Gran Finale

So to follow up on my little Wikipedia experiment, I checked the Stephen A. Smith page and I was pretty surprised.

To refresh your memory, a little over two months ago I went into Wikipedia and changed Stephen A. Smith's year of birth to 1968. And to end all of the suspense you must be feeling, nobody has changed it back to the correct date yet. That's pretty pathetic. I'm not saying that Stephen A. Smith's biographical Wikipedia Web site is heavily trafficked or anything, but I am just appalled at the whole idea that anyone can go in and change anything at a push of a button.

We went over in class how someone created a Wikipedia page changing the course of history... and people believed it! I just think it's funny and sad how dependent some people are on that Web site for information. I mean, it's a great starting point, but it's nothing to hang your journalist's hat on.

Along those same lines, it really makes me mad when people go online and think they can diagnose themselves with illnesses and injuries based off of what they read. But I guess they're right, there is no need for doctors, physical therapists and psychiatrists. I mean can you imagine someone having certain symptoms and going to Google to only be sent to some guy's personal site that is completely bogus? If you have every heard of the Darwin Awards, I think there is a possibility that someone can get one by incorrectly self-diagnosing based off of a Web site's errors.


B

Talk the Talk

I think it's interesting how the editing process differs for reporters and columnists. I feel like editors look at a game preview and a weekly column with a different eye. When an editor looks at a reporter's game story, they are editing for the obvious spelling and grammar, but also they need to look at the structure and flow of the piece. They need to make sure the most pertinent information gets to the reader withou bias.

When it comes to editing for a column, they also need to look for the obvious punctuation and grammar, but with the columnist position comes a sort of trust that assumes the columnists know the writing process. Also, there's no worries about editorializing or showing bias, because that comes with the job. The editor looks for a type of flow, but the form of a column can be so diverse, it's really up to the editor to decide if the columnist needs to change.

I think it's important for writers to have a solid background of reporting before they jump into the columnist role. When I first started as a journalist, all I wanted to do was write a column full of my opinions, but looking back on it, it was really important for me to develop a foundation of reporting before I stepped up into a columnist role. Plus, personally, I love the reporting process. It is truly a one of a kind process. It takes you out of your comfort zone and it allows you to meet a lot of people you would not even think about saying anything to.

So an editor really has to adapt the editing process to the different writers at their newspaper. They need to know when to really take apart articles, and when to leave them in tact for the sake of creativity. It's not an easy thing to do, but it comes with job.


B

WIn That Race

I think the idea of speed versus accuracy at a newspaper shouldn't be taken lightly. With all the cutting of editors and shrinking of newspapers, there is only one answer that I can come up with to help cut down on errors. Reporters and columnists will simply have to read over other people's stories as part of their job. It's a two way street; I will feel more comfortable with my story after my coworker reads over it and he will feel the same after I read his. Obviously there will still be copy editors, but this ensures another set of eyes are guaranteed to look over my entire piece.

Some might say it's not a reporter's job to edit for other people. This is simply ridiculous. The more you read, the more you learn. If as part of your job you have to read a few more articles everyday, you will not only become a more well-rounded journalist because your reading another beat, but you'll get to see other people's errors, which hopefully prevent you from making those same errors.

It's plain and simple, I don't want to see more and more errors in the newspaper and online. This means if news businesses want to cut more and more editors, they have to distribute the responsibilities accordingly. Reporters are going to have to step up whether they think it's fair or not. Until the news business finds some answers to prevent downsizing, it's going to be a necessity.


B

(insert creative title here)

So, I like jokes. And nothing is better than some good old fashion word play. And since most copy editors are overworked and under-appreciated, they sometimes come up with some pretty hysterical titles for stories. I'm guessing most of these were not on purpose.

"Caskets found as workers demolish mausoleum"

That's fantastic. I feel like this person wrote 20 headlines that evening and didn't even look back to see how obviously ridiculous this headline is. It would be a headline if they didn't find caskets. Then it would be a story from Law and Order.

"Statistics show that teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25"

If you want to talk about problems with numbers, you have a big one right here. Of course it drops off significantly at that point! If it's higher than zero then a journalist certainly calculated the statistic. I am sorry to the journalists out there who are wonderful mathematicians. On a side note, I actually like basic math. I just absolutely hated math when I got to calculus my senior year in high school.

"One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers"

I just have to believe this copy editor was trying to be funny ... and he failed big time. At least I hope this was on purpose because if not, then I don't want to meet the people in this newsroom. This actually reminds me a little of Obama's special Olympic joke that wasn't funny at all.

These headlines came from:
http://www.oddee.com/item_96156.aspx


B

My Words Are A Wonderland

When sports writers cover a beat for a while, they become experts on a team. To me, this means they should have a little wiggle room on what they can say in stories. Maybe they can throw in a little something into the article that makes the reader laugh, or maybe they can say something that they observed, that the coach or players didn't say.

What bothers me is the inconstancy in the editing practices among publications. When you pick up the Chicago tribune, the sports staff writers basically have their way in the writing process. The language used by K.C. Johnson would be considered editorializing by some, and witty, concise writing by others. But if you look at other publications, you find the standard lede, quote, paraphrase and repeat style.

Now I know columnists have this freedom because they are supposedly allowed to be biased toward whatever they like. When I speak about staff writers, I'm not talking about bias. I just mean that they all need the freedom to be creative and write what they see. They need to remain fair, but they can't be held back by an editorial choke-collar.

This will only take place when the there is a trust between the writer and editor. Obviously this takes time. But eventually the editor should lengthen the staff writer's lease slowly but surely until, and if, the staff writer proves they need to be reeled in.

Be free staff writers...


B

We're Talkin' About Practice

I'm calling out copy editors right now. Or better yet, I'm calling out people in charge of newspapers. I'm sick of the botched headlines, jumps and stats that I find in the sports section. Plain and simple, if you're a copy editor and you don't know a thing about sports, don't change something unless you ask.

And as for headlines, I think the reporters and columnists should write them. Is it really that hard for someone who already knows the article inside and out to throw down a headline? I'm not saying it's easy to write a headline, but the author of the article should be able to at least put something together that is free of sports-related errors.

People outside of the sports realm may think it isn't that big of a deal, but I'm here to tell you that it is. When I sit down and painstakingly search for statistics to go along with my story, I expect them to be checked, not decimated. When I write something that I am truly proud of, it's heartbreaking to wake up in the morning and see vomit printed in bold above my article.

This is why I am proposing that newspapers figure out a way to employ at least one copy editor that has some sports knowledge. I mean we're not talking about a lot of sports knowledge here ... just a little bit. They need to know the bullet points of sports, or at least have the patients to jump on a computer and look something up. If you don't have a sports background, please don't trust your sports instincts. That's just silly.

I understand that copy editors may feel like they don't get the appreciation they deserve. I will be the first to say they are absolutely necessary. Trust me, after taking my news editing class, I've realized they are a big part of the machine that is journalism. Without them, people would laugh at some articles they see in the newspaper each morning. But all I'm saying is that they need to step their game up and understand how bad it makes sports writers feel when they see glaring errors in their stories that weren't there to begin with.

Studying here at U of I, we are asked to get a broad education in news-editorial journalism because we are supposed to know a little about everything. But when your working at a newspaper, you can't forget this. Yes, it's important to know which piece of legislation is being passed by what court on what day. But how about who won the NCAA Tournament? I would argue that there are just as many people waking up to look at ESPN.com as there are checking their YAHOO NEWS.

I mean, honestly, I hope I didn't make any mistakes in this blog because I didn't have a copy editor look over it ... for real.


B

Blink 182

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