Emma Carew Grovum, assistant managing editor of The Daily Beast, provides a system for journalists to edit their own copy. She prepared this presentation and a handout of the same name for NewsTrain in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2016. NewsTrain is a training initiative of Associated Press Media Editors (APME). More info: http://bit.ly/NewsTrain

1. How to Edit
Your Own Writing
Emma Carew Grovum / @emmacarew
PhotobyMartijnNijenhuis

2. What’s our objective?
Turn in
clean
copy
By *Nom & Malc

3. What makes clean copy?
●Facts are accurate.
●“Why is this news?” is answered
high.
●Names, places are spelled
correctly.
●No major questions after reading.
PhotobyBobJagendorf

4. Don’t dump your notes
bit.ly/writeshortRPC
PhotobyKevinZamani

5. So here’s what we know...
●What facts make up the
background or foundation?
●Who are the characters?
●What’s the timeline of this
story look like: past, present,
future?
●What’s new now?
●And what happens next?

6. ● Read for logic and
holes.
● Check and recheck
every fact, figure
and proper noun.
● Read for grammar
and spelling.
● Read for style.
Be ruthless
bit.ly/editself
By Kit

7. Be ruthless
● Read for length
and clarity.
● Cut, cut, cut until all
that’s left is the true story.
bit.ly/editselfPhotobyPhilGradwell

8. ROUND 1: What the nut –
Write headline + deck
If you can’t, it
could mean that
you don’t have a
clearly defined
nut graf.
Photo by brambleroots

9. ROUND 1: What the nut –
Write 2-3 tweets
Think about what
makes your story
interesting and
why someone
should read it.

10. ROUND 1: What the nut –
Write 2-3 tweets
Don’t think of it as “writing
social media copy.” Just think of
“writing a short statement of why
someone should read your story.”

11. Let’s try it out #1
3 mins: Write a head or a tweet for this story:
WASHINGTON – A critical amendment to a new round of
health care reform passed a House subcommittee Thursday,
drawing praise from both Democrats and Republicans.
The measure had ignited heated debate that lasted more
than a month, with both sides sticking to their
respective positions. However, a compromise was reached
when the sticky matter of dental care was resolved.
In a joint press conference, Republican and Democratic
lawmakers praised each other’s willingness to
compromise. Adapted from Sue Burzynski Bullard’s Everybody’s an Editor: Navigating Journalism’s Changing Landscape

12. ROUND 2: Identify the facts
●Highlight or
underline each fact.
●Go through your notes
and ask: “How do we
know this?”
●Check off each fact
as you confirm.

13. ROUND 3: Check quotes
●“Circle each quote.”
●Check against your
original material
(audio recording,
notes, transcription,
primary documents).
●Put an X or a check.

14. ROUND 4: Do the math
●Highlight ALL facts
and figures.
●Re-run the numbers.
●Check the math of
your sources.
●Verify percentage
change, rates,etc.
Photobychinwei

15. ROUND 5: Read out loud
●Find gaps or weird
wording.
●Watch for changes
in tense mid-
sentence.
●Pay attention
anywhere you’ve
moved stuff around.
PhotobydarwinBell

16. Spell check
(but actually check)
Commonly misspelled words:
unnecessary, embarrassed,
separately, definitely, argument,
irrelevant, responsibilities,
achievement, reference,
particularly, occasional,
committed, colleagues, liaison...

17. Let’s try it out #2
10 mins: Edit the house-fire story
using Section 1 of the accuracy
checklist
5 mins: What errors were the
hardest to find?
TOTAL: 15 mins

18. Use an accuracy checklist
bit.ly/accuracychecklist

19. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/who_vs_whom
ROUND 6: Check language

20. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
MoreTheOatmealongrammar:http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar
ROUND 6: Check language

21. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11033.aspx
ROUND 6: Check language

22. ROUND 6: Check language -
De-jargonify
●Did the suspect flee on foot to
a vehicle? Or did he/she run to
the car?
●Check acronyms, shorthand, other
terms. Would someone unfamiliar
with your beat know this word?

23. ROUND 7: Final checks -
Print it out
Seeing your story on
paper can help you
visualize. You may
catch new errors you
weren’t seeing when
you first filed.
PhotoKevinCortopassi

24. ROUND 7: Final checks -
Change the font
• If you can’t print, change it up
digitally. Run white text on a
black background, or change the
font from serif to sans-serif or
vice versa.
• If you don’t have a second pair
of eyes, view a second version.

25. Sentence by sentence.
Find odd transitions, buried stuff.
ROUND 7: Final checks -
Read it backwards
PhotobyMikeRoberts

26. ROUND 7: Final checks -
Style check!
●Whatever your
house style is,
find out!
●Learn it. Love it.
Live it.

27. Let’s try it out #3
3 mins: Mock press statement
10 mins: Write 2 paragraphs, edit
self
8 mins: Trade with a neighbor,
edit neighbor
4 mins: Debrief
TOTAL: 25 mins