Editers? Who need 'em?

[Old Time Hockey]

The downward spiral continues: BANG lays off more copy editors, prepares to run copy with very little review.

"Staff stories that go inside sections will not be copy-edited. The assigning editor will be the only read. (In sports, late stories that do not go through an assigning editor will continue to be read on the desk, once.) Stories for our East Bay weeklies will not be copy-edited."

Man, I would hate this. Even though I generally wrote pretty clean copy, I had some editors save my butt a number of times.

» Bay Area News Group memo: ‘We will be eliminating a layer of valuable editing’ JIMROMENESKO.COM

 

[steveu]

Jeebus Cripes. Any wealthy San Jose family willing to buy the Merc?

 

[Bronco77]

My local newspaper (which still probably ranks within the top 50 in print circulation, for what that's worth these days) operates under a system very similar to the one outlined above. The amount of awfulness that makes it into print is off the charts. And it goes beyond stories with typos or grammatical/fact errors -- headline busts and bad cutlines are daily occurrences.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I think I've said this before, but any firm creating and selling a product that decides quality control is too expensive to maintain is headed for a bad end. Customers notice.

 

[wicked]

I think I've said this before, but any firm creating and selling a product that decides quality control is too expensive to maintain is headed for a bad end. Customers notice.

Yep.

When I was in school, not all that long ago, we were nudged toward the desk if we showed any remote interest. "They can always hire freelancers instead of reporters, but they'll always need editors." Some of us bought into it, too.

 

[CD Boogie]

The downward spiral continues: BANG lays off more copy editors, prepares to run copy with very little review.

"Staff stories that go inside sections will not be copy-edited. The assigning editor will be the only read. (In sports, late stories that do not go through an assigning editor will continue to be read on the desk, once.) Stories for our East Bay weeklies will not be copy-edited."

Man, I would hate this. Even though I generally wrote pretty clean copy, I had some editors save my butt a number of times.

» Bay Area News Group memo: ‘We will be eliminating a layer of valuable editing’ JIMROMENESKO.COM

Just shut down if you can't have proper quality control. "Boss, we testing the brakes on these cars?" "**** it."

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

When I was hired at my last newspaper job, I mentioned to the editor that the last newsroom had gone through many cycles of staffers having their jobs eliminated and reapplying for different job titles.

He told there would be no need to look over my shoulder. Despite staffing cuts, about 5 percent of the staff a year, the paper would always need a metro editor.

When I left, I was not replaced.

 

[dixiehack]

Jeebus Cripes. Any wealthy San Jose family willing to buy the Merc?

They'll just wait to be awarded it in the future libel suit.

 

[BDC99]

The number of errors, typos, extra/missing words I see on a daily basis in my own paper is disturbing. It's the same with the competing paper. But that's what happens when you have no time to operate. It's sad, really.

 

[HanSenSE]

Among so many departing Friday: Long-time Cal football and hoops guy Jeff Farudo.

 

[Ace]

This is so sad but too common. It also puts an impossible load on anyone who still cares about the product. Especially in sports.

You spend the day planning out the space to the inch then the night editing.

 

[dixiehack]

The first thing I thought of while reading this is the current NASCAR controversy where they've stopped enforcing the rule that you have to tighten every lug nut on pit stops. This feels like part of the same idea. In 21st century America, devoting the time and resources to doing a thorough, responsible job is considered the sucker play.

 

[Riptide]

Read the entire memo, if you haven't.
Desperate measures at every turn now.

 

[wicked]

devoting the time and resources to doing a thorough, responsible job is considered the sucker play.

This. And as you point out, it's not just our business. Cutting corners is the cool thing to do.

 

[ChrisLong]

Among so many departing Friday: Long-time Cal football and hoops guy Jeff Farudo.

Sorry to see this. I talked with Jeff Faraudo quite a bit a long time ago on the Pac-10 beat. You always hope a person can go out on his own terms. A really good guy.

 

[BDC99]

Can't wait to see the cutlines that make it in. At least he acknowledged the value of the editing process and that quality matters. They just don't give a ****. Feel slightly bad for the guy who wrote the memo. He likely didn't have much choice in the matter but gets to be the one to explain and take the heat.

 

[ChrisLong]

Can't wait to see the cutlines that make it in. At least he acknowledged the value of the editing process and that quality matters. They just don't give a ****. Feel slightly bad for the guy who wrote the memo. He likely didn't have much choice in the matter but gets to be the one to explain and take the heat.

Yeah, it sounds like that guy understands the process and is smiling through his tears. Dude, how does the bullet taste that you just bit?
As I read through, I just shook my head until I got to the part about captions and that produced out-loud laughter. Hey, photogs, you have to know grammar and you have to spell names correctly. HAHAHA.
The assignment editors are usually among the most talented on the staff. How long until their workload drives them batty?
Friday night prep football? Welcome to my nightmare.

 

[MNgremlin]

I really don't see why editors are that important....no one will notice, right?

 

[dixiehack]

But hey, got the second period score in the caption.

 

[Riptide]

I really don't see why editors are that important....no one will notice, right?

For details of this story, go to startribune.com.