Comments on: Are editors necessary? http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-editors-necessary one writer's daily download Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:21:29 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: velvet goldmine http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162432 velvet goldmine Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:18:28 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162432 It's the next big thing, Marx my words. It’s the next big thing, Marx my words.

]]> By: LAMary http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162399 LAMary Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:09:59 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162399 I've hired two Castros and a Guevara this week. I’ve hired two Castros and a Guevara this week.

]]> By: velvet goldmine http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162398 velvet goldmine Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:57:06 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162398 John: That's a pretty nifty avoidance technique. Travel safely, and Bobspeed. Mary's Castro reference reminded me, shallow babe that I am, that among the current American Idol "guy" hopefuls (singing tonight!) are a Castro and a Noriega. Unless the Castro hopeful decides to step down, of course. John: That’s a pretty nifty avoidance technique. Travel safely, and Bobspeed.

Mary’s Castro reference reminded me, shallow babe that I am, that among the current American Idol “guy” hopefuls (singing tonight!) are a Castro and a Noriega. Unless the Castro hopeful decides to step down, of course.

]]> By: brian stouder http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162387 brian stouder Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:57:47 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162387 Here's an editing question: your political reporter files a story on Barack Obama 'plagiarizing' a speech, wherein the original deliverer of the speech says he and Obama frequently collaborate on and and share speeches, and wherein the speech itself is an overt celebration of famous lines from American political speech (such as "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself", and "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."), and wherein the accuser (in this case, the Clinton campaign) shamlessly ‘borrows’ everything in sight, other than red-hot stoves. As the editor, do you: a. Refer the reporter to the Op-Ed page editor b. Assign the reporter to write a sidebar defining plagiarism, and another sidebar on American political traditions of echoing and enlarging upon past generation’s political traditions c. Instruct the reporter to analyze the accusing campaign’s own rhetoric, to see whether their actions differ from what they are accusing others of doing D. Spike the whole thing as un-newsworthy tripe E. Refer the story to the advertising sales department, to see if the accusing campaign wants to buy a half-page ad (I say "E") Here’s an editing question: your political reporter files a story on Barack Obama ‘plagiarizing’ a speech, wherein the original deliverer of the speech says he and Obama frequently collaborate on and and share speeches, and wherein the speech itself is an overt celebration of famous lines from American political speech (such as “the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”, and “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”), and wherein the accuser (in this case, the Clinton campaign) shamlessly ‘borrows’ everything in sight, other than red-hot stoves.

As the editor, do you:

a. Refer the reporter to the Op-Ed page editor

b. Assign the reporter to write a sidebar defining plagiarism, and another sidebar on American political traditions of echoing and enlarging upon past generation’s political traditions

c. Instruct the reporter to analyze the accusing campaign’s own rhetoric, to see whether their actions differ from what they are accusing others of doing

D. Spike the whole thing as un-newsworthy tripe

E. Refer the story to the advertising sales department, to see if the accusing campaign wants to buy a half-page ad

(I say “E”)

]]> By: How to fix newspapers III: Don’t cut editors, change them « Korr Values http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162383 How to fix newspapers III: Don’t cut editors, change them « Korr Values Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:34:58 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162383 [...] II: Nancy Nall has a similar take. After recounting an example of unedited copy from back in the day, she writes: Not all reporters [...] […] II: Nancy Nall has a similar take. After recounting an example of unedited copy from back in the day, she writes: Not all reporters […]

]]> By: paddyo' http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162382 paddyo' Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:11:56 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162382 I love the various references to "going up in the attic" and digging out old examples of cringe-worthy writing/editing. We all have 'em, don't we? I can't lay hands on my file-of-infamy just now, but it also contains typographical/design/nonsense gems. One fave: The Casper Star-Tribune ran a story back in the '90s about the cattle business, and apparently to break up the gray type, somebody dropped in a one-column "sig" or mugshot of, well, a cow. Because the S-T's style was a last-name/surname caption for every such photo used . . . yes, this one was labeled: "COW" P.S. -- Not to inject politix, but I was struck by the following passage in Nancy's follow-up comment: "But what do you do with someone who lacks curiosity, can’t make the connection, who sees himself as a transcriptionist more than anything?" Hmm, were you referring to a reporter? Sounds to me more like the president. Let the countdown continue: 11 months . . . I love the various references to “going up in the attic” and digging out old examples of cringe-worthy writing/editing. We all have ‘em, don’t we?
I can’t lay hands on my file-of-infamy just now, but it also contains typographical/design/nonsense gems. One fave:
The Casper Star-Tribune ran a story back in the ‘90s about the cattle business, and apparently to break up the gray type, somebody dropped in a one-column “sig” or mugshot of, well, a cow.
Because the S-T’s style was a last-name/surname caption for every such photo used … yes, this one was labeled: “COW”

