Welcome visitors

This is the blog of the news editing class I taught in the winter of 2009 at the University of Michigan-Flint. I've added this greeting, in part, because I've written an article about my experience - which was my first time teaching - for the Nieman Reports. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I also want to explain that I've made a few changes since the class concluded to this blog. All of them are related to the names of students. I've only included the full names of students and links to their blogs from those who have granted me permission, as recommended by more experienced professors at UM-Flint.

If you have any thoughts about my article or this blog, feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at cmachnia@umflint.edu. Thanks for visiting.

-- Chris

It's over -- good luck to all

As of about 20 minutes ago, all details in grading have been sent out to everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions.

In closing, it's been my honor to teach this class this semester, and I wish everyone the best of luck if you're now a graduate or if you still have more classes ahead. If you need advice or have questions about journalism, feel free to contact me (cmachnia@umflint.edu or tofermachniak@yahoo.com), and I'll try to help.

Kindest regards,

- Chris

Updates on grades

The final grades are in to the university to meet Monday's deadline. I still owe everyone a breakdown of scores and details from the final and the last two main assignments. I plan to begin sending those via e-mail later Monday (today). Again, after you see everything, feel free to ask questions.

Your hard work is done (mostly) - now it's my turn … and the winner is …

With today's final compete, I hope to get it — and any other outstanding assignments — graded and back to you as soon as possible. Expect e-mails with grading updates. The final will not be until after Thursday afternoon. This is because I plan to include the answers with your grade and one student who couldn't take the test today is taking the final that day.

My deadline for grades is 10 a.m. Monday, so if you have any questions about any grades as I start to send them — on the final or whatever — please don't be shy. Contact me either via e-mail or telephone (My numbers are on the syllabus).

And, as I said before the final today, it was an honor to teach everyone this semester, and I hope that everyone now knows a heck of a lot more about news editing.

One more thing: As I announced during the final, John McKay has won the extra credit contest, and in a late charge, Jessica M. took second place with Michael S. finishing third. A post explaining the final fixes will follow, but it will be prioritized behind other grading. Everyone should note that I say "nearly final" because there are some possible extra credit points that still could be awarded that I haven't investigated yet, but even if they are granted, it wouldn't change the top 3.

John McKay opens up large lead in extra credit contest

April 27, 2009, update: This post has been updated to reflect more points for John McKay.

John McKay. scored 17 points during the past few days in the race for extra credit while Jessica M. also has picked up three points to gain on Michael S., who is in second place. Note, John McKay found 11 errors in one story, so even though the contest ends midnight Monday, someone still could make a big move.

Here's a breakdown of McKay's scoring:

+1 – He caught a typo in the study guide for the final.
+1 – He was the first in class to complete the "Cleaning Your Copy" exercise.
+2 – In an April 13 Andy Heller column, he caught the wrong style for the Masters golf tournament and C-SPAN (It was The Master's and C-Span).
+1 – In an April 15 sports story, he found an inconsitency on All-Region (It was all-region in one case).
+1 – In an April 15 celebrity news item, he pointed out that we should have included "the" as part of the name in bolding "the Decemberists." He is correct, but our style is to not bold "the" when it is not capitialized. Still, for pointing it out, he grabs a point.
+11 – In an April 15, he found multiple errors in a story about high school musicals. Here is what he said in his e-mail:

"A movie classic, the tale of 'Grease is a 1950s rock 'n' roll musical. Rydell High's spirited class of '59 -- gum chewing, hubcap stealing, hot rod loving boys with D.A.'s and their wise cracking girls in bobby sox and pedal pushers -- capture the look and sound of the 1950s in a rollicking musical.

'Grease' should have an end-quote.
I think it should say 'gum-chewing, hubcab-stealing, hot rod-loving boys' (modifiers) and there shouldn't be an apostrophe for D.A.'s, though I do not know what 'D.A.' refers to. Should also say 'bobby socks' and 'wise-cracking girls.'

'...the prom, the burger palace, and the drive in movie.'

I believe this should say drive-in movie, as that is a modifier.

