My continual pet peeve: babbling copy editors

[Ace]

Best way to keep a copy editor quiet is to not make mistakes.

Yeah, as if.

Then he can just bench about the length of the story, the lateness of the story or the fact that you didn't call for any questions, even though the copy editor has your damn cell number that you put on top of the story that said to call if you need anything.

Copy editors sometimes look for things to bench about. Having said that, the good ones can appreciate it when writers do certain things well.

When I was leaving a journalism gig at a trade publication, the copy editor there often bitched at me when I'd make mistakes, but he specifically told me he appreciated it when I'd edit stories for the weekly publication I worked on and put them in the folder for him to edit before the busy production day. I did it to save time on Fridays and he loved that and made sure I knew it.

I was on the desk and I had to fight for two reporters in particular who either wrote long, came at the story from a different angle or dropped an unexpected news story from their beat on the desk in the late afternoon/early evening.

Instead of seeing if this worked or was needed or was worth getting in the paper, most of the editors just bitched and moaned. Both of the writers, however, have gone on to jobs that are about as high as you can get in this business.

Bitching and moaning is part of the job, and I have certainly done my share. But you have to get past that to see what is best for the section and the readers.

My biggest peeve is you shouldn't say something to the room that you wouldn't pick up the phone and tell the writer. That's just cowardly.

 

[fishwrapper]

Oh, God. I know journalists bench and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

 

[SF_Express]

I haven't worked in an office for a while, but what used to bug me was the old "notes" font when you changed something. To me, the only reason to leave the mistake in there in notes, rather than just deleting it, is to say "look at all the things I changed."

The main reason for notes mode is so the slot can overrule a copy editor's overzealous editing and restore the writer's original. If the slot can't see what's been changed, he can't take the writer's side before it gets published.

All fine arguments, Frank, but I've never been able to work in notes mode, ever, and never will be able to work in notes mode. Hopefully it will never be an issue.

 

[Ace]

I haven't worked in an office for a while, but what used to bug me was the old "notes" font when you changed something. To me, the only reason to leave the mistake in there in notes, rather than just deleting it, is to say "look at all the things I changed."

The main reason for notes mode is so the slot can overrule a copy editor's overzealous editing and restore the writer's original. If the slot can't see what's been changed, he can't take the writer's side before it gets published.

All fine arguments, Frank, but I've never been able to work in notes mode, ever, and never will be able to work in notes mode. Hopefully it will never be an issue.

I like the idea of notes mode, but I hate trying to read something with all the editing in all different colors.

 

[Fredrick]

My biggest peeve is you shouldn't say something to the room that you wouldn't pick up the phone and tell the writer. That's just cowardly.

Great post.
I find that individuals who say anything about their own work (catching a mistake included) are just fishing for compliments and fishing for compliments is uncool except in the world of the 10 a.m. meetings where the mutual buttkissing goes far. That's how you get promoted, sing your own praises while criticizing the others in the sports department while at all costs kissing up to the clueless ME in charge of those meetings.

 

[Ace]

My biggest peeve is you shouldn't say something to the room that you wouldn't pick up the phone and tell the writer. That's just cowardly.

Great post.
I find that individuals who say anything about their own work (catching a mistake included) are just fishing for compliments and fishing for compliments is uncool except in the world of the 10 a.m. meetings where the mutual buttkissing goes far. That's how you get promoted, sing your own praises while criticizing the others in the sports department while at all costs kissing up to the clueless ME in charge of those meetings.

I feel like I just got Fred-rolled.

 

[BTExpress]

I like the idea of notes mode, but I hate trying to read something with all the editing in all different colors.

Our Word system allows you to turn notes mode off. So the slot can read a clean version, then turn on notes mode to see what changes were made beforehand.

 

[Thirsty And Vacant]

In my copy-editing days before being evicted from the Fourth Estate, I'd discreetly run mistakes or editing decisions past reporters, using kneeling down at their desks. Tried to treat them with a bit of respect since I was once in their shoes.

 

[I Should Coco]

Oh, God. I know journalists bench and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

I've been there, fishwrapper. You are 100 percent on the money with this post.

 

[SportsDude]

Oh, God. I know journalists bench and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

Teachers are miserable. I married into a family of them. Nothing like hearing how miserable their work schedule is, or how awful it is to have to pay $2 co-pay for that union insurance.

 

[buckweaver]

Oh, God. I know journalists bench and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

Teachers are miserable. I married into a family of them. Nothing like hearing how miserable their work schedule is, or how awful it is to have to pay $2 co-pay for that union insurance.

I love teachers. Related to a few, too. Wouldn't mind being one someday, if it came to that.

But I won't tell you how many Facebook status updates I read complaining about ... gasp ... having to go back to work after being off all summer. Won't tell you what I wanted to say, either. I'm sure you can guess.

 

[Den1983]

Oh, God. I know journalists bench and whine. I've lived it. But, my wife was an educator for quite sometime. Ever been in a room full of teachers? It left me wanting to pull my inner ear out with rusty forceps.

Teachers are miserable. I married into a family of them. Nothing like hearing how miserable their work schedule is, or how awful it is to have to pay $2 co-pay for that union insurance.

I love teachers. Related to a few, too. Wouldn't mind being one someday, if it came to that.

But I won't tell you how many Facebook status updates I read complaining about ... gasp ... having to go back to work after being off all summer. Won't tell you what I wanted to say, either. I'm sure you can guess.

Yeah. I know teaching can be a grind (most jobs are), but, man, some need to drink a giant class of perspective before whining about crap.