My continual pet peeve: babbling copy editors

I was on the desk and I had to fight for two reporters in particular who either wrote long, came at the story from a different angle or dropped an unexpected news story from their beat on the desk in the late afternoon/early evening.

Instead of seeing if this worked or was needed or was worth getting in the paper, most of the editors just bitched and moaned. Both of the writers, however, have gone on to jobs that are about as high as you can get in this business.

Bitching and moaning is part of the job, and I have certainly done my share. But you have to get past that to see what is best for the section and the readers.

My biggest peeve is you shouldn't say something to the room that you wouldn't pick up the phone and tell the writer. That's just cowardly.

 

Oh, God. I know journalists bitch and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

 

All fine arguments, Frank, but I've never been able to work in notes mode, ever, and never will be able to work in notes mode. Hopefully it will never be an issue.

 

I like the idea of notes mode, but I hate trying to read something with all the editing in all different colors.

 

Great post.
I find that individuals who say anything about their own work (catching a mistake included) are just fishing for compliments and fishing for compliments is uncool except in the world of the 10 a.m. meetings where the mutual buttkissing goes far. That's how you get promoted, sing your own praises while criticizing the others in the sports department while at all costs kissing up to the clueless ME in charge of those meetings.

 

I feel like I just got Fred-rolled.

 

Our Word system allows you to turn notes mode off. So the slot can read a clean version, then turn on notes mode to see what changes were made beforehand.

 

In my copy-editing days before being evicted from the Fourth Estate, I'd discreetly run mistakes or editing decisions past reporters, using kneeling down at their desks. Tried to treat them with a bit of respect since I was once in their shoes.

 

I've been there, fishwrapper. You are 100 percent on the money with this post.

 

Teachers are miserable. I married into a family of them. Nothing like hearing how miserable their work schedule is, or how awful it is to have to pay $2 co-pay for that union insurance.

 

I love teachers. Related to a few, too. Wouldn't mind being one someday, if it came to that.

But I won't tell you how many Facebook status updates I read complaining about ... gasp ... having to go back to work after being off all summer. Won't tell you what I wanted to say, either. I'm sure you can guess.

 

Yeah. I know teaching can be a grind (most jobs are), but, man, some need to drink a giant class of perspective before whining about crap.