'Songs recall the Buddy Holly hiccups, the Little Richard yodels and the Elvis Presley wiggles that made the music of the 50s a gas.'

Should be '50s.

'Grease's eight-year run made Broadway history and its recent long running revival put it among today's most popular musicals.'

Should say 'long-running revival.'

'The Holly High School spring musical 'Hello Dolly' will be performed April 23, 24, 25, with evening performances starting at 7:30 pm.'

Should say '7:30 p.m.' …"

Here's a breakdown of Jessica M.'s scoring:
+1: In an April 1 story, she pointed out the misspelling of reportedly.
+2: In an April 16 editorial, she pointed out the misspelling of "The" (It was "he"), and she found some goofy characters at the end of a sentence that should not have been there.

Some upcoming journalism courses

For those looking for some upcoming journalism classes. Here are some provided in a recent flier from Journalism Director Michael Lewis:

Spring:

Broadcast Scripting — JRN 353
Tuesdays, Thursdays from 1:30-4 p.m.

News Writing — JRN 225
Mondays, Wednesdays from 4:30-7 p.m.

Summer:

News Blogging — JRN 351
Mondays, Wednesdays from 4:30-7 p.m.

Fall:

Sports Reporting and Editing — JRN 399

Media Law and Ethics — JRN 399
Online

Note: Flint Journal Columnist Andy Heller is teaching the News Blogging course, and both fall courses are special topic courses that are new.

Study guide for final is now on Blackboard

For those who missed today's class or who later misplace the printed copy I circulated today, the study guide for the final exam is now on Blackboard under course documents.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Online discussion for chapters 15 and 16 of ‘The Art of Editing’: Editor as coach and/or manager

April 17, 2009, update: Students are permitted to also discuss Chapter 16, which focuses on editors as managers.

This is one part of the text — which gives basic but valuable information about the different roles of editors — should have been put much earlier in the book, in my opinion. Building effective relationships between reporters and editors, I believe, is the core of producing good journalism. This is why I have tried to stress that in lectures and give you opportunities to work together in those roles.

The chapter, while relatively brief, provides helpful insight, especially for beginners. I like the advice the authors give to conclude. It is:

"• Embrace the editing process. Understand that editing almost invariably makes the product better
• Embrace the coaching process. Take criticism of your work not as something personal but as an opportunity to improve.
• Find peers to respect and emulate. Almost every newsroom has role models for you to follow. What what the pros do and how they do it. Similarly, avoid the bad habits of the worst.
• Seek advice. Don't come across as know-it-all. Show your editors that you are willing to grow professionally and improve your skills.
• Don't be seen as a complainer. Remember that no workplace is perfect. Keep your complaints to yourself or complain directly to your supervisor, not the entire newsroom.
• Work hard. People advance to higher positions in the news business when they outwork and outperform their peers.
• Adhere to the highest standard of ethics. It you see a co-worker take ethical shortcuts, quietly report it to your boss. Never, ever take an ethical shortcut yourself.
• Adhere to the highest standards of excellence. Practice good journalism in every story, no matter how long or how short. There is no such thing as an unimportant news story.
• Never be satisfied with your work. You can always get better."

Some of this is just advice on how to be a professional. Now, I do not agree with some of what the authors assert. For example, while I agree those who work hard can get ahead, it is also true in some organizations that other human factors based on friendships and other connections also play a role. That's just newsroom politics. I also disagree with the bluntness about a being a complainer. To be a good journalist, you have to question authority all the time and that switch does not turn off in a newsroom. I do agree there is a professional way to bring that criticism and it can be bad if it goes too far, but for them to say it should be limited to yourself or your supervisor is simply unrealistic. Everyone sometimes need to complain to co-workers to deal with stress and commiserate - it's healthy and only human.

Of course, there also is plenty I do agree with, especially what they say about upholding ethics and high standards. In our new media world those skills, I believe, will increase in value as the public hungers for reliable information.

