The Editor’s Desk

My visit to China is done, and although I’ve adapted once again to Eastern Daylight Time, I’m still thinking about my experience half a world away.

My colleague Laura Ruel and I spent about a week working with journalists of the China.org news site. The English-language site has a staff of about 30 people, including a few Americans.

I was impressed with the dedication and skills of the China.org staff. It’s a different sort of journalism — run by and controlled by the government, created in an environment where Facebook, Twitter and most blogs are blocked. Yet, the staff there is doing much of what their Western counterparts do: trying to figure out the best to get the news to readers, in both form and content, while on constant deadline pressure.

I was asked to speak to the staff on several topics:

• Story editing

• Headline writing

• Caption writing

• Alternative story forms

I covered each of those topics in workshop sessions at the China.org offices. Each went well, and with each session, the staff grew more comfortable asking questions and offering comments.

On my final day in Beijing, I worked with staff members one on one in the newsroom. This was the most rewarding part of the week because I got to help people with the stories, captions and other content that they were working on at that moment. I also got a surprising compliment from one editor: “Thank you for your help. And I would like to say that you are very handsome.”

Thanks to everyone at the site for their hospitality, and special thanks to Celine Chen for organizing the trip, showing us the city and and allowing us to bring a little bit of U.S. journalism to China.

Stephanie Beck is the 6 p.m. news producer at TV station WRAL in Raleigh, N.C. Beck, who once aspired to be a features writer for a newspaper or magazine, started at the station in the mid 1990s as videotape editor. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Beck discusses her job as producer (which includes story editing) and WRAL’s online presence.

Q. What does the 6 p.m. news producer do on a typical day?

My day starts before I even get to work. I wake up with my alarm set to WUNC and peruse the online newspapers and my e-mail over my morning coffee.

When I get to work, it all starts with a morning editorial meeting at 9 a.m. There, producers for each show (5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 p.m.) and management put their heads together to assess what’s breaking, what’s news, what needs to be covered, what can be done another day and what everyone is talking about. We talk with the reporters about their pitches and discuss the stories until crews are assigned. Then we parcel out the stories to the shows across the 90 minutes of news so that viewers don’t feel they’re watching the same thing over and over again.

After the meeting, I jump into the day. I represent our station on a conference call of CBS affiliates in the state, trading stories and story ideas. I help write last-minute stories for the noon newscast.

I start working with reporters to design graphics to go with the stories reporters are working on for my 6 p.m. newscast. For example, maps to show viewers where smaller towns are in the area; interactive graphics to go in and around the stories on state government and economics and government spending; any way I can think of to make stories visually interesting to give them a slight boost and keep viewers’ attention. Then I sit down with graphic artists to make these ideas come alive on the screen.

This is also the time frame where I start looking for statistics, tidbits, previous stories and other items to put these stories in context and let viewers know why the stories we have chosen today will impact them and their daily lives. Oh, and did I mention that I try to start writing the show at this point?

At 1:45, there’s an afternoon editorial meeting. At this point, I have to justify every story in my rundown, from the 15-second copy story to the reporter’s package. I inform the same group of managers and producers what each crew has in terms of sound and video to make sure the packages fit the mold we were looking for.

After this meeting, it’s crunch time. Writing, re-writing and looking for stories through the afternoon until it’s complete, along with creating my own basic graphics. Usually, I try to finish the first write by 5 p.m.  That gives editors time to work on the video and me time to go back through and re-write and re-read my work.

At 5:55 p.m., I’m in the control room – after all that work, I’m not about to turn the reins over to anyone else if I can help it. Sitting in the producer’s chair means timing the show, communicating with live shots, and all around keeping the wheels on the train.

If breaking news strikes, it’s my job to get the director and the anchors on the same page to execute it as cleanly as possible. If things go as planned, it’s a slow day, and a rare day!

At 6:27:55 we dip to black and have a post-show meeting to talk about what went right and what went wrong that day.  Conversations ensue, and I’m done with my day between 6:45 and 7:00pm.

