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Copyreading


     Bernadette F. Tamayo
July 10, 2008, tabloid
WATER SAMPLING
Kumuha ng sample ng tubig mula
 sa bahaging nilubugan ng MV
 Princess of the Stars ang mga
 Coast Guard biologists upang
         suriin. (AFP)
DAVAO BLOOMS
 The streets of Davao burst into colors that the
 rains failed to wash during the city’s celebration
 of the annual Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival.
 Street performers, like these students, turned the
 city’s roads into a stage to thank the heavens for
 the bountiful harvests.      - PDI, Aug. 18, 2004
» Corrections                   PDI August 19, 2004
» IN YESTERDAY’S issue, the caption of a front-page
  photo misstated the location of the staging of the
  Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival. The staging was held on
  the campus of the Centro Escolar University in
  Manila – not the streets of Davao City.
COPYREADING & HEADLINE WRITING

Copyreading is            Proofreading is
editing the copy by the   correction of errors in
use of appropriate        galley or page proofs
symbols.                  by the use of
A copy is the             proofreading symbols.
typewritten material      A galley proof is a
submitted to the          long, narrow proof
encoder for               pulled from type on a
typesetting.              galley.
Preparing the copy
Type on one side of the sheet , double space.
Identify the story on the first page with a
 slugline : the name of the paper
          » words identifying the story
          » the reporter
          » the date
Indent at least five spaces each paragraph.
Type the word More at the bottom of each
page except the last, which is marked with
30 or #.
The copy
The Republic
Enrolment increases by 2%
Yasmin Tamayo
June 25

     The students enrolled at Marcelo H.

del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS)

increased by 2%.


                   More
Tips for Polishing Copy
You should be the reader's advocate in
improving the story. Every change you make
should improve a story. If it doesn't improve the
story, it's not worth your time.
What's the story about?
Ask what the story is about and what's the point.
If you can't answer these two distinct questions,
the reader surely won't know. The story may
need some more work by the writer to provide a
stronger focus. If you know what the story is
about and what the point is, ask yourself
whether the lead reflects that understanding. If
not, the story may need revision.
The copy
The Republic
Enrolment increases by 2%
Yasmin Tamayo
June 25

     The students enrolled at Marcelo H.

del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS)

increased by two percent from last year’s

11,340 to 12,627 this school year.
                  More
Tips for Polishing Copy


What's the news?
Ask yourself what the news is. Is it high
enough in the story? If you're pulling
your headline from the sixth paragraph,
consider whether that should be the lead.
Try to make fun of the story.
Does it contain any obvious statements
that will draw a "duh!" from the reader?
Does it have any awkward double
meaning?
The Craft of Copy Editing
Collaborate with Reporters
Too often copy editors and reporters are
viewed as adversaries rather than
collaborators. The best copy editors work
with reporters to improve their stories and
ensure accuracy.
Respect the writer's authorship.
However good or bad a story is, the writer is
the author. The writer's name goes on the
story. The writer will hear any feedback from
the public about the story. The editor should
always try to consult the writer about
significant changes and should try to make
changes in the writer's voice and style .
The Craft of Copy Editing
Respect the writer's knowledge.
Before you change a fact in the story, check
with the writer, even if the writer isn't
readily available. You may check your clips
or another resource and be quite sure the
writer has made an error. Changing facts
without consulting the reporter invites
corrections and animosity.
Consult about headlines.
Run your headline past the reporter if time
allows. Maybe you've missed the point of
the story (in which case, maybe the reporter
needs to make the point clearer). The
reporter can help prevent a headline that is
inaccurate, or potentially offensive.
The Craft of Copy Editing
This advice from Pisetzner:
"Make friends, particularly with the
reporters. Wander over at the start of your
shift, compliment them on pieces they
wrote, talk shop when they have a minute.
Tell them why you made a change; try to
look regretful if they disapprove. Claw
away at that stone wall between natural
adversaries. Build trust. After a while, it's
amazing how much leeway they'll give you
as you try to do your job properly."
The Craft of Copy Editing
And this advice from Perlman:
"An editor needs to be able to explain what
the problem is and propose a solution, not
just cite 'rules.' If there's no time on
deadline, do it the next day, or leave a note.
When reporters and higher-ups see that a
copy editor is paying attention to the
content, and cares not just about what the
reporter got wrong but also about what the
reader might not understand and carefully
and logically points it out, they may listen.
The copy editor
The duty of editing falls
chiefly on the editor in chief
who sits at the head of the
copy desk with his
copyreaders.
The most essential function
of a copy editor is to watch
for mistakes.
He is the last line of defense,
what gets past the copy desk
gets into the paper.
Copy editor’s job