Another aspect the chapter I wanted to briefly comment on is the role of coaching. Personally, I have benefited from several mentors throughout my journalism career. On numerous occasions, whether it was an individual story or something about my career path, they have helped guide me in a business where everything keeps changing and no two stories are ever exactly like. So I would encourage everyone to seek out others to help you, especially those who know what they are doing.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours about this list about? How have editors or mentors shaped your journalistic career? What else did you find interesting in this chapter?

The deadline for this online discussion is midnight April 27 (a week from Monday). Remember, this is the final one for the semester and if you have not participated in at least one online discussion, your participation grade will be adversely affected. Conversely, if you participate in more than one, it will enhance that grade.

Lastly, you need to produce at least 300 words in one or multiple posts.

John McKay takes lead in race for extra credit

John McKay has found multiple errors in print and online to move past Michael S. for the moment to move into first place. He has submitted so many I am still verifying some, so the details and his exact total will be updated later. What is clear though is that there are plenty of mistakes to be found if people take the time.

Deadlines in detail listed with final exam time, date, place

Midnight Monday (April 20):
• Audio-based assignment
• Video-based assignment

Midnight (Monday) April 27:
• Video-based extra credit opportunity
• Extra credit contest concludes
• Cleaning Your Copy style and grammar exercise

4:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. (Tuesday) April 28:
• Final exam in Room 4159 of the White Building (where we normally meet).

Additional reminder: Please bring any class-issued audio recorder used for the audio-based assignment to the final if you still have one at that time.

Jennifer Profitt tallies point in finding incorrect final exam start time in syllabus

Jennifer Profitt earned a point in the extra credit contest this afternoon in class for correcting the final exam start time. In the syllabus, it says 4 p.m., but it's actually 4:15 p.m., according to the University of Michigan-Flint calendar. If I recall, my source for the 4 p.m. time was a printed copy of the winter class schedule, so I am not sure if I was just wrong or if the time was subsequently updated. No matter, Profitt has put us on the right track.

John McKay nets another point

John McKay found a typographical error in a mass e-mail I sent to the class, earning him another point in the extra credit contest (I misspelled the word promise in a message about the video-based assignment). He rightly reminded me that I said any mistakes I make in assignment sheets or e-mail is fair game. So, good hunting!

'Cleaning Your Copy' deadline

I have sent this out in a classwide e-mail, but I'm posting it here as another reminder:

“Hi all, Way back on Jan. 13, I assigned the free "Cleaning Your Copy" course at News University, and I gave no firm deadline for completion. Well, today is the day I'm setting one. This exercise should help everyone prepare for the final by getting you back in text-editing mode, so I'd like everyone to finish this as soon as possible but no later than midnight April 27. After you complete the course, you have an option of having NewsU sending me an e-mail of a course report. But there’s no need to wait that long (I also plan to provide time in class to work on this). Also remember, there's a reward in the extra credit contest to the first person to complete the course. Please let me know if you have any questions.

- Chris”  

P.S. This assignment is the last in-class exercise for the semester. Like several other in-class exercises, it's worth 100 points, but unlike the others half will be considered extra credit. I have decided to do this to give people a last-chance opportunity to improve their in-class exercise grade. But remember, if you don’t complete this assignment, it will be zero points. If you're wondering how your in-class exercise grade currently stacks up, I will be sending everyone an e-mail update very soon (It's 20 percent of the class grade).

Online discussion for Chapter 14 of 'The Art of Editing': Editing in other fields

This week’s chapter focuses toward other fields editing skills prove valuable, including public relations, book publishing and advertising. Just like newspapers these fields are struggling in the current economy as they evolve in our current digital age.

Of the these three, previously I would have only considered book publishing as a primary alternative field to journalism. I have never really been interested in public relations, although I would consider it if it were an organization or cause that I personally believe in. Although I was the business manager for my high school newspaper, I really have no desire to create ads.

That was my feeling, of course, before the current turmoil in the newspaper industry and before I learned I would be out of a job at age 34 in the prime of my career over economic reasons. It is in these times that preferences face their true tests.

Despite my personal tastes, I believe these fields can provide rewarding careers. They all deal with communication and crafting a message. They just have different priorities than journalism that emphasize other truths.

