involves everything I want to learn. News Editing should be stressed at the beginning of the department curriculum.