FOLLOWS STYLE
RULES                Is it enrolment or
Makes sure the       enrollment? Per
story conforms to    cent or percent?
the newspaper        Are months in
stylebook or style   given dates
sheet for            abbreviated or
consistency.         not?
Copy editor’s job
CHECKS FACTS
 Checks names, titles
addresses,              Does the story cite a
designations,           semestral study grant of
identifications, etc.   P12,000.00 and provide
Rechecks figures and    figures itemized as
totals.                 P2,500.00 for tuition,
Challenges facts,       P7,000.00 for books and
claims or reports       P3,500.00 for lodging?
when they sound         Is it Mr. Roxas or
anomalous, illogical    Rojas? Willie Salvador
and incredible          or Willie Sy Alvarado?
Copy editor’s job
 CHECKS SPELLING
 AND GRAMMAR     Almost all sentences
 Straightens out       in the story should be
 ungrammatical         in the active voice,
 constructions.        not passive.
 Checks spelling and   The editor changes
 punctuation.          this sentence:
                       Suggestions is offered
  Checks sentence      by the Student
 construction          Counsel to _______
                       _________________.
Copy editor’s job
CHECKS ORGANIZATION
Rewrites the lead
when necessary.          Does the article play
                         up the feature or
Cuts a story to size     most important fact
 or to the required      of the story?
 length.                 Is something
                         mentioned in the lead
Shortens sentences       but not mention
and tightens             again or elaborated
paragraphs if need be.   until the eight
                         paragraph?
Copy editor’s job
                        Cross out adjectives in
CHECKS                  news items.
EDITORIALIZING          The reader must know
Watches out for         whose opinion is being
slanting or any         expressed. Some
attempt to present      reporters provide
the story in a subtly   attribution in the lead
biased way.             and then never mention
                        the source again.The
Deletes all opinions,   editor puts in all the
speculations and        necessary “he said,” “she
statements which are    pointed out,” “he added,”
without sources.
Copy editor’s job
        CHECKS           Tuwing hahagikhik si Kris
                         to a suggestive question ni
         LIBELOUS        Boy, ang nagpa-flash sa tao
          TEXT           ay hindi sweet girl kundi
Watches out for          “may STD ‘to, “may STD
libelous or derogatory ‘to, may STD ‘to.” Sa dami
statements.(Truth is     ng lalaking inaamin niyang
not an excuse for libel, naging konektado sa kanya,
with ill motive behind) minsan maiisip mo, sa
                         pinaggagawa niya, desrve
Checks attributions
                         naman niyang magka-STD
and see that they are
                         eh.       - Abante
properly identified.
Copyreading Symbols
  The copy editor does not erase anything
 in the article but only makes use of
 copyreading symbols to suggest the
 necessary corrections or changes.
 At the end of the article, the editor writes
  # to suggest end of the story
Or
 more to mean the article is lacking in
 information
When all the corrections
                  have been made, the
copy editor goes over the story one more
time, reading it for sense, for total effect
rather than mechanical problems. The
editor takes the role of the reader and
asks: “Are all the questions answered? Is
it clear? Easy to read?
 Then he is ready to write the headline.
COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS
•
      MANILA, Philippines - A 16-years-old
    in coming high school senior wins the covet
English Speaking Union’s (EUSU) International
Public Speaking Competition last friday onn
London.
     Dapul’s fiveminute speech entitled, “Fish
mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how
scientific research could served as a cure-all
for many of the world’s problem
       Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute student at the
Philippines Science High School bested almost
sixty participant from 35 countries withthe
competitions’ theme, Frontiers New.”
COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS

•   MANILA, Philippines - A 16
years-old in coming highschool
senior wins the covet English
English Speaking Union’s
(EUSU) International
Public Speaking Competition
last friday onn London.
COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS


  Dapul’s fiveminute speech
entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot
Fungus” focused on how
scientific research could served
as a cure-all for many of the
world’s problem
COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS

• Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute
student at the Philippines
Science High School bested
almost sixty participant from
35 countries with the
competitions’ theme, Frontiers
New.”
His speech also went well with judges for
its oft-humorous lines.
For instance, while speaking about the
“most expensive coffee in the world”
which is gathered from the droppings of a
civet cat, Dapul asked, “So, who’s had
coffee with their breakfast?”
“If only we could make science fairs and
contests as popular as the thriving ‘Pop
Idol’ franchise. Although I’m not sure if
Simon Cowell’s sardonic comments will sit
well with my peers,’ he added in his
speech.
MANILA, Philippines - A 16-year-old
 incoming high school senior won the
 coveted English Speaking Union’s (ESU)
 International Public Speaking Competition
 last Friday in London.
Gian Carlo Dapul, a student at the Philippine
 Science High School bested almost 60
 participants from 35 countries with the
 competition’s theme, “New Frontiers.”
Dapul’s five-minute speech entitled, “Fish
 mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how
 scientific research could serve as a cure-all
 for many of the world’s problems.
                more

