Creative Editing (with InfoTrac)

by Bowles, Dorothy A.; Borden, Diane L.

• ISBN13: 9780534562168
• ISBN10: 0534562167
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-03
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

1. The Copy Editor's Role. 2. Using Correct Grammar and Punctuation. 3. Consistent Style and Correct Words. 4. Editing Stories. 5. Checking Facts. 6. Legal Concerns. 7. Editing and Ethics. 8. Typography. 9. Writing Headlines. 10. Editing Pictures and Infographics. 11. Design and Layout.

Table of Contents

Preface	xii
The Copy Editor's Role	1	(18)
How we got here	2	(3)
The importance of good copy editing	5	(1)
The duties of a copy editor	6	(2)
The characteristics of a good copy editor	8	(1)
The copy desk in a modern newsroom	9	(1)
The editing process	10	(9)
News story	12	(2)
Brochures	14	(1)
Professional perspective: Sharon Bibb
Looking to the future	15	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	16	(1)
Exercises	17	(2)
Using Correct Grammar and Punctuation	19	(44)
Parts of speech	21	(3)
Sentence structure	24	(2)
Common pitfalls in grammar and usage	26	(14)
Subject and verb agreement	26	(1)
Professional perspective: Edgar Miller
Rule or myth?	27	(3)
Noun and pronoun agreement	30	(1)
Reflexive and intensive pronouns	31	(1)
Pronoun case	32	(1)
Essential and nonessential clauses	33	(1)
Possessive nouns	34	(1)
Sequence of tenses	35	(2)
Irregular verb forms	37	(1)
Subjunctive mood	37	(1)
Misplaced and dangling modifiers	38	(1)
Double negatives	39	(1)
Parallel construction	39	(1)
Punctuation	40	(8)
Editing with computers	48	(1)
Traditional copy editing symbols	49	(14)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	52	(1)
Exercises	53	(10)
Consistent Style and Correct Words	63	(34)
Consistent style for carefully edited publications	63	(1)
Associated Press style	63	(1)
Numerals	64	(3)
Abbreviations	67	(1)
Capitalization	68	(1)
Time	69	(1)
Cities and datelines	69	(1)
Other style issues	70	(1)
Correct word usage	71	(3)
Common spelling errors	74	(23)
Professional perspective: Poynter Institute faculty
Spelling tips	76	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	76	(1)
Exercises	77	(20)
Editing Stories	97	(50)
Editing leads	97	(2)
Including essential information	99	(3)
Accuracy in numbers	99	(1)
Reporting survey results	100	(1)
Accuracy in word usage	101	(1)
Eliminating redundancies	101	(1)
Editing story structure	102	(5)
Using transitions	103	(1)
Handling quotations	104	(3)
Shortening stories	107	(3)
Estimating story length	107	(2)
Editing with precision	109	(1)
Editing news-service copy	110	(8)
Primary news services	110	(1)
Supplemental services	111	(1)
Handling copy	111	(4)
The wire editor's job	115	(2)
The first edition	117	(1)
The story conference	117	(1)
During and after the crunch	118	(1)
Editing for the Web	118	(29)
Keep it short	119	(1)
Make it skimmable	120	(1)
Link it	120	(2)
Professional perspective: Matthew Lee
Online editing	122	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	123	(2)
Exercises	125	(22)
Checking Facts	147	(26)
Reliability of reference sources	148	(3)
Indexes	151	(1)
Internet search tools	152	(3)
Search and meta search engines	153	(1)
Lists	153	(1)
Professional associations, foundations, institutes	154	(1)
Internet discussion groups	155	(1)
Usenet newsgroups	156	(2)
Commercial electronic databases	158	(1)
Standard reference works	159	(14)
Biographical information	159	(1)
Book reviews	160	(1)
Current events sources	160	(1)
Factual data and statistics	161	(1)
Directories of newspapers and magazines	162	(1)
Dictionaries and manuals of language and style	163	(1)
Business and advertising information	163	(1)
Broadcasting and film	164	(1)
Government, politics and law	164	(2)
Health and medical information	166	(1)
Maps and geographic information	166	(1)
Quotations	166	(1)
Religion	166	(1)