Here are some questions that hopefully kick off the discussion: Have any of you considered these other careers? If so, explain why or why not? If you have already worked in any of these fields, please share your experience. Lastly, how do think editing would be different in these fields as opposed to journalism? Does that matter to you? Why?

As usual, the deadline to participate in this discussion and receive credit is midnight Monday.

P.S. This is the second to the last online discussion for the semester, so if you already have not participated, I would strongly urge you to do so. If you do not, it will adversely affect your participation grade. The minimum requirement is 300 words, and you do not have to spew all those words in a single post. Additionally, if you participate in more than one discussion, it will benefit your participation grade. Please e-mail me if you have any additional questions. I also will e-mail those who have yet to participate.

John McKay surges toward first with fixes in video lecture post

John McKay broke out of a tie for second in the extra credit contest and closed in on leader Michael S. by catching three errors in the post “Notes from video lecture.”

McKay caught two errors associated with software titles. Windows was not capitalized while I had misspelled Adobe Premiere. 

As an aside, here is the entry on software titles from the Associated Press Stylebook:

“Software titles: Capitalize but do not use quotation marks around such titles as WordPerfect or Windows, but use quotation marks for computer games: ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'”

McKay also caught a typographical error: 

“‘• It’s good to engage the subject in conversation beforehand to make the comfortable before shooting.’ Should say ‘make THEM comfortable … ’”

Good job, John, especially with the assertive message. Editors need to clearly state what is wrong. Maybe your catches will inspire a final flurry of competition for extra credit. Remember, I am giving a 5 percent boost for first place and something lower for other top places. So, even if you are not on the scoreboard, it would be worth your while to make a late-semester run. You can earn one point for every fact, style or grammar error that you correct on this blog or on The Flint Journal’s Web site. To score a point, be the first person to e-mail me at cmachnia@umflint.edu.

Notes from video lecture

Hello all,

Here are the notes I used for my lecture today about tips for video, which I put together from a webinar from News University. Speaking of which, the webinar's host gave approval for me to show some highlights in class. I plan to do that on Thursday. 

I paid about $25 to be able to watch the podcast that was recorded on Sept. 25. Howard Finberg, NewsU’s director of interactive learning, hosted. Regina McCombs, a Poynter faculty member who has worked as a senior producer for multimedia at startribune.com and a producer and photographer from KARE-TV, served as the presenter.

Here are my notes (I’m more detailed than usual because I’m new to all of this):

I. The Basics of Video:

A) Simple video techniques
“Find, develop and deliver stories that speak clearly to the viewer’s mind while connecting with viewer’s mind while connecting with the viewer’s emotions. [Video] teachers principally through emotions.”
-- Al Thompkins, TV and video instructor at The Poynter Institute
• Telling a complete story needs an emotional component, it could be humor or pathos.

1) Sequences: the story’s visual building blocks. There are 3 types.
• Wide, medium, tight (and cutaway)
a) Online videos especially don’t get tight enough. Beginners need to be able to get close enough to show sweat.
b) Cutaways are transitions between thoughts. They let you avoid jump cuts, which is when the same person appears in two adjacent shots in different positions. For example, they show a woman playing a piano, cut to a man listening in the audience and then a woman standing up talking to the audience.
i) You always have to think about shots and how the story works. Always know where you’re headed.
ii) McCombs says text slides, in most cases, don’t work because they stop the action. The right story or transition is necessary.
iii) Some general tips:
• Keep shots steady.
• Use a tripod if possible
• Avoid pans and zooms (looks like home video)
• Get a camera close to a subject
• Think about your opening and closing.
iv) When using a Flip Video — never zoom — walk closer. Zooming degrades the image.
• Matched action
a) Movement feels seamless, compresses time. Basically, these are short snippets of people doing the same thing or different doing aspects of a something. Within the story, it allows your subject to leave or enter the frame. It’s helpful to find someone who is repeating himself or herself and who is excited, such as a mom cheering for her child during a high school sporting event.
i) An example given for how this could be used was discussing someone who makes coffee. You could boil down that several-minute process in seconds by shooting the various aspects.
• Action/reaction
a) Best for news. The reaction often tells the story. For example, a crashed car showing victims tells something different than a crash test dummy. It can work for features too, such as an example of people who attended a wrestling match on Xmas.
• Importance of sound, some tips
a) It’s just as important as video. Get close to the sound
b) Use a wireless mic, if possible.
c) Monitor audio, if possible. (Using an earpiece or headphones)
d) If on-camera mic, find a quiet place for interview.

