Welcome to the editing blog...


Let's get started....

So, you want to be a journalist, huh? Well, why not? You've got that fancy schmancy degree in English Lit. You've read James Joyce. And you know some big words. Perfect qualifications to become a journo, right?

Well, I've got news for you, pal. They're not.

You can toss that degree out of the window. And wipe all that Joyce out of your head. Cos you ain't gonna need it here. Yeah, you can't learn journalism at university. You only learn on the job. The learning begins the day you join. And it never ends.

Let's begin at the beginning. Editing. And news.

It’s an exciting world, and if you have a passion for news, you’re in the right place. This is an editing blog that will tap that passion by taking you from the basics of punctuation and grammar to other fun things such as editing spot stories and features. By the end of it, you will be able to edit perfect copy for a magazine, newspaper, website or wire agency, depending on where your interest lies.

To begin with, what does a copy editor do? Quite simply, a copy editor takes a reporter’s copy and makes it sing. An editor is a gatekeeper of sorts: he/she fixes errors in punctuation, grammar and spelling; he/she checks facts; an editor edits for accuracy, clarity and brevity; an editor makes sure a story isn’t legally dangerous; and an editor ensures a narrative flow written in a zippy and pithy manner. In other words, an editor makes sure the reader is seduced into reading a story – and comes out feeling good about it.

We will study the nuances of journalistic editing in a fun and engaging manner. We will go from basics such as datelines, headlines, cutting out jargon, cutting extra words, avoiding mixed metaphors, to other details such as crafting a perfect lead, sourcing and the use of backup quotes, the inverted pyramid, accuracy, using the active voice and avoiding tautology.

Let's get started....

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