Science	167	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	168	(1)
Exercises	169	(4)
Legal Concerns	173	(32)
Prior restraint	173	(1)
Competing personal interests	174	(1)
Professional perspective: Mary Kay Martire
Legal advice for copy editors	174	(1)
Libel	175	(7)
Plaintiff's burden of proof	176	(1)
Defenses against libel	177	(5)
Privacy	182	(2)
Copyright	184	(2)
Trademarks	186	(1)
College press rights	187	(2)
Techniques for avoiding lawsuits	189	(16)
Cost of a lawsuit	189	(1)
Complaints from the public	189	(1)
Prepublication cautions at the newsgathering stage	190	(1)
Prepublication cautions at the copy desk	191	(3)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	194	(1)
Exercises	195	(10)
Editing and Ethics	205	(36)
How to decide questions of ethics	207	(1)
What is ethics?	208	(3)
Philosophical principles	208	(1)
How to use the Potter box	209	(2)
Codes of ethics	211	(8)
Editing with good taste and sensitivity	219	(2)
Situational ethics	221	(1)
Press response to criticism	222	(1)
Ethics in the 21st century	223	(18)
Professional perspective: Jeanette Chavez
Essential ethics	228	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	229	(2)
Exercises	231	(10)
Typography	241	(18)
Type sizes	242	(3)
Type widths	245	(1)
Type styles	246	(3)
Type weights	249	(1)
Type families	250	(1)
Legibility	250	(1)
Web typography	251	(8)
Professional perspective: Joe Gillespie
Typography as performance	253	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	254	(1)
Exercises	255	(4)
Writing Headlines	259	(32)
Purposes of news headlines	259	(1)
Characteristics of good headlines	260	(1)
How to write headlines	260	(2)
Professional perspective: Peter Bhatia
Cliches are not my cup of tea	261	(1)
Guidelines for writing news headlines	262	(4)
Ambiguous and confusing headlines	264	(2)
Examples of good headlines	266	(1)
Press release headlines	266	(1)
Professional perspective: Peter Bhatia
The power of headlines	267	(1)
Feature story headlines	267	(1)
Web page headlines	267	(2)
Magazine titles	269	(1)
Headline punctuation	270	(1)
Headline capitalization	271	(1)
Headline counting	272	(2)
Counting manually	272	(1)
Counting with computer software	273	(1)
Placement of headlines	274	(4)
Headline alignment	276	(2)
Headline styles	278	(13)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	282	(1)
Exercises	283	(8)
Editing Pictures and Infographics	291	(36)
Better visuals through teamwork	291	(1)
Professional perspective: Steve Dorsey
On design	292	(1)
Selecting pictures	292	(2)
Preparing photographs for publication	294	(7)
Handling photographs	294	(1)
Cropping	295	(1)
Scaling	296	(3)
Digital images	299	(2)
Editing informational graphics	301	(7)
Advice for graphic artists	301	(1)
Role of the copy editor	302	(6)
Professional perspective: Lynne Perri
Communicating visually	308	(1)
Editing captions	308	(19)
Picture stories	310	(1)
Caption styles	310	(4)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	314	(1)
Exercises	315	(12)
Design and Layout	327	(78)
Design principles	327	(7)
Balance	327	(5)
Contrast	332	(1)
Proportion	332	(1)
Unity	332	(2)
Design elements	334	(4)
Body type	334	(1)
Display type	334	(2)
Borders	336	(1)
Open space	336	(1)
Art	337	(1)
Color	337	(1)
Forms of layout	338	(2)
Newspaper layout	340	(15)
Basic guidelines	343	(6)
Dummying Page One	349	(2)
Dummying inside pages	351	(1)
Pagination	352	(3)
Newsletter layout	355	(3)
Production considerations	358	(1)
Magazine layout	358	(7)
Formats	358	(1)
Basic guidelines for magazine layout	359	(6)
Web layout and design	365	(40)
Mapping a Web site	366	(1)
Helping readers navigate a site	367	(2)
Editing pages within a site	369	(5)
Professional perspective: Diane Carmony
Design and content	374	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	375	(2)
Exercises	377	(28)
Appendix: Frequently Misused Words	405	(8)
Index	413