COPY-EDITING ELEMENTS AND USAGE

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: List the elements applicable to copy editing and identify their usage.

As a journalist assigned copy-editing duties, you should always strive for accuracy, rather than speed You might adopt the slogan, "All I miss, they will print."

Before you try filling the seat of copy editor, make sure you have a copy of the locally produced stylebook (see Chapter 7 of the JO 1 & C TRAMAN), as well as a copy of the latest version of The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. Both books are designed to standardize all newswriting and word usage for internal publications and for news releases to civilian media.

The copy-editing guidelines covered in this section are as follows:

Style

Editorializing

Contradictions

Incompleteness

Punctuation Names Numbers Spelling Capitalization Abbreviations Military terms Religious terms

STYLE

Everyone in your office should be acquainted with the locally accepted stylebook, but it is up to the copy editor to catch any violations of good style.

It is annoying for an editor to pick up a story and find, for example, the word "avenue" spelled out one time, abbreviated as "ave." a second time and written as "av." a third time. An office that is careless or inconsistent about little things may eventually become careless or inconsistent about big things. Once a news medium loses respect for you, you might as well close shop. No newspaper will take the chance of publishing sloppy or carelessly prepared material.

Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation and other mechanical aspects of grammar are details of writing that have a tremendously important impact on the clarity, readability and effectiveness of your copy. Once your office gets away from using a set stylebook, your news copy will slowly become a hodgepodge of inconsistencies.

EDITORIALIZING

Editorializing happens when a writer consciously or unconsciously expresses doubt, censure or praise in a news story. The only persons permitted to express an opinion in a straight news story are the persons in the story itself. Even then, the opinion quoted must be attributed to the person who gave it.

News stories should be written in the third person. The writer's personal opinions should never be injected into a news story. Facts should be reported as they are found, without personal pronouns referring to the writer.

Editorials are articles in newspapers or magazines in which the views of their editors or those in control of the periodicals are intentionally presented. However, such articles are clearly identified and purposely set apart from the publications' news and features.

The electronic media also offer editorial opinions, but they, too, take care to keep them separate from their regular newscasts.

Editorials require a very specialized style of writing the fundamentals of which will not be covered in this training manual. The focus of this section is the inclusion of personal opinions in your newswriting through carelessness or by design.

Consider the following examples of editorializing in straight news copy, then note the following suggestions offered to eliminate the implied opinions:

Poor: Lt. Post is exceptionally well qualified for the position.

Improved: Lt. Post, with a degree in law, has eight years of experience as a Navy legal officer.

Poor: An interesting program is planned for tonight at the Officers' Club.

Improved: Here is tonight's program at the Officers' Club.

Poor: The punishment was unjust.

Improved: The U.S. Court of Military Appeals ruled that the punishment imposed by the court-martial was unjust.

CONTRADICTIONS

Sometimes, a writer makes contradictory remarks in a story without realizing it. When contradictions occur, the copy editor should delete them or rearrange the facts more logically. Note the following four examples of typical contradictions:

Example #1

Robinson's keen sense of responsibility, devotion to duty and hard work, according to his commanding officer, finally paid off May 16 when he was advanced to Illustrator-Draftsman Third Class.

The 16-year veteran is assigned to the aircraft carrier...

If Robinson is such a responsible and devoted worker, why did it take him 16 years to make DM3? The reader will assume that Robinson is not too bright or that the Navy does not reward good men and women.

Example #2

A combat veteran of World War II, the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War, Capt. Garlin wears the American Defense Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the National Security Medal.

The captain may be a veteran of three wars, but his medals indicate he has seen no combat.

Example #3

Chief Clayborne began striking for Personnelman aboard the destroyer USS Mitchel in 1945.

The Personnelman rating was established in 1948, so Chief Clayborne could not have been a PN striker in 1945. He must have started out in another rating.

Example #4

Despite his 3-15 record and 7.89 earned run average, Bob Baker is considered to be a good pitcher.

Baker's pitching record and ERA speak for themselves. Classifying him as a "good pitcher" is both opinionated and contradictory. The writer would have to do a lot of explaining to justify this comment.