Why does every newspaper need copy editors? In this day and age, I think copy-editing can be done centrally for several newspapers.
There’s a quote that’s almost guaranteed to fired up the media blogosphere. It’s from Dean Singleton of the MediaNews Group Inc., and was made in an article at Bloomberg. The main point of the article is Singleton’s plan/desire to triple internet revenue but not, necessarily, through the chain’s 57 newspaper websites. (See the article for more details.)
It’s the copy editor quote that’s drawing the early fire. There’s this, from Doug Fisher:
Copy desks exist for two reasons. The first these days is simply to assemble the paper, a rather mechanical (sorry if I offend anyone, but it is) task that drops in value every time something else can be digitized and automated.
~snip~
Quality, the second reason and the one we like to think we exist for, is probably a lesser function among those who control the finances and becoming more so with the bastardization of the “good enough” standard set in the Newspaper Next report.
It’s a tough challenge to sell, especially in an otherwise commoditized market. Why does BMW command a premium? Because the image of quality is built into its very being. We have not done that in our newsrooms — in fact, I would argue too much of our journalism has contributed to the commodity image, not the quality one, and the industry by and large has been perfectly happy with that. In a commodity industry, you get big and you ruthlessly cut costs, especially fixed costs.
(His whole post, and the evolving discussion on the ACES board, which he points to, are well worth reading.)
There’s more than just the quality argument to make. The ability of a good copy editor, working with a good reporter, to craft wonderful pieces of journalism is one of the wonders of the craft. But it’s more than a matter of good English skills and an understanding of journalism: good copy editors often have a deep knowledge of the local area and a deep commitment to the publication they work with. If you’re lucky enough to have a daily newspaper that has a well-developed personality, it’s likely largely due to the cooperative work of copy editors and engaged reporters.
(Note the use of the adjective “good.” Indifferent copy editors are as much to blame for a bland newspaper as are indifferent editors and reporters.)
That doesn’t mean copy editing is any more sacred than any other newsroom job. Consolidating copy editors for several small newspapers may actually make sense if it results in a stronger overall desk. Rethinking the copy editing desk, as we move more strongly onto the web, is definitely in order.
But Doug is right in his argument that considering copy editors, or any other newsroom employees, as commodities takes us a long step toward poorer and poorer journalism.
TAGS: COPY EDITING, JOURNALISM, BUSINESS
