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Editing
The Story Process
Every issue cycle allocates an average of 20 stories to the print cycle. Each story has a copy editor, a print executive board member and an executive editor (depending on the section assigned). Each executive board member has 5-8 stories to edit. A section leader has the chance to edit and comment first, a copy editor next and an executive board member last. This allows those with less experience to have the opportunity to point something out first and gain more practice in editing. The first deadline is the brainstorm sheet. Here, writers will come up with sources they intend on reaching out to as well as questions to ask them. The next is outlines. At this point, interviews should be competed and angles, info and quotes are stacked as bullet points. After that is rough drafts, revisions and then final drafts. Each deadlines is important because it allows editors to suggest changes as progress is made. The key to the story process is communication and cooperation between writer and editor.
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Guiding Over Editing
When editing, I make sure to always put myself in suggestion mode in Google Docs to conserve the writer's ownership of their work. This setting does not allow me to directly edit on the page, but it shows how I am suggesting a change by using a different color. The writer of the document may then choose to "reject" or "accept" a suggestion with a quick click, so autonomy is easy to hold onto when writing the story. As I go through people's stories, I like to focus on grammar, AP style, stacking, follow-ups, quoteworthy-ness, missing/redundant sources and anecdotes. In many cases, when I have a suggestion for a larger change, I will leave a comment explaining my concerns and try to provide more than one recommendation to change that item. Leaving a comment is one important step in the process to communicate my ideas, but what I learned from remote learning is that nothing compares to discussing stories directly with the writer in-person. In class, I go around meeting with everyone in my sections to share my thoughts on their pieces and learn more about where they plan to go with them.
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Not only do I aim to provide insightful guidance, but it is also important for me to add encouraging comments on people's work throughout the process. Constructive criticism is important, but balancing that with positivity is even more valuable to developing a staff of motivated reporters.
A session during the 2020 virtual national journalism convention about editing recommended that instead of telling someone to specifically do something, to explain to them why something should be altered and give broader suggestions. This made me realize the priority of an editor is not just to edit, but to provide guidance to a writer. This is why I like going through different ideas and options of how to change things alongside them instead of deleting and rewording sentences myself.
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