Unit 2 – News Processing & Editing Class Notes | MA Journalism & Mass Communication

Unit 2: Editing

Principles of Editing

• Reporters do the editing - the first phase of editing
• The reporters' job is to collect information
• Eliminate mistakes
• Bring out the newsworthiness (structure/tone/style)
• Uniformity in language and style based on the guideline
• Check spellings, grammar
• 5 Cs - Clear, concise, correct, comprehensive, and consistent
• Ensure the writing is objective
• Principles of Editing
  • Accuracy - correctness - duty to provide correct news
  • Checking facts - names, titles, numbers
  • Brevity - keep it short stupid
  • Clarity - should be clear - avoid jargons - writing to express - also to re-write
  • Check sources, provide attribution
  • Prevent slanting of news

Process of Editing

Steps

• Check language
• Check facts
• Refer sources
• Word limit
• Display Type - use headline, caption, summaries

Language in Editing

Checking facts

Punctuation

• Full stop - end the sentence
• Comma - separate clause, lists, parenthesis during fragmented sentences
• Exclamatory (!) -
• A question mark (?) -
• Colon (:) -
• Semi-colon (;) -

Correcting language

Rewriting news stories

Condensing stories

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads.” — Dr. Seuss

• Omit unnecessary words

Sentence Structure

• Sentence Fragments
  • incomplete sentence
    • Ex: Toys of all kinds thrown everywhere (Lacks subject & verb)
  • Complete sentence: should contain both subject and verb
    • Ex.
      • The wind blows.
      • Zack stayed up late working on an overdue paper
  • Run on Sentences
    • two independent clauses on their own - two ideas
    • Ex. The dog is whining; she is hungry - use a conjunction
    • Another possibility - use semicolon
  • Modifier - a group of words, part of a sentence that when placed in the wrong place - changes the meaning of the sentence - modifier should be placed close to the word that meaning is changing
  • A phrase placed in such a way  in the sentence which is unclear - what part of the sentence being modified
  • To correct the misplaced modifier, try placing the modifiers near the words they modify - could be a subject, verb or predicate
    • Only he liked Sarah -> He only liked Sarah -> He liked only Sarah
    • The car was stopped alongside the road with one headlight => The car with one headlight stopped alongside the road.
    • John told house friend had fallen from the podium

Process of Editing

1.  Read the copy
2. Check language and style

Sentences and structure

• Punctuation
• Sentence structure
• Fragment Sentences
• Run-on sentences
• Comma splice
• Misplaced Modifiers
• Subject/Verb agreement
  • Subjects and verbs must agree in number
  • Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
  • When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
  • Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
• Tenses and Style

Editing Agency Copies

• Examples: Reuters, PTI, ANI

Electronic Editing

• Software - MS Word - Track changes
• Insert comments