Age-old question about clips

STLIrish · May 10, 2009

So, here's a question that I know has been discussed on here before, but that I wonder if the answer is changing.
When it comes to clips, does a printout (or PDF) of the online version of a story suffice? Or do editors still want to see a photocopy of the printed original?
I know there's been argument against online in some quarters that web versions of stories can be changed after the fact, and that they're often not as visually impressive as the printed page w/photo and design, etc.
But with online obviously where we're heading, I wonder if those arguments hold as much water as they did a few years ago (when I last actively looked for a job)?
PDFs of the web version of a story just seem so much easier to store, to send and, frankly, to read, than photocopies of newsprint that have been sliced and scrunched to fit on an 8 1/2 x 11 page.
Curious what others think.

txsportsscribe · May 10, 2009

i don't understand the argument that web versions can be changed. so can pdf's.

STLIrish · May 10, 2009

txsportsscribe said:
i don't understand the argument that web versions can be changed. so can pdf's.

Correct. Web versions and pdfs (from web versions) can be changed. The original print version, cut out and photocopied, can't.
I guess what I'm asking is how much people still care about that distinction.

txsportsscribe · May 10, 2009

i'm talking about pdf's of the actual newspaper page. what's to stop me from reproducing the page (or story package) in quark or indesign? if someone is going to "cheat" and change a clip, they'll do it. of course i'd hope that most work samples i've received when i had an opening were the original but i don't think anyone can edit their clip enough to make me misjudge their abilities that much.

thesnowman · May 10, 2009

Best thing you can do if you're using PDFs is to clearly label the date, publication, and page of what you are sending. It adds transparency to the practice. That said, if an editor is that concerned about a doctored document, he/she will verify it on their own.

CarltonBanks · May 10, 2009

As long as they are clear and readable it really doesn't matter to me. When I get a resume with clips that are smoky or blurry I don't even bother with it. Akin to a punctuation error in the cover letter to me.