2) Organizing the story
• Always think about your story structure. It’s important to be able to go from one scene to the next.
a) Opening
b) Closing
c) Themes (no more than 3) You should be able to say the story in one sentence. Like a nut graf in a news article.

3) Editing concepts
• Here’s where transitions start to become important, such as dissolves and straight cuts (“We dream in dissolves and think in cuts.”) There’s also a fade to black (rarely used because it’s so jarring unless at the end of a story).
• Don’t be afraid to write scripts. When you add, it’s important to include what’s not in the footage. Also the scripts should be conversational, like you are talking to a friend.
• A rule of thumb is 20 minutes of video can produce 1 minute of edited coverage.

4) Growing your skills
• Have someone look at it. (pro or average person can help).
• Give it time, go back and look at it.
• Critique sessions with others

5) Misc questions/points
• TV reports typically 1:10-1:30
• Web site can be longer, but only if the subject matter warrants. A good length tends to be about 2 minutes.
• Video with stills can be jarring. It can work with good transitions.
• iMovie and its Windows counterpart aren’t good for editing, such as laying in voiceovers. Programs such as Avid, Final Cut and Adobe Premiere are better.
• It’s good to engage the subject in conversation beforehand to make them comfortable before shooting.
• Other free seminars available
a) 5 steps to multimedia story-telling
b) Reporting across platforms
c) Covering breaking news
d) Introduction to ethical decision-making

Online discussion for Chapter 13 of 'The Art of Editing': Editing for broadcast

While I have been interviewed on television and participated in broadcast forensics in high school, the core of my media background is in newspapers. That said, can anyone in class provide some more firsthand experience from a different course or internship on broadcast editing? What makes broadcast different from other media? Is it more difficult to write a script than a story for either newspapers or the Internet? Are there types of stories more suited to television and radio?

Also, how will convergence factor in? Do you think those working in print need to learn broadcast styles as companies consolidate, especially after the Federal Communication Commission eased rules in 2008 to permit a company to own a newspaper and television station in the same market?

As usual, the deadline for this discussion and receive credit is midnight Monday.

Take advantage InDesign free trial

Right at the end of Tuesday's class that focused on newspaper design, John McKay offered a good suggestion when he noted that Adobe offers a 30-day free trial for its latest version of InDesign (as well as its other software). So, if design is something you're interested, it might be worth your while. Learning desktop publishing is a skill that is useful not only in journalism, but many other careers.

Online discussion for Chapter 12 of 'The Art of Editing': Web editing

This week's discussion focuses on Web editing, and prompts an important question: What does a Web editor exactly do, and who are they? The answer, I think, will vary from media company to media company. I've mostly seen it where Web editors can be highly technical people who focus on the design aspects of a page, creating buttons and adding content to a story including info boxes and links. In some places, they are copy editors who post the stories after traveling through the traditional newspaper news desk. Other times, especially with blogs, Web editors are the content producers themselves. This is the case with the Runners’ Finish Line and, of course, with this blog. 

The chapter discusses using HTML and XHTML. In my world at The Flint Journal, we don't necessarily need to know this code because we use a program called MoveableType in which our Web editor has set up specific coding for us to cut and paste to create items such as info boxes. Here's an example to the right that I often use (with other text, of course):

"They're smart. It's like a stakeout. You don't want them to see you looking at them. It freaks them out. - Humane Society volunteer Diane Biega on capturing feral cats.

