CONCEPT OF NEWS EDITING
In a news organization, editing plays a pivotal role. A news item or a news story, as it
is called, is written by hurried reporters. and is rough-edged . In the editing process, the
unwanted matter gets weeded out. Only the newsworthy stories are finally selected.
These are checked for grammar, syntax, facts, figures, and sense, and also clarified for
betterment, and are condensed for economy of space.
Editing is a process of selecting, preparing, writing, proof reading and publishing in the print media to disseminate the information to their target readers. The editing process goes through many channels from writing to correction, correction to consideration, consideration to modification and modification to production. The editing process starts with the reporter or author’s original writing and ends with the editor’s idea, creation and publication.
News editing is tailoring news items or a news story to the required shape and size, using the right kind of expressions and symbols. A copy is edited to highlight the "news sense" in a story, and to bring uniformity of language and style in an issue of a newspaper. Editing defines as ‘preparing for publication (especially in a newspaper or other periodical); doing the work of planning and directing the publication of a newspaper, magazine, encyclopedia etc; preparing a cinema film, tape recording by putting together parts in a suitable sequence.
Prominent American theorist and Editor-at-large of American monthly magazine ‘ Norman Podhoretz says ‘editing is to improve an essentially well-written piece or to turn a clumsily written one into, a beautifully shaped effective .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdBhzBcA9M
Desk Management
In the print media industry, there are various editorial departments working together to publish a newspaper. The newsroom is headed by an editor or a chief editor followed by editor and then sub –editor and editorial assistant. The designation varies according to the choice of the organization. He plans and directs the day's news operations. He is supported by a team consisting of the news editors, chief sub-editors (chief sub), senior sub-editors and sdb-editors (sub).
The editorial position is headed by chief editor
The news desk usually operates in three shifts: morning, afternoon and night (till late in the evening, even up to 2.30 a.m.). In between, there are two link shifts-morning and evening-which are headed by the news editors and or chief subs. They are also called 'slot' men.
Ideally, in a newspaper, it is the news editor who plans and directs page making, while the chief sub helps and implements it.
The exercise of editing, especially in print media, can broadly be divided into four stages:
- · Conceptualisation and planning
- · Visualisation
- Planning and Visualization of news Writing a news story involves a series of tasks both reporting and writing. Here are few things to be remembered while writing for newspapers:
- (a) Find something interesting to write about;
- (b) File the report and quote its sources;
- (c) Be objective and fair;
- (d) Draft a lead that will draw attention of your readers;
- (e) Formulate the lead; develop the structure for the rest of the story;
- (f) Conduct interviews;
- (g) Choose the best quotes to use in your story;
- (h) Follow up the story to reach upto the conclusion.
- Apart from above plan a good news editor can visualize more ideas to structure his story. There are multiple ways to establish a good news story. But creative story writers go through step by step with newer. Newser is the theme on which the whole story is based on. First and foremost step is to think about the headlines and then cover the story with multiples examples like in hard news the title can be
- · Dummy Preparation
- · Handling of copy
Of the four stages, the most exhaustive stage is the fourth stage, i.e., handling of copy. It involves the following:
1. Selection of news items
Therefore, the first activity, i.e., selection, is basically a gatekeeping process. It involves sifting through the entire incoming news items, i.e., the copy and sorting out the newsworthy stories in accordance with the newspaper’s editorial policy.
2. Cutting and pruning
3. Removal of mistakes
A fact checking is a very important ingredient of good editing especially in news field and information world. A single error can damage not only the reputation of a newspaper but also the credential of an editor. In newspapers, many factual errors are prevented as the editor works as “Gatekeeper.” To ensure this the following can be kept in mind: A good editor verifies the news credibility at least from two sources. Whether it is original sources or websites. Editor can either ask the writer for his source of material or enquire from somebody to know the truth of story
4. Rewriting when necessary
The second, third, and fourth stages together form what is popularly known as copy editing. It includes cutting the news, tailoring and shaping them for publication. It also includes checking for inadequacies in grammar, syntax, facts and figures and, of course, news sense. It is also the job of the copy editor to cross-check facts. If required, corrections are made and at times the story is even rewritten.
5. Finally, the news report is topped with a suitable headline
STYLEBOOK
In a publication house, copies are filed by different reporters with not similar writing skills. Therefore, an important function of copy editing is to bring uniformity of language and style in conformity with the stylebook, so that readers get a uniform reading experience.
Generally, every newspaper organization has its own style book. Stylebook is a manual or a kind of guideline that provides the usage of words, punctuation and typography to prepare a news story for publication. While style sheet is the form that defines the layout and design of a document when writing for a newspaper. A style sheet consists of page size, font, margin and word format to develop the story. Style sheet are useful for any print media organization because you can use the same style sheet for any documents which is going to be published.
Style-Sheet:
In print media, organization style sheet has an important role to play for the editors, authors and proof readers etc. to maintain uniformity and consistency within a single manuscript across the news paper.
This is called as style sheet. Traditionally, a copy editor for any news organization creates a stylesheet as he/ she edits and passes the same style-sheet onto other professionals working on it to check.
A style sheet is usually a word document file defining the layout, design and presentation.
The style sheet specifies the parameter, page size, font and its margin. It is very important for any news paper to maintain a uniform and a consistent style for the whole document.
AP style mistakes.
The first Associated Press Stylebook came out in 1953. It was 60 stapled pages, and grandly called itself the “most definitive and inclusive work ever undertaken by a group of newspapers,” according to the 2009 edition foreword. The Stylebook today is a collection of rules—part dictionary, part encyclopedia and part textbook. Though the book has undergone several revisions, it remains committed to its original mission: “to provide a uniform presentation of the printed word, to make a story written anywhere understandable everywhere” (Stylebook foreword).
The book contains an abundance of material and may appear insurmountable to memorize. It is. To help get you started in learning the multitude of style rules, below are 10 style rules media editors use often. This is generally true throughout the world of media: public relations, advertising, online media, magazines and newspapers generally rely on AP style. (Note: AP style is not the same as APA style, the academic style most students learn in social science courses. That style is a product of the American Psychological Association.)
1. Never abbreviate the following words: days of the week; the months of March, April, May, June and July; the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah; percent (and it is always one word, not two); company or corporation; department; assistant; associate; association; attorney, government; building; department and geographical locations of alley, road, drive, circle, terrace and highway.
2. Spell out single-digit numbers (zero to nine), and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. However, note the exceptions. Always use numerals for ages (3 years old); weights and heights (9 pounds, 7 ounces; 8 feet high); dimensions (2-by-4; 5 inches); dollars and cents ($6; 6 cents); speeds (5 mph); scores (6-10); votes (3 votes); percentages and ratios (4 percent; 2-1 ratio) and temperatures (4 degrees).
Commas should be used after every three digits of a long number, such as 29,875.
But when
you reach millions, billions, and trillions, rely on the easier-to-read word, with a
decimal:
1. Striving for focus and accuracy:
Accuracy is one of the chief corners of the editing stage. News reports have the professional and ethical responsibility to include in their research and writing process the checking of facts, which includes the correct spelling and pronunciation of names, the factual details of a story, and any basis upon which conclusions are drawn. Multiple checks for accuracy are the norm.
2. Fact Checking:
3. Maintaining Objectivity:
4. Staying on Track:
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