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Copyreading

  • 1. Copyreading Bernadette F. Tamayo
  • 2. July 10, 2008, tabloid
  • 3. WATER SAMPLING Kumuha ng sample ng tubig mula sa bahaging nilubugan ng MV Princess of the Stars ang mga Coast Guard biologists upang suriin. (AFP)
  • 4. DAVAO BLOOMS The streets of Davao burst into colors that the rains failed to wash during the city’s celebration of the annual Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival. Street performers, like these students, turned the city’s roads into a stage to thank the heavens for the bountiful harvests. - PDI, Aug. 18, 2004 » Corrections PDI August 19, 2004 » IN YESTERDAY’S issue, the caption of a front-page photo misstated the location of the staging of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival. The staging was held on the campus of the Centro Escolar University in Manila – not the streets of Davao City.
  • 5. COPYREADING & HEADLINE WRITING Copyreading is Proofreading is editing the copy by the correction of errors in use of appropriate galley or page proofs symbols. by the use of A copy is the proofreading symbols. typewritten material A galley proof is a submitted to the long, narrow proof encoder for pulled from type on a typesetting. galley.
  • 6. Preparing the copy Type on one side of the sheet , double space. Identify the story on the first page with a slugline : the name of the paper » words identifying the story » the reporter » the date Indent at least five spaces each paragraph. Type the word More at the bottom of each page except the last, which is marked with 30 or #.
  • 7. The copy The Republic Enrolment increases by 2% Yasmin Tamayo June 25 The students enrolled at Marcelo H. del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS) increased by 2%. More
  • 8. Tips for Polishing Copy You should be the reader's advocate in improving the story. Every change you make should improve a story. If it doesn't improve the story, it's not worth your time. What's the story about? Ask what the story is about and what's the point. If you can't answer these two distinct questions, the reader surely won't know. The story may need some more work by the writer to provide a stronger focus. If you know what the story is about and what the point is, ask yourself whether the lead reflects that understanding. If not, the story may need revision.
  • 9. The copy The Republic Enrolment increases by 2% Yasmin Tamayo June 25 The students enrolled at Marcelo H. del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS) increased by two percent from last year’s 11,340 to 12,627 this school year. More
  • 10. Tips for Polishing Copy What's the news? Ask yourself what the news is. Is it high enough in the story? If you're pulling your headline from the sixth paragraph, consider whether that should be the lead. Try to make fun of the story. Does it contain any obvious statements that will draw a "duh!" from the reader? Does it have any awkward double meaning?
  • 11. The Craft of Copy Editing Collaborate with Reporters Too often copy editors and reporters are viewed as adversaries rather than collaborators. The best copy editors work with reporters to improve their stories and ensure accuracy. Respect the writer's authorship. However good or bad a story is, the writer is the author. The writer's name goes on the story. The writer will hear any feedback from the public about the story. The editor should always try to consult the writer about significant changes and should try to make changes in the writer's voice and style .
  • 12. The Craft of Copy Editing Respect the writer's knowledge. Before you change a fact in the story, check with the writer, even if the writer isn't readily available. You may check your clips or another resource and be quite sure the writer has made an error. Changing facts without consulting the reporter invites corrections and animosity. Consult about headlines. Run your headline past the reporter if time allows. Maybe you've missed the point of the story (in which case, maybe the reporter needs to make the point clearer). The reporter can help prevent a headline that is inaccurate, or potentially offensive.
  • 13. The Craft of Copy Editing This advice from Pisetzner: "Make friends, particularly with the reporters. Wander over at the start of your shift, compliment them on pieces they wrote, talk shop when they have a minute. Tell them why you made a change; try to look regretful if they disapprove. Claw away at that stone wall between natural adversaries. Build trust. After a while, it's amazing how much leeway they'll give you as you try to do your job properly."
  • 14. The Craft of Copy Editing And this advice from Perlman: "An editor needs to be able to explain what the problem is and propose a solution, not just cite 'rules.' If there's no time on deadline, do it the next day, or leave a note. When reporters and higher-ups see that a copy editor is paying attention to the content, and cares not just about what the reporter got wrong but also about what the reader might not understand and carefully and logically points it out, they may listen.
  • 15. The copy editor The duty of editing falls chiefly on the editor in chief who sits at the head of the copy desk with his copyreaders. The most essential function of a copy editor is to watch for mistakes. He is the last line of defense, what gets past the copy desk gets into the paper.
