Crash Course in Copy Editing

You're absolutely kidding me right? I live in the real world. It is a fact that most graduates expect to be Bob Ryan or Mike Lupica. Why I don't know. I'm just speaking from experience.

As far as my current post at work. You all simply assume I am a full-time writer because I am somehow knocking - in your eyes only - the desk. Fact is, if either you or tx were true journalists wouldn't you ask the question what is your job? Hmmm, makes sense no?

I am on the desk myself. And as is the case at most small to mid-sized papers I get out and cover games once in a while.

You both continuosly whine that I am knocking the desk work, when you couldn't be further from the truth. I am simply stating a fact that recent grads look down on desk work, as I believe the original poster does. And that is why I told him it would be beneficial to do the copy editing, learn the web-based stuff and anything else he can in the business.

So I'm not exactly sure where I show a bad attitude? Is speakin the truth having a bad attitude? I guess in your eyes the answer is yes.

 

A lot of writers want nothing to do with the desk, and vice versa. Writing is the best career path for some, the desk is the best career path for others. Why is this even an argument?

 

I'm not trying to argue, just defend myself for being called an idiot for suggesting the same thing you did. So watch you back.

 

Watch my back? You're an idiot. Especially since I was agreeing with your assesment that many young journalists look down on desk work. Of course, many young jornalists don't understand the business. You can make your mark and become successful a number of ways in this business. But the reality is that writers and deskers are generaly antagonistic toward each other, as has been displayed on this thread, but that's because neither understands what the other really does. I've been lucky enough to do a lot of both, so I understand where both sides are coming from, negative and positive.

 

I've always considered it like offense and defense in football. The best on either are athletes -- they could likely make the switch if they wanted.

I used to work with a desk guy a couple decades ago who would write only a few times a year and win APSE awards for features, which really annoyed the crap out of some of our writers.

 

not being a whore to SportsJournalists.com posters, but i appreciate an 'A' desk jockey a helluva lot more than i appreciate an 'A' writer. a solid "desk jockey" is a helluva lot more difficult to come across than a solid writer.

 

That's exactly how it should be.

 

On the other hand, you go in bitching about the writers and how you could do better and complaining about having to work the desk still after six months -- yecch.

 

Here's one small suggestion: If you do find an error, fix it without making a big production. If possible, call writers and let them know. If the writer is a dickhead about it, you might want to revise that philosophy. But one thing that can get writers cranky is being around or knowing that the copy desk is like a bunch of laying hens and when a mistake is found, they can't help but, "Bawk! Bawk! Bawk!"

Most of all try to learn what you can while you're there. Pick the brains of the copy editors who seem to enjoy what they do. Then, you can decide if it's something you might want to do.

 

At my paper, everyone on the sports desk started out as a writer. We all still get out write, some more often than others. Plus everyone on the desk that started at the paper for their first job (which is 3 out of 4 of us, not including the sports editor) all started off doing agate in addition to being writers.

You need to work your way up to being on the desk (unless that's what you were hired to do in the first place).

 

This thread is friggin hilarious.

Forget that, it's a f'n riot!