Website Copy Editing

[crusoes]

We live in a society where it's considered elitist to spell correctly. So the copy editors are the first out, because no one clicks on good grammar, and if they did, there aren't enough clicks to care.

 

[Fredrick]

Why did you laugh in her face?

Bottom line is that copy editors are disposable. At least until the powers-that-be find out that they aren't.

Cause for many years copy editors were considered vital. Copy editors made more than reporters. Copy editors were needed.
I laughed at her for believing copy doesn't need to be read. Now when we go all online, the reporters will be told to damn well make no mistakes, yet if you do make a mistake, it'll be the readers who correct the mistakes via the comments section. Libel? It'll be the reporter's ass.
With newspapers soon to go online only, don't you think it would be wise for all the well established beat writers and/or columnists to quit, get a major advertiser or two and simply open their own sports niche website?
I mean what advantage will the newspaper have w/out the print product behind it? It used to be newspapers could freeze out upstart competitors by lowering ad rates, etc. If it's all online, with all pup reporters making 18-25000 a year, what advantage does an online newspaper have over some person breaking out on his/her own especially when that person breaking out on his own is so much better than the low paid pup working for the newspaper?
I think in 10 years there will be no print editions of newspapers and most internet newspapers will quickly go out of business.

 

[Rucker]

Cause for many years copy editors were considered vital ...

Copy editors are still vital. What they need is a little more sense of urgency. Online stuff needs to be edited/proofed/whatever asap, not when they get around to it.

 

[V_Corningstone]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

 

[imjustagirl]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

God, if only this were the case.

AP moved a story on the wire yesterday, meaning it had ALREADY been edited, with a closing quote of something like "We were do for a victory."

Let that sink in for a minute.

 

[Magic In The Night]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

God, if only this were the case.

AP moved a story on the wire yesterday, meaning it had ALREADY been edited, with a closing quote of something like "We were do for a victory."

Let that sink in for a minute.

I had to call AP three times the other day because of things they sent over that had factual errors in them requiring new writethroughs to be posted, including missing first references on proper names.

 

[Fredrick]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

Sadly, this is the new mantra. It will the easiest way to save money when we go all online. Have perhaps one copy editor, whose duties probably will involve think thanking more than copy editing. Suddenly the new buzz sentence is there is no need for copy editing. The readers will do the editing and it will make them feel important and add to the clicks. Sad. Copy editors are great.

 

[V_Corningstone]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

God, if only this were the case.

AP moved a story on the wire yesterday, meaning it had ALREADY been edited, with a closing quote of something like "We were do for a victory."

Let that sink in for a minute.

Dreadful. I see more elementary-level writing move across the wire all the time. People should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[V_Corningstone]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

Sadly, this is the new mantra. It will the easiest way to save money when we go all online. Have perhaps one copy editor, whose duties probably will involve think thanking more than copy editing. Suddenly the new buzz sentence is there is no need for copy editing. The readers will do the editing and it will make them feel important and add to the clicks. Sad. Copy editors are great.

Are you a copy editor, sir? Because if you read your post twice before you hit Submit, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Learn how to write.

 

[ripple]

Copy editors shouldn't be editing for spelling and grammar errors. Writers should know what they're doing in the first place.

Sadly, this is the new mantra. It will the easiest way to save money when we go all online. Have perhaps one copy editor, whose duties probably will involve think thanking more than copy editing. Suddenly the new buzz sentence is there is no need for copy editing. The readers will do the editing and it will make them feel important and add to the clicks. Sad. Copy editors are great.

Are you a copy editor, sir? Because if you read your post twice before you hit Submit, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Learn how to write.

Geez. Harsh much?

I feel fairly certain that if this was meant for publication, and not a post on a message board, the poster would have been more careful.

 

[SF_Express]

You may think Fredrick is a moron

Well, I, uh....

Oh, not really a moron ... just overly cynical in an era that DESERVES cynicism, and also kind of a one-note guy....

 

[Fredrick]

Are you a copy editor, sir? Because if you read your post twice before you hit Submit, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Learn how to write.

OM gosh. Are you serious? On message boards I write fast n furious and last I checked there was no spell check clicker.
I am passionate about this issue. Sorry.