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Denver Post to cut possibly two-thirds of copy editors

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by NatureBoy, Apr 26, 2012.

  1. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    Uh-huh. No problem ...
     
  2. thegrifter

    thegrifter Member

    Is this some kind of joke?!!?!?!
    'Sometimes reporters will edit one anothers’ work.'
    Unbelievable!
     
  3. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    That "Copy-editing DNA" is going to be a real solid defense in those libel suits.

    Oh, and "assistant editors", kiss your overtime pay goodbye.
     
  4. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    When my old shop was at full capacity, stories were not read 6-7 times.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    If any good news came out of this it was that fewer people lost jobs than people previously thought...

    I talked to a friend at The Post about a week ago and he said they are only a few years removed from regularly having six copy editors (four copy editors, two copy chiefs) working on Saturday and some Sunday nights.
     
  6. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Certainly fewer copy editors. It was going to go from 23 to seven. 11 copy editors took a severance package and at least three reporters not in that grouping are leaving. I don't know if it's stopping at 14 total or if there are other reporters involved.
     
  7. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I know of two people in sports took the severance package. Both had been there 20+ years. Not sure if there were any others in sports.
     
  8. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    I assume you are referring exclusively to sports, not the entire newsroom.
     
  9. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    You assume correctly.
     
  10. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    One of the benefits a person can gain by working at a smaller paper is developing a variety of skills. At shops where I have worked, it is not at all unusual for someone to write a story, edit stuff and layout pages... sometimes in the same shift, certainly within the same week.

    Although I never had the opportunity to take my own photos, I did learn to crop and tone in Photoshop.

    It's not such a stretch for a reporter to become a good copy editor or vice versa. It's like moving from the outfield to the infield.... just you have to be able to learn a few new tricks. It's not rocket science. Sure there are always drawbacks to having 10 people to do the work of 20. But things like fact-checking, editing for grammar and punctuation, libel issue, writing headlines, etc. are things all professional journalists should be able to do.
     
  11. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    I can see that. Six people on a busy night at a paper that size (especially if you are including agate) is not a stretch. Local copy to read, pages to design, photos to deal with plus the steady stream of live national wire stuff is a lot. IIRC, they used to have like a 30-page Sunday sports section a number of years ago. I'm guessing it's probably smaller now.
     
  12. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I've worked at places that would have 5-7 people reading copy on football Sundays or when there is any kind of big event going.
     
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