P.S. — Not to inject politix, but I was struck by the following passage in Nancy’s follow-up comment:
“But what do you do with someone who lacks curiosity, can’t make the connection, who sees himself as a transcriptionist more than anything?“
Hmm, were you referring to a reporter? Sounds to me more like the president.
Let the countdown continue: 11 months …

]]> By: Dave K. http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162378 Dave K. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:44:17 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162378 Thank goodness that "rapid, rabid" dog wasn't raped! Thank goodness that “rapid, rabid” dog wasn’t raped!

]]> By: Jim http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162366 Jim Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:29:06 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162366 One of my favorite editing stories comes from when I was working for a small daily in northern Indiana. We produced an annual section called "Partners in Progress," which still makes me shudder. The purpose of the section was to feature (and promote) local business and industry. One of our reporters was assigned to do a story on a local plant that manufactured automotive parts. Throughout the story, she referred to the company's main product, a fuel rail. After reading this fine piece of journalism, I looked up at her and asked, "Just what is a fuel rail?" Her reply: "I don't know!" This is why editors are necessary. It's also the distinction between rookies and pros: Rookies resent editing; pros appreciate it. It remains to be seen whether or not blogs and news websites will maintain quality. It's hard for me to understand why it's OK for a reporter to post content directly to the website, if we wouldn't allow that for the print edition. The quality should be the same. And I share LAMary's pain about the constant misspellings in television graphics. I noticed one last week on the NBC Nightly News -- it stayed up for about two seconds before someone saw it and took it down. Makes you wonder if someone in the control room was screaming, "Come on, people -- this is network television!" or if it was met with a yawn. One of my favorite editing stories comes from when I was working for a small daily in northern Indiana. We produced an annual section called “Partners in Progress,” which still makes me shudder. The purpose of the section was to feature (and promote) local business and industry.

One of our reporters was assigned to do a story on a local plant that manufactured automotive parts. Throughout the story, she referred to the company’s main product, a fuel rail. After reading this fine piece of journalism, I looked up at her and asked, “Just what is a fuel rail?” Her reply: “I don’t know!”

This is why editors are necessary. It’s also the distinction between rookies and pros: Rookies resent editing; pros appreciate it.

It remains to be seen whether or not blogs and news websites will maintain quality. It’s hard for me to understand why it’s OK for a reporter to post content directly to the website, if we wouldn’t allow that for the print edition. The quality should be the same.

And I share LAMary’s pain about the constant misspellings in television graphics. I noticed one last week on the NBC Nightly News — it stayed up for about two seconds before someone saw it and took it down. Makes you wonder if someone in the control room was screaming, “Come on, people — this is network television!” or if it was met with a yawn.

]]> By: LAMary http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162360 LAMary Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:48:16 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162360 This morning my local CBS station had a guy on the street asking folks about Castro stepping down. Across the bottom of the screen was written, "Fadel Castro Steps Down." This morning my local CBS station had a guy on the street asking folks about Castro stepping down. Across the bottom of the screen was written, “Fadel Castro Steps Down.”

]]> By: John http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-162356 John Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:10:52 +0000 http://nancynall.com/2008/02/18/are-editors-necessary/#comment-162356 Velvet, The wind was fierce, only surpassed by Hurricane Bob (recent memory). The wife and I are departing the state this evening, for a trip to Jamaica where I hope it is not raining! I will be thinking of the NN.com peanut gallery as I relax on the beach. Velvet,

The wind was fierce, only surpassed by Hurricane Bob (recent memory). The wife and I are departing the state this evening, for a trip to Jamaica where I hope it is not raining! I will be thinking of the NN.com peanut gallery as I relax on the beach.

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