Nearly 70 editors attended "The New AGE of Copy Editing" workshop Sept. 13-15, 2002, in St. Louis, Mo. The workshop was sponsored by the Mid-America Press Institute. Here are some of the tips offered by speakers at the workshop.
More tips from the workshop:
A new age for copy editors
Merv Aubespin admits that he never spent a minute as a copy editor in his nearly 35-year journalism career at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky.
However, the recently retired associate editor has become one of the biggest supporters of copy editors. He's considered the godfather of the American Copy Editors Society and has an ACES scholarship named after him. And he's outspoken about the need for copy editors in newsrooms.
"You do something important besides process information," Aubespin said at "The New AGE of Copy Editing" workshop in St. Louis. "You take the role of being the last one in the line before your paper ends up on my doorstep or my neighbor's doorstep.
"We depend on you!"
Aubespin has many accomplishments in his lifetime. Besides ACES, he is a past president of the National Association of Black Journalists, a consultant on media to the United Nations Development Fund, an adviser or consultant to at least six Southern universities, the first black honored with the Distinguished Service to Journalism Award from the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communications and the first recipient of the Association of Black Colleges Journalism and Mass Communication's highest award. He has met with U.S. presidents and presidents of other countries, including South Africa's Nelson Mandela. And he was one of Muhammad Ali's teachers in Louisville and still is Ali's friend.
Aubespin began his newspaper career in 1967 as an artist at The Courier-Journal, but in 1968 he instantly became a reporter when editors asked him to cover a race riot in Louisville. Because of his coverage for 48 straight hours, he was then asked to stay in the newsroom. He did, until retiring last summer.
At the recent Mid-America Press Institute workshop, Ausbepin described how copy editors had helped him many times and then said writers must become more respectful of them. He also said that experienced copy editors must help younger copy editors to become more flexible about style guidelines. One example that he described was how a copy editor had caught a younger copy editor's change of Malcolm X to Malcolm 10, because it was style.
"For many of them, it's a job. What we have to do is teach the young people that it's not about processing information. They have to love that product."
He then encouraged copy editors to become involved with organizations such as ACES and attend workshops that improve their skills. He also said that newsrooms must recognize the importance of copy editors.
"Insist that you be included. Many times you have solutions to the problems," Aubespin said. "We don't want to lose you. We need you!"

Tips anyone -- even you -- can use

The speakers at "The New AGE of Copy Editing" workshop offered tips that all of us can use. Here are some of them:

  • Accuracy is most important to any newspaper, and that includes being accurate and precise with the language.
  • After that, clarity is vital. If it isn't clear to you, it won't be clear to readers.
  • English operates by position, by order.
  • Modifiers must be close to the things that they modify.
  • Long sentences are OK if they "branch" or have the clauses at the end.
  • Writers put too much stuff into their sentences. Remember, as John McIntyre of The Sun in Baltimore says, that the Bible described the universe's creation with a 10-word lead: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
  • Never put insulting things in the paper. Mixed metaphors can be repulsive.
  • Ongoing exchanges must occur between the editor and reporter. An important one is that the reporter agrees to the story's length and then is required to hit that length.
  • Provide only pertinent details. "Don't show me that you talked to 5 million people by giving me all of the details," said Bob Hille, executive editor of The Sporting News. "Just give me the important ones."
  • Don't sacrifice important details because you have to cut a story.
  • Bad writers use too many quotes. They'll write a paragraph, then use a quote, paragraph, then quote. Try to take what's said and communicate it without a quote. "And do it with emotion," Hille said.
  • Know your newsroom's culture. Every publication, every paper will be different.
  • Many stories lack focus. Always ask: "What's the story about? What's the point?" Editors should always ask, "What are you trying to say here?"
  • Avoid excessive use of cliches. Example: rite of spring.
  • Be more aggressive in rewriting. Always look to trim your stories and hack away the excessive.
  • Look to add diversity into your stories. Never settle for the same sources.
  • From Yvette Walker of The Kansas City Star: Writers can coach each other. Editors can coach writers. Editors can coach each other. Always look for opportunities to be coached or to coach someone.
  • Coaching is retention. You have to repeat your coaching many times before it is retained. Don't expect people to retain a guideline after saying it to them once.
  • Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative.
  • Finally, Barbara Brus, a copy editor for The Oklahoman, wrote: "One of the best pieces of advice I came away from the workshop with was to read as much as possible to improve your language and help develop your style. You shouldn't just read your own newspaper, and what you read should be of good quality.
  • Chris Wienandt of The Dallas Morning News suggests reading other newspapers, novels, nonfiction, poetry and magazines. He especially recommended Car and Driver, Newsweek and The New Yorker."