  • 16. Copy editor’s job FOLLOWS STYLE RULES Is it enrolment or Makes sure the enrollment? Per story conforms to cent or percent? the newspaper Are months in stylebook or style given dates sheet for abbreviated or consistency. not?
  • 17. Copy editor’s job CHECKS FACTS Checks names, titles addresses, Does the story cite a designations, semestral study grant of identifications, etc. P12,000.00 and provide Rechecks figures and figures itemized as totals. P2,500.00 for tuition, Challenges facts, P7,000.00 for books and claims or reports P3,500.00 for lodging? when they sound Is it Mr. Roxas or anomalous, illogical Rojas? Willie Salvador and incredible or Willie Sy Alvarado?
  • 18. Copy editor’s job CHECKS SPELLING AND GRAMMAR Almost all sentences Straightens out in the story should be ungrammatical in the active voice, constructions. not passive. Checks spelling and The editor changes punctuation. this sentence: Suggestions is offered Checks sentence by the Student construction Counsel to _______ _________________.
  • 19. Copy editor’s job CHECKS ORGANIZATION Rewrites the lead when necessary. Does the article play up the feature or Cuts a story to size most important fact or to the required of the story? length. Is something mentioned in the lead Shortens sentences but not mention and tightens again or elaborated paragraphs if need be. until the eight paragraph?
  • 20. Copy editor’s job Cross out adjectives in CHECKS news items. EDITORIALIZING The reader must know Watches out for whose opinion is being slanting or any expressed. Some attempt to present reporters provide the story in a subtly attribution in the lead biased way. and then never mention the source again.The Deletes all opinions, editor puts in all the speculations and necessary “he said,” “she statements which are pointed out,” “he added,” without sources.
  • 21. Copy editor’s job CHECKS Tuwing hahagikhik si Kris to a suggestive question ni LIBELOUS Boy, ang nagpa-flash sa tao TEXT ay hindi sweet girl kundi Watches out for “may STD ‘to, “may STD libelous or derogatory ‘to, may STD ‘to.” Sa dami statements.(Truth is ng lalaking inaamin niyang not an excuse for libel, naging konektado sa kanya, with ill motive behind) minsan maiisip mo, sa pinaggagawa niya, desrve Checks attributions naman niyang magka-STD and see that they are eh. - Abante properly identified.
  • 22. Copyreading Symbols The copy editor does not erase anything in the article but only makes use of copyreading symbols to suggest the necessary corrections or changes. At the end of the article, the editor writes # to suggest end of the story Or more to mean the article is lacking in information
  • 23. When all the corrections have been made, the copy editor goes over the story one more time, reading it for sense, for total effect rather than mechanical problems. The editor takes the role of the reader and asks: “Are all the questions answered? Is it clear? Easy to read? Then he is ready to write the headline.
  • 24. COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS • MANILA, Philippines - A 16-years-old in coming high school senior wins the covet English Speaking Union’s (EUSU) International Public Speaking Competition last friday onn London. Dapul’s fiveminute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how scientific research could served as a cure-all for many of the world’s problem Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute student at the Philippines Science High School bested almost sixty participant from 35 countries withthe competitions’ theme, Frontiers New.”
  • 25. COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS • MANILA, Philippines - A 16 years-old in coming highschool senior wins the covet English English Speaking Union’s (EUSU) International Public Speaking Competition last friday onn London.
  • 26. COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS Dapul’s fiveminute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how scientific research could served as a cure-all for many of the world’s problem
  • 27. COPYREAD USING SYMBOLS • Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute student at the Philippines Science High School bested almost sixty participant from 35 countries with the competitions’ theme, Frontiers New.”
  • 28. His speech also went well with judges for its oft-humorous lines. For instance, while speaking about the “most expensive coffee in the world” which is gathered from the droppings of a civet cat, Dapul asked, “So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast?” “If only we could make science fairs and contests as popular as the thriving ‘Pop Idol’ franchise. Although I’m not sure if Simon Cowell’s sardonic comments will sit well with my peers,’ he added in his speech.
  • 29. MANILA, Philippines - A 16-year-old incoming high school senior won the coveted English Speaking Union’s (ESU) International Public Speaking Competition last Friday in London. Gian Carlo Dapul, a student at the Philippine Science High School bested almost 60 participants from 35 countries with the competition’s theme, “New Frontiers.” Dapul’s five-minute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how scientific research could serve as a cure-all for many of the world’s problems.  more