Q. How big of a role do writing and editing play in your job?

A. Writing is my job. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact in all that description that as a producer, it’s my job to choose stories and to write them in an easily understood fashion.

I am the person who condenses a Supreme Court ruling to a 30-second story or who sums up a murder case in 20 seconds. Doing so takes practice, distance from the story, and more practice.

Being concise is indeed an art form, and if you don’t believe it, just try this: Grab your local newspaper and pick a story. Try summarizing it in three to four simple sentences that are factually correct and don’t leave the reader forced to make assumptions. It becomes hard to decide what needs to be left out and what needs to stay.

Newspapers have the luxury of space. Broadcast does not, but we still have the duty to tell the story correctly and the need to tell it in an interesting fashion so that our audience stays with us.

That is where editing comes into my job. Rather than typical copy editing, I edit the story when I make decisions regarding what details go in and what details stay out. I do need to be familiar with AP style, especially for on-screen graphics, but the writing of the story itself is more conversational in style so that it fits the anchor’s delivery and personal style.

Q. You’re active on Twitter and other social media. What is WRAL’s strategy
there?

A. WRAL’s strategy across the board is to be the news outlet people seek out when they’re in search of information. Weather, news, breaking news, traffic — you name it, we want to build the trust and name recognition with the public that we are where they go. Period.

Be first, be accurate, be informative, be investigative, be useful. It’s what we do in television news, our strategy for online presence at WRAL.com, and now they are the leading values we are taking with us into social media.

Q. WRAL’s history can be traced to the days of radio. It’s best known now as a TV news station and as a pioneer in HD broadcasting. With all of the changes in the media, is there a time ahead when WRAL will be online first and TV second?

A. One could say we’re nearly there. A few years ago, the phrase entered our vernacular that WRAL isn’t a television station with a Web site; we are an online news organization that includes a television station.

That’s not to say that TV news comes second, but to say that we are aware that television isn’t the only place that people get their news anymore, and we’re willing to meet them where they search.

If you read the Web site for your news, we’re there, with a number of features we do that are “web only.” There are plenty of content opportunities that stream live on the Web, sidebars that are placed on the Web to provide more context and interactive opportunities that television won’t allow. We stream our newscasts live on the Web for people who prefer to watch on their computers. We offer news updates for your mobile phone, in case you can’t make an appointment with a newscast.

A staff of online producers work hand in hand with reporters and producers to create a useful and informative Web presence. Our programmers wrote a WRAL app for the iPhone to keep you up to date on local news and weather.

If a conversation is happening on Twitter, we’re there. If it’s on Facebook, we’re there. As we proved with HD and the evolution of WRAL.com, we are very comfortable with the advances in technology, and I think we will continue to stay ahead of that curve.

Brian Russell is the owner of Carrboro Creative Coworking in Carrboro, N.C. He also blogs at Yesh.com. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Russell discusses what coworking might mean for journalism.

Q. What is coworking? How is it different from going into a coffeehouse and working on a laptop?

A. Coworking is a movement of freelance workers who are joining together to share resources like office space, Internet access, etc. This movement is in the process of going mainstream. It’s poised to really influence how corporations of all size see work. Freelancers aren’t the only ones who will work this way.

Coworking spaces usually have a very professional atmosphere in contrast to coffeehouses. But they are often focused on the type of professionals that use them. For example, Carrboro Creative Coworking has a lot of freelance software engineers. We work hard and play hard together.

Q. What kinds of people are coworking? Are writers and editors trying it?

A. All kinds of people are coworking. Many of them are involved in Web development. But we have many journalists and writers at our space.

These folks really understand the value of community. It’s a natural fit for this type of professional.

Q. Newspapers have typically operated from a central newsroom with bureaus in surrounding communities. Now, many bureaus have closed because of financial pressures. How could newspapers use coworking to cover the news?

A. Newspapers could use coworking spaces as ad hoc gathering places to meet and create news. Journalists should be in the field covering the news and regenerating the news beats of old.

Coworking spaces are also greater community hubs. With a diverse group of people working in the same place, lead generation is amplified. Plus, coworking spaces are about sharing resources and are very cost effective.

