Reporters: When you're doing spellcheck, make sure to keep an eye on what you're correcting.
The first thing that jumped out at me in a Brian Reisinger story today when it moved to the Night Desk was that his byline read "By Brian Resigned."
As he was out on break when I caught this, there was some question about whether we knew for sure if he was coming back.
-Benton...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Simplicity vs. sensitivity
Recently, Rwandan holocaust survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza spoke in Wausau. We had three stories about her. In May 10 and May 18 editions of the Daily Herald, we printed the story with the "é." On May 21, we did not.
Typically, we do not use accent marks in our papers, but they do slip in from time to time. The word "risqué" is used in the May 18 edition of Central Wisconsin Sunday. Sometimes a "fiancée" is mentioned in an obituary.
I think the reason we do not typically use accents is that the Associated Press does not use them. The style guide says: "Do not use any diacritical or accent marks because they cause garble for some users."
So, for the sake of simplicity, should we be consistent with Associated Press style? Or are there times when we should use diacritical marks?
~ Elizabeth
Typically, we do not use accent marks in our papers, but they do slip in from time to time. The word "risqué" is used in the May 18 edition of Central Wisconsin Sunday. Sometimes a "fiancée" is mentioned in an obituary.
I think the reason we do not typically use accents is that the Associated Press does not use them. The style guide says: "Do not use any diacritical or accent marks because they cause garble for some users."
So, for the sake of simplicity, should we be consistent with Associated Press style? Or are there times when we should use diacritical marks?
~ Elizabeth
*crickets*
Things are a little quiet right now. Part of it is because we're discussing ways to improve quality control in meetings this week and next week, so things we'd normally bring up here are being brought up there instead.
But rest assured, sooner or later we'll notice some strange idiosyncrasy or something will angry up our blood.
And I like the new site design. It's a little extra work to get stuff on the carousel for the four newspapers at the end of the night, but I think it's worth it.
-Benton...
But rest assured, sooner or later we'll notice some strange idiosyncrasy or something will angry up our blood.
And I like the new site design. It's a little extra work to get stuff on the carousel for the four newspapers at the end of the night, but I think it's worth it.
-Benton...
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Unverified
There's a story running in today's Wausau and Point papers that contained an error that is easy to miss but should be watched closely by reporter, editor and copy editor alike.
It's the story of a former SPASH student and Plover native who's been made the manager of the UW student marching band. My original headline read something like "Former SPASH student named UW band manager"; it was the suggested headline by the article's previous editor, and the byline in the budget stated that she was a former SPASH student.
In a moment of dawning comprehension, however (I get many of these after the fact), after I had sent the Wausau page containing the story to the printer, I re-read the story and realized that despite the suggested headline and despite the budget byline, nowhere in the story did it mention that the woman had ever attended SPASH. SPASH was not mentioned at all in the story.
I recalled the page from the printer and re-sent it with a new headline, "Plover native named UW band manager," and use the same headline in Stevens Point. This dimmed some of the appeal of the story for Point (being a former SPASH student being the big draw), but I wasn't willing to write her being a SPASH student into the story, as all I had to go on was a suggested headline and a budget byline, and I wasn't willing to say she was a SPASH student in the headline and then not have it in the story.
This is an easy mistake to make, but one that should be watched out for nonetheless. This article went through at least four people before I realized the mistake (and even then I had to pull back the page from composing). If you want something to be the headline, or there is something so obvious about the story that that's why it's a story, make sure it's actually in the story.
Benton...
It's the story of a former SPASH student and Plover native who's been made the manager of the UW student marching band. My original headline read something like "Former SPASH student named UW band manager"; it was the suggested headline by the article's previous editor, and the byline in the budget stated that she was a former SPASH student.
In a moment of dawning comprehension, however (I get many of these after the fact), after I had sent the Wausau page containing the story to the printer, I re-read the story and realized that despite the suggested headline and despite the budget byline, nowhere in the story did it mention that the woman had ever attended SPASH. SPASH was not mentioned at all in the story.
I recalled the page from the printer and re-sent it with a new headline, "Plover native named UW band manager," and use the same headline in Stevens Point. This dimmed some of the appeal of the story for Point (being a former SPASH student being the big draw), but I wasn't willing to write her being a SPASH student into the story, as all I had to go on was a suggested headline and a budget byline, and I wasn't willing to say she was a SPASH student in the headline and then not have it in the story.
This is an easy mistake to make, but one that should be watched out for nonetheless. This article went through at least four people before I realized the mistake (and even then I had to pull back the page from composing). If you want something to be the headline, or there is something so obvious about the story that that's why it's a story, make sure it's actually in the story.
Benton...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Hard time
Something that's been bugging me for a while now:
As near as I can tell, extended supervision is not the same thing as being in prison; it is essentially parole. If someone is sentenced to, say, a year in prison and three years of extended supervision, you would not say he was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Am I correct?
-Benton
As near as I can tell, extended supervision is not the same thing as being in prison; it is essentially parole. If someone is sentenced to, say, a year in prison and three years of extended supervision, you would not say he was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Am I correct?
-Benton
Monday, May 12, 2008
End of the line
Lets talk deadlines.
They are one of the biggest factors we face in this industry, and recently it seems that people are disregarding them either out of ignorance or because of work flow problems. Copy editors plan their whole day around deadlines and making deadline is one of our top priorities (accuracy of course being No. 1).
Our end of the night deadlines are pretty much set. WDH color 11 p.m., black midnight. WRT color 11:30; black 12:30. SPJ color 12:30, Black 1:30, MNH color 1:30, black 2:30. On Saturdays we're expected to have everything out the door by 10 p.m. But what about deadlines during the day? Do we have them? Is everyone aware of when they are?
