It’s the ideal redemption for any news-media company — make a mistake, own up to it, and get more attention for the correction than the mistake, some of it positive and constructive attention. Then, acknowledge the attention and draw the focus back to how you remedy mistakes rather than the hubris-laced lie of “we’ll neverContinue reading “TBD’s sexy correction was a brilliant move”
Category Archives: copy editing
A good quote needs no editing, baseball edition
So, you may have heard that Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter tonight. It’s the first no-no in the playoffs since 1956, decades before the playoff format Halladay pitched in existed. One player refused to believe that his team simply was beaten. Orlando Cabrera said, and I quote: “[H]e and the umpire pitched a no-hitter. HeContinue reading “A good quote needs no editing, baseball edition”
Copy-editing’s future and failings: A roundup
It’s not just a roundup of stupid mistakes, though a few are in there. There’s also some discussion of the craft, where it’s headed, and why. The case for education reform, proved in one billboard: In Indiana, the city of South Bend decided, we’ve got some great public schools. Let’s promote them with a bigContinue reading “Copy-editing’s future and failings: A roundup”
ESPN.com turns hatred of texting into a crime
From ESPN.com, about 10:35 p.m. 09/22/10 K-Rod just prefers the familiarity of phone and face-to-face communication over text messaging. Can’t believe being a Luddite is a crime. Here’s the story with the real charges.
Editors are not like your buddies
We all have buddies — folks we like to hang out with, or get along with particularly well at work or social functions. They may be sports buddies or bar buddies or neighborhood buddies or work on cars/yard work buddies. But, and this is not a bad thing, these people in general are not thoseContinue reading “Editors are not like your buddies”
How typos can hurt online job recruiting
National Public Radio has a deserved reputation for the breadth of its offerings in radio and online, recently being called the BBC of the United States. In fact, its online content is so deep and so popular that the organization recently asked to be called, simply, NPR. The organization is also hiring. But here’s where itsContinue reading “How typos can hurt online job recruiting”
Rest your brain, then write, edit and think better
SXC.hu photo My writing here is, in the end, aimed at two things: finding the intersection of successful social media and vibrant editing, and showing how better editing fuels better writing and thinking, As social-media enthusiasts are just starting to learn, it’s impossible to be 100%, 100% of the time. A breather is required, notContinue reading “Rest your brain, then write, edit and think better”
Spell-check makes audiophiles sound like pedophiles
I tweeted on this specifically recently, as well as the general problem of spell-check, but then came this example. We all know the word “podcast,” right? Well, some spell-checking software doesn’t. The one in question suggests “produces” for “podcast.” That’s innocent enough. But what if there are multiple podcasts? Well, then, it’s a different story:Continue reading “Spell-check makes audiophiles sound like pedophiles”
Spell-check your way to disaster
The reasons not to consolidate editing solely to a spell-check are obvious and stated many times over. Even Wikipedia agrees, so we are getting somewhere on that front. And the Boston Globe’s website recently published some typo anecdotes that spell-check would have failed to catch — and at least one that it probably caused. ButContinue reading “Spell-check your way to disaster”
People notice bad editing, Part 2
SXC.hu image by cobrasoft In Part 1, we took a look at some examples of bad, sloppy or nonexistent editing being noticed by readers and journalists. The disconnect of journalism and editing, caused by corporate decision-making and journalism’s slide into financial hardship, is showing itself. These are the smaller signs of the ridiculousness of “doingContinue reading “People notice bad editing, Part 2”
James daSilva 