Q. In addition to coworking, you have experience in Web development and citizen journalism. In your opinion, how can newspapers better use online media?

A. Journalists must be active participants in our physical and virtual, online communities. Online media is social. No more passive observation. This means reporting should be a two-way process.

The Clue Train Manifesto explains it this way: “A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter — and getting smarter faster than most companies.”

(Photo by BrianR.)

I’ve spent part of my summer working with 12 talented students at UNC-Chapel Hill on Powering A Nation, a Web site that looks at the intersection of energy and demographics. The site, which debuted Friday, is part of the News21 project.

As one of several faculty coaches, I advised the project’s editing team on issues of work flow, story editing, alternative story forms, word choice and headlines. It was a pleasure to work with this group in our newsroom.

It’s important to note that members of the editing team also served as reporters. As reporters wrapped up their stories, they were sometimes drafted for other duties, including help with editing. As you can see on the site’s “making of” blog, everyone did a bit of everything.

The idea behind News21 is to serve as an incubator for multimedia journalism, where students can chart a course for the future of news. My time with the students this summer reinforced my belief that editing will play a significant role in that future.

Students in my Advanced Editing course are contributors to The Editor’s Desk this semester. They are free to write about whatever they wish, provided that the topic fits the theme for this blog: “thoughts on editing for print and online media.”

This is the 12th of these guest posts. Elizabeth Templin is a second-year master’s student and Roy H. Park Fellow from Charlotte, N.C. She has focused on news writing, editing and multimedia during graduate school. She hopes that she will find ways to save journalism in a new job.

Newspapers have been in the news a lot lately. In case you haven’t heard, newspapers across the country are having a hard time staying financially afloat. Publishers are taking steps like laying off staff, creating online-only editions and outsourcing copy desks. With all these changes, it’s a good time to think about the future of copy editing and ask what role copy editors play in saving journalism.

Even though the future of journalism is uncertain, there are a few things copy editors can do to help out.

1. Copy editors can play a huge role in attracting readers to newspaper Web sites.

Newspapers have got to find ways to make Web sites generate more income, and one way to do that is by increasing readership, which is measured in page views or the number of pages visited by individual readers. Copy editors can help bring readers to Web sites by writing great headlines and story blurbs.

Copy editors writing headlines for the Web should go beyond writing the clear, catchy headlines that appear in print editions. Online headlines should be noun-heavy so that when the average reader is searching for information, such as “Obama puppy,” on a search engine like Google, they are directed to the newspaper’s Web site.

Copy editors should also make sure that headlines make sense out of context – away from the accompanying text, pictures and cutlines – since a reader might first encounter a lone headline on a search engine or RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.

Once a headline has drawn a reader to the newspaper’s Web site, a well-written story blurb can help turn one page view into many more. Similar to drop heads, story blurbs are one or two sentences below the headline that give readers a sense of what the story is about. Good story blurbs are timely, highlight key information and provide details that pique reader interest.

2. Copy editors can look for ways to present content in alternative story forms.

In print editions, alternative story forms tend to be more engaging to readers than blocks of text. For Web sites, alternative story forms can take engagement to the next level by creating opportunities for reader interactivity, like clicking on a map, viewing a slideshow or taking a quiz.

3. Copy editors can allow reporters to break the rules of journalism in blogs.

More reporters are using blogs to instantly update news stories and communicate with readers. While making sure that a newspaper’s blogs are accurate and free of embarrassing errors is important, overlooking some journalism rules is OK.

4. Do what copy editors do best.

Copy editors play a big part in guarding newspapers’ credibility by ensuring that published content is accurate and error-free. In doing this, copy editors ensure that newspapers earn readers’ trust and offer readers something your average blogger may not: reliable, fact-checked content.

These are just a few ideas. What else can copy editors do to save journalism?

Students in my Advanced Editing course are contributors to The Editor’s Desk this semester. They are free to write about whatever they wish, provided that the topic fits the theme for this blog: “thoughts on editing for print and online media.”

