Remixing a midterm exam

For several years, I have had students in my Advanced Editing course read "The Subversive Copy Editor." Written by Carol Fisher Saller, this book is about the writer-editor relationship. The midterm exam has been about that relationship. We also watch the 2015 movie "Spotlight" for its portrayal of editors and reporters working together. The midterm…

Q&A with Laurie Beth Harris of the American Press Institute

Laurie Beth Harris is editorial coordinator at the American Press Institute in Arlington, Virginia. Among her duties there is to write and edit the Need To Know email newsletter. In this interview, conducted by email, Harris discusses her role at API and how she puts together the newsletter. Q. Describe your job. What is your typical…

Q&A with Katie Quine, reporter and digital assistant at Our State magazine

Katie Quine is a writer and digital assistant at Our State magazine, which covers North Carolina's culture and history. In this interview, Quine discusses how she generates story ideas and researches them, and how the magazine balances its print and digital presence.  Q. Describe your job at Our State. What is your typical day like? A. What…

The value of a Dow Jones editing internship

It's Dow Jones News Fund season. Journalism students across the country are applying for this program, which offers summer internships in business reporting and copy editing. Here's a look at some of the program's alumni from UNC-Chapel Hill who had internships as copy editors. Copy editor: Katie Schwing Year of internship: 2005 Where she interned:…

From North Carolina to South America

In late 2001, when I was wire editor at The News & Observer, I proposed (or pitched, as we called it) a story about Argentina's financial crisis for the front page. It was a hard sell, because I had to make the case for why it mattered to readers in North Carolina. The story ended…

Q&A with Stephanie Yera, communications associate at the NYT

Stephanie Yera is a communications associate at The New York Times Company. Yera is a 2009 graduate of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill. She previously worked as an intern and corporate communications assistant at Dow Jones and Company. In this interview, conducted by e-mail, Yera talks about her job duties…

Back to the future of editing with News21

For the second consecutive summer, I had the opportunity to work with talented students at UNC-Chapel Hill on Powering A Nation, a website about energy and the environment. The site, which officially launched today, is part of the News21 project. As one of several faculty coaches, I advised the project’s editing team on issues of…

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.…

It’s almost time for breakfast

The Breakfast of Editing Champions returns to the AEJMC national convention in Denver next month. The breakfast is free and open to anyone who teaches editing, appreciates editing or simply likes to hang around editing professors — and that should be pretty much everyone. Deborah Gump, who teaches editing at Middle Tennessee State University, is…

Q&A with Tyler Dukes of N.C. State student media

Tyler Dukes is the production assistant for student media at N.C. State University in Raleigh. Prior to taking this job this summer, Dukes was a Web producer for cable news station News 14 Carolina. He also has experience in print media as editor of his college paper, Technician, and as a Dow Jones editing intern…