For example, is there a deadline for Lifestyle content to be handed to the copy desk? Go! content? Editorial content? Everest Herald content? What about dayside budgets? There should be deadlines for all of this and everyone should know when they are.
What about for nightside budgets? Or non-late breaking night-side content to be given to the desk? Obits/records? (For the record, as far as I know, the deadline for records page content to be given to the desk is 5 p.m.)
I don't think any of these have established times, although they should, and I think this is a good place to discuss and decide when these should be. If they do have deadlines, I for one, don't know about them, which indicates that others probably don't either.
Obviously, this is a business that changes minute to minute and bunny plate to bunny plate, and sometimes the best laid plans are changed in an instant. But, I think it behooves us to put some times in place to help make ourselves more efficient on those days when bridges aren't collapsing around us.
So what does everyone think? where exactly is the end of the line?
--Kristy
They are one of the biggest factors we face in this industry, and recently it seems that people are disregarding them either out of ignorance or because of work flow problems. Copy editors plan their whole day around deadlines and making deadline is one of our top priorities (accuracy of course being No. 1).
Our end of the night deadlines are pretty much set. WDH color 11 p.m., black midnight. WRT color 11:30; black 12:30. SPJ color 12:30, Black 1:30, MNH color 1:30, black 2:30. On Saturdays we're expected to have everything out the door by 10 p.m. But what about deadlines during the day? Do we have them? Is everyone aware of when they are?
For example, is there a deadline for Lifestyle content to be handed to the copy desk? Go! content? Editorial content? Everest Herald content? What about dayside budgets? There should be deadlines for all of this and everyone should know when they are.
What about for nightside budgets? Or non-late breaking night-side content to be given to the desk? Obits/records? (For the record, as far as I know, the deadline for records page content to be given to the desk is 5 p.m.)
I don't think any of these have established times, although they should, and I think this is a good place to discuss and decide when these should be. If they do have deadlines, I for one, don't know about them, which indicates that others probably don't either.
Obviously, this is a business that changes minute to minute and bunny plate to bunny plate, and sometimes the best laid plans are changed in an instant. But, I think it behooves us to put some times in place to help make ourselves more efficient on those days when bridges aren't collapsing around us.
So what does everyone think? where exactly is the end of the line?
--Kristy
Style points
One thing that challenges me as a copy editor is knowing when to capitalize letters and when to use lowercase. So I took a quick look through the AP Stylebook searching for examples of capitalized terms, and I thought I would share my favorite entry from each letter. Many of these terms have tripped me up in the past, and some we have forgotten to capitalize in recent stories. Please feel free to add to the list or challenge any of the following examples. Most (but not all) of them are taken from the (slightly outdated) 2005 AP Stylebook.
Assembly - when referring to the state legislative body, with or without the state name
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science - but the more general bachelor's degree is lowercase
Capitol - when referring to the building in Washington, or in Madison, or in any other state capital
Dumpster - a trademark for a large, metal trash bin
Election Day - only capitalize when referring to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Ferris wheel
Global Positioning System - also known (on second reference) as GPS
House - when referring to a specific House of Representatives
Internet
Jet Ski - a registered trademark for a type of personal watercraft (but is there a simpler way to say "personal watercraft"?)
Kitty Litter - brand name. (The AP Stylebook suggests "cat box filler" instead)
Legislature - when referring to a specific state legislature, with or without the state name
Mother Nature
National Guard, National Guardsman - also, capitalize Guard when it stands alone in reference to the National Guard (but lowercase guardsman when it stands alone)
Olympics - in all references to the international athletic contests, even Olympic-size pool
Popsicle - trademark for a brand of flavored ice
Quran - the Muslim holy book
Realtor - AP prefers "real estate agent" unless there is a reason to indicate someone is a member of the National Association of Realtors
Social Security (I also like the Styrofoam entry, but Social Security comes up more often.)
T-shirt
Upper Peninsula
Velcro - AP suggests "fabric fastener" instead of the trademark
Web - Web site, Web page (***In contrast, AP recommends webcam, webcast and webmaster.)
X-ray
Yellow Pages - to describe the business telephone directory
ZIP code - (ZIP stands for Zoning Improvement Plan)
~ Elizabeth
Assembly - when referring to the state legislative body, with or without the state name
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science - but the more general bachelor's degree is lowercase
Capitol - when referring to the building in Washington, or in Madison, or in any other state capital
Dumpster - a trademark for a large, metal trash bin
Election Day - only capitalize when referring to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Ferris wheel
Global Positioning System - also known (on second reference) as GPS
House - when referring to a specific House of Representatives
Internet
Jet Ski - a registered trademark for a type of personal watercraft (but is there a simpler way to say "personal watercraft"?)
Kitty Litter - brand name. (The AP Stylebook suggests "cat box filler" instead)
Legislature - when referring to a specific state legislature, with or without the state name
Mother Nature
National Guard, National Guardsman - also, capitalize Guard when it stands alone in reference to the National Guard (but lowercase guardsman when it stands alone)
Olympics - in all references to the international athletic contests, even Olympic-size pool
Popsicle - trademark for a brand of flavored ice
Quran - the Muslim holy book
Realtor - AP prefers "real estate agent" unless there is a reason to indicate someone is a member of the National Association of Realtors
Social Security (I also like the Styrofoam entry, but Social Security comes up more often.)
T-shirt
Upper Peninsula
Velcro - AP suggests "fabric fastener" instead of the trademark
Web - Web site, Web page (***In contrast, AP recommends webcam, webcast and webmaster.)
X-ray
Yellow Pages - to describe the business telephone directory
ZIP code - (ZIP stands for Zoning Improvement Plan)
~ Elizabeth
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