This is the 10th of these guest posts. Katie Rumbaugh is a senior journalism major from Durham, N.C. Her parents brought her up a Duke fan, but she saw the error of her ways the moment she arrived at UNC-Chapel Hill four years ago. She enjoys writing and talking about politics, and she hopes to end up working in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, the Sun-Times Media Group, which owns the Chicago Sun-Times and 58 other newspapers, filed for bankruptcy. In case you weren’t aware, the outlook for print newspapers is pretty bleak these days.

Because of the Sun-Times claiming Chapter 11, you might have missed Gannett announcing on the same day that it is centralizing its news and sports copy desks into one regional desk to serve four of the six papers the company owns in New Jersey.

This comes in the wake of the four Texas papers, all owned by E.W. Scripps, consolidating their copy desks last week, as noted by my colleague, Dominic Ruiz-Esparza. At the four New Jersey papers, Gannett will eliminate all copy and sports desk management positions, replacing them with 16 regional editorships.

The problem in cases like these is that creating a satellite editing desk that serves multiple papers removes several degrees of accountability from the position of copy editor. Sure, an editor can call or e-mail a reporter for questions on a story, but successful copy editing requires a rapport between editors and writers. I imagine maintaining that rapport will be a lot more difficult when newspapers in East Brunswick, N.J., are outsourcing their copy editing to Neptune (the city, not the planet).

And copy editors working for a specific newspaper develop a certain level of expertise on the material they edit. Making a regional copy desk where editors handle stories from around the state dulls that specialization.

But if this trend continues — and in light of the economy and declining readership and ad sales, it likely will — maybe next we’ll outsource our copy editing overseas along with the information technology sector.

It’s been a hard week at Gannett newspapers, where at least 2,000 people found out that they were losing their jobs. The independent Gannett Blog has documented the layoffs in detail, and it’s a depressing and horrifying experience to read the posts there.

Copy editors haven’t been exempt from the mayhem. In fact, at some Gannett papers, they are are bearing the brunt of the cuts. The Cincinnati Enquirer, for example, laid off news editor Kathy McDermott, who oversaw the editing for the front page. Copy editors in news and features were let go. The paper also said farewell to business editor Carolyn Pione, who has a strong background in copy editing.

It’s an alarming decision, particularly given Gannett’s emphasis on shorter stories and alternative story forms (or “charticles,” as the company prefers to call them). Those types of stories require especially careful editing. With fewer copy editors in newsrooms, Gannett papers will likely see a decline in their quality.

“The Office” has global appeal, even though most of us have never worked for “a regional paper and office supply distributor,” as the fictional company Dunder Mifflin describes itself. The petty politics, misguided management and odd personalities depicted on the show ring true at any kind of company or business.

Newsrooms are offices, and they are similar to the one portrayed in “The Office.” Many newsrooms are laid out like the office on the show, with the staff clustered in groups of desks and management peering out from glassed-in offices. Indeed, as I watch the U.S. version of “The Office” every week, I occasionally have flashbacks to my newsroom experiences. Others have made the same connection.

So what would the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin look like if it suddenly gave up office supplies and took up journalism? Here’s a possible newsroom reorganization for The Dunder Mifflin Times.

Managing editor: Michael Scott (also serves as business editor and movie critic)

Assistant (to the) managing editor: Dwight Schrute (serves as wire editor, sports editor and city editor)

Features editor: Kelly Kapoor (also in charge of Facebook page and Twitter feed)

Web editor: Ryan Howard

Reporters: Andy Bernard, Karen Filippelli, Jim Halpert, Stanley Hudson

Copy editors: Creed Bratton (desk chief), Oscar Nunez, Kevin Malone

Clerk for obits and sports agate: Mose Schrute

News research/party planning: Phyllis Lapin, Angela Martin

Photos/multimedia: Meredith Palmer

Graphics/page designer: Pam Beesly

Executive editor: Jan Levinson

Publisher: David Wallace

Pressroom foreman: Darryl Philbin

Human resources: Toby Flenderson