The evolution of editing

A friend invited me along to a talk the other day at Duke University by Richard Dawkins. He is a retired professor, noted author and outspoken atheist. Dawkins is perhaps best known for his book "The God Delusion." His latest work is "The Greatest Show on Earth," in which he makes a case for evolution.…

Q&A with Chris Roush, co-editor of The Financial Writer’s Stylebook

Chris Roush teaches business journalism at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill. He and a colleague, Bill Cloud, are the co-editors of The Financial Writer's Stylebook. The book is available in print this fall, and it will be online in January. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Roush discusses the need…

Q&A with Kristen Douglas, freelance copy editor

Kristen Douglas is a freelance writer and editor in Durham, N.C., who recently embarked on a career change into journalism. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Douglas talks about this transition and the challenges of working in online media. Q. You've worked in education and mental health. Why the change to editing and writing? A.…

Editing another Edwards story

This week, The Daily Beast website unleashed an update on the saga of John Edwards, the disgraced North Carolina senator whose marriage and political fortunes evaporated amid an extramarital affair. Unfortunately, the reporting sheds little light and is, to quote George Costanza in "Seinfeld," a story about nothing. The Daily Beast is certainly not the…

Guest post: The importance of being accurate

Students in J457, Advanced Editing, are writing guest posts for this blog this semester. This is the latest of those posts. Jennifer Kessinger is a junior journalism major. She serves as the copy desk editor of The Daily Tar Heel and is also a reporter and sports anchor for Carolina Connection, a student-produced radio newscast.…

Using links as footnotes

Good columnists use facts to back up their opinions. Better ones tell you where they got those facts. That's why I like what Frank Rich does with his New York Times columns. Rich includes smartly selected links to show readers where his information comes from. The most recent Rich column, on Sarah Palin, contains links…

Q&A with Deirdre Edgar, readers’ representative at the L.A. Times

Deirdre Edgar is the new readers' representative at the Los Angeles Times. Edgar is a longtime copy editor and a member of the Executive Committee of the American Copy Editors Society. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Edgar discusses her job, common complaints from readers and how her editing background influences her new role. Q.…

Reading too much into a transcript

A relative of mine likes to forward e-mails about politics and the media. Usually, the e-mail includes an allegation of bias. The latest example involves the sentencing of Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber." In January 2003, Reid was given life in prison for his attempt to blow up a plane with explosives that he had…

Book review: ‘The Subversive Copy Editor’

The News & Observer has kindly published my review of "The Subversive Copy Editor," a book by Carol Fisher Saller. Here's the blurb-able part of the review: Saller's point of view is clearly that of an editor who works for an academic press. Yet her straightforward, sometimes witty, approach will benefit anyone who spends time…

Copy editors are storytellers too

Pam Robinson at Words at Work has taken note of yet another article about the future of newspapers. This piece, posted on The Moderate Voice, mentions some ill-considered advice from an editor at a New Jersey newspaper: Restructure the newsroom. Half of the journalists are involved in the “processing” of news — copy editing, writing…