Let's be Stylish

When copy editors talk about style, they mean the way their publication has decide to appear in terms of language. Think of it as fashion sense, only applied to words. The aim is to give the publication a consistent look, to create an image of cohesiveness and credibility.

Without style -- if every writer was allowed to decide which things to capitalize or to develop his or her own way of spelling -- a publication would look haphazard, sloppy. That might work in a chat room, but you can see how it might make news readers wonder if anyone edits anything.

Most newspapers use Associated Press style, with additional local rules for handling local names and terms. Is Bitterroot one word or two? Things like that. We'll use AP style too, but when it comes to local terms, follow the UM Style Guide or the local style you see in AP stories about Montana.

Style isn't more important than accuracy or clarity in news writing, but it is a mark of professionalism. It's often the first thing a hiring editor might notice about your writing.

Welcome to the Copydesk!

I may not make you a master editor, but I promise to sharpen your eye and show you what good editing is all about.

Key names and numbers
Course: Journalism 380, Sect. 1
Instructor: Professor Dennis Swibold
Office: Journalism 303A
Phone: 243-2230 (office), 721-0826 (home)
E-mail: dennis.swibold@umontana.edu

Course aims
This course introduces journalism students to the
fundamentals of news editing. This course should
sharpen your editorial eye and your news judgment,
and it will introduce you to the challenges editors
face in working with reporters, in producing a
newspaper, and in serving a diverse readership.
By the course’s end, successful students should be
prepared for internships or entry-level work as
copy editors at newspapers or other news publications.

Class meetings
We’ll meet from 11:10. to 12:25 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Journalism 211. We’ll do some work in Journalism 212, the computer lab, so make sure you get logon permission. Attendance is part of your grade. Office hours for this class: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

How the class works
We’ll study what editors do and then we’ll do it. Specifically, we’ll learn the resources editors use to ensure accuracy, and we’ll review and reinforce the fundamentals of grammar, style and composition. We’ll learn to write headlines and cutlines, how to spot libel and how handle questions of fairness and taste. By mid-term, you should be writing acceptable headlines and performing adequately as a copy editor on basic stories. From there, we will bolster your copy editing skills and introduce you to challenges editors face in coaching writers, in generating news stories, and in working with the public.

Important disclaimer: It is impossible to prepare you for all the problems you might encounter in editing a news story. Your success in this course – and as an editor – hinges on your willingness to ask questions, keep up with the news and LOOK THINGS UP. (I’ll show you where to look.)

Assignments
Expect weekly quizzes on style, spelling and grammar or current events. In addition to regular homework, you can also expect to do a fair amount of in-class editing on deadline. You’ll take a mid-term and final exam, both of which will be modeled on the hiring tests given to applicants for copy editing jobs and internships. After we get rolling, each of you will take a turn critiquing the Kaimin, and you may get a chance to work with live reporters. Stay tuned for details.

Evaluating your work
Your cumulative performance on quizzes, deadline exercises and homework assignments will account for 70 percent of your grade. Together, the mid-term and final exam will count for the remaining 30 percent. Attendance is required. If you miss a class without my permission, you won’t be allowed to make up any assigned work. Treat this course like a job. Take it seriously.

A note about grading: When we begin editing news stories, your work will be held to the professional standards set by good new organizations. An “A” is a story that I deem to be perfectly publishable. From there, your grade will depend on how much work your supervising editor would have to do to make your work meet that standard. A “D” or “F” story contains gross factual errors, libelous statements, or an inordinate number of style, grammar and spelling problems. You must get a “C’’to pass the course. You may repeat the course once.

Texts and Online Resources
Get the latest edition of the Associated Press Stylebook. You should also buy a good grammar guide. I recommend “When Words Collide,” or “Working with Words.” Other handy portable reference works include Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition) and a current almanac. Get in the habit of bringing these books to class. For in-class editing labs, you will have access to an assortment of special reference books and the Internet. For a good selection of credible online reference works, see the reference section at http://www.powerreporting.com/. You should also check out two great Web sites just for copy editors: http://www.theslot.com/ and http://www.copydesk.org/.

Key point: Keep up with the news. Read local, national and even international newspapers and newsmagazines regularly. Don’t limit your reading to only those subjects that interest you. Editors have to KNOW EVERYTHING.