For goodness sake, HIRE EXPERIENCED COPY EDITORS

True, but I think the push to gain clicks makes it worse. I read the story and I could picture the thought bubble in the editor's head every step of the way.

"No one is going to know this chick's name if I put it in the hed. Maybe 'black female swimmer?' Nah. Better go with African-American to be safe."

"Look at all the clicks and comments rolling in. I knocked that out of the park. She's not even local."

"Oh, shit."

"Bunch of PC whining Twitter pussies. You try doing better. I edited that in 2 minutes."

"Yes, sir. I'll change it right away, sir."

"(Grumble, grumble)."

"What? I left a word out this time? Jesus H. Christ. This is the worst internship ever. Next summer I'm gonna ask for pay."

 

It's a waistland these days ...

 

That low of a percentage?

 

Readers don't read newspapers anymore.

 

A classic:


God, I love that.

 

Agree that even the most experienced copy editors aren't immune from bad or insensitive headlines. One of the most experienced editors I supervised many years ago on a news copy desk probably busted as many headlines as anybody, mainly because he handled such a huge workload and occasionally tried to do too much.

But if there's a sensitive or potentially libelous story on the rim, I want an experienced copy editor handling it.

 

The difference, of course, being that now even the inexperienced/bad copy editors are expected to do too much.

 

My favorite j-school instructor told us about a night President Johnson gave a speech in which he seemed to take both sides on an issue. An editor, who the teacher said appeared to have had a liquid lunch, turned in the headline "LBJ goes both ways."

 

Don't forget this one either ...

 

I love the pictures they used in the tweet apologizing for the situation. Not sure if it was intentional (probably not), but Manuel looks appalled while Phelps has the expression, "Hey, wait a minute, that doesn't look right ..."

 

Life turned out very sadly for that copy editor, who apparently didn't actually write the headline.

» [UPDATED] Trentonian copy editor whose career ended over ‘Roasted Nuts’ headline dies at 59 JIMROMENESKO.COM