One last though about Web editing. It is time consuming, especially when you're trying to juggle responsibilities with reporting or related to producing the print newspaper. Nevertheless, it has become an essential part of media and learning these tools are important. This conflict, especially given shrinking resources, is fueling some of the tough choices media companies are having to make, I believe. What do you think? What are your experiences with Web editing? What do you like or don't like about it, especially in comparison with working in other traditional media?

Lastly, the deadline to participate in the discussion and receive credit is midnight Monday.

Online discussion for Chapter 11 of 'The Art of Editing': Magazines and newsletters

This week's online discussion focuses on newsletters and magazines. The textbook discusses how some don't realize the career opportunity in these publications. It's understandable. I never would have guessed there are as many as 2,000 consumer magazines in the United States or there are about 12,000 specialty magazines. But the reality is they can make gobs of cash. In many cases, this is true because these publications tend to cater to niche audiences, which advertisers covet.

So, don't be surprised that even if you end up working at a newspaper, you also spend some time helping create a specialty publication. I even spent one summer helping put together a book about the Crim 10-mile race celebrating the event's 30th anniversary. Like that one, sometimes they're part of the newspaper, and sometimes they are not. Another in-house example were working on right now - a annual community answer book that the paper publishes each April. But The Journal also has a monthly business-focused publication called "Your Magazine" that's produced by a separate staff.

So, have anyone else had experience with magazines or newsletters? What was it like? Does anyone want to work for these types of publications? Which ones do you read and why?

As an aside, the deadline for this discussion will be midnight Monday.

Jessica M. earns point with highest score on in-class exercise, ties John McKay for second place

Jessica M. tied John McKay for second place in the extra credit contest today by making the most fixes to a March 5 in-class exercise.

She corrected 12 errors in a story about the 2009 state budget, three higher than the next best score. Scoring was finalized today after one makeup exercise was completed last week. The point gives her six, which is four behind the leader, Michael S.

Students asked to lead the way - an online discussion of Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 in the 'Art of Editing'

Michael S., our online student, attended a class last week, which allowed for a brief pause in our online discussions. With this post, the discussions of the "Art of Editing" have returned, and this week's focus is on "Chapter 9 Using Photos, Graphics and Type" and "Chapter 10 Editing Newspapers."

In previous discussions, I started with some observations about the reading, but this week I'm asking Stechschulte and the rest of the class to lead the way, and I will be one of those who responds. The deadline to participate is midnight Sunday.

Instructor's mother-in-law beats JRN 375 students in catching the dreaded comma splice

I believe some of the best/entertaining/compelling/insightful/funny journalism can be when a reporter is willing make a point through real-life examples. It also can be risky in terms of writing and in terms of how sources might react. I believe both are true in this post, in which I am providing useful grammar insight from my mother-in-law, a retired English teacher and librarian:

"----- Original Message -----
From: Ann
To: chris machniak
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 8:58 PM
Subject: Sentence Punctuation Error

Chris,

While reading your class blog today, I came across a very common grammatical error in punctuating two independent clauses while using the conjunctive adverb 'however':

'I think this a point-worthy question to raise, however, I would justify The Journal's use of it because it's coming from the police, who are using it to explain a key fact in the story.'

By using a comma and not a semicolon after the first clause and before the conjunctive adverb 'however', the writer creates what is called a 'comma splice.' The following Web site might help clarify what I mean:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_commacomp.html

I hope this helps you see what I am trying to point out.

ANN."

She, of course, is correct, although I would not recommend fixing the error with a semicolon. The newspaper writing style would favor breaking the clauses up into two sentences or using a coordinating conjunction. When using the conjunction, a comma would be required after the first independent clause and before the conjunction.

I feel obligated to give her an honorary extra credit point. I hope no one objects.

Teams listed for audio-based assignment

For those who missed Thursday's class, we held a random draw to pick our groups for the upcoming audio-based assignment. There will be more on that assignment on Tuesday, March 10. In the interim, here are the groups:

• Jordan C., Michael S.
• Gabrielle O., Tim Jagielo
• David Veenhuis, Jessica M.
• John M., Krystle H.
• Amanda Emery, Jennifer Profitt
• John McKay, Chad R.
• Austin B., Brett Smith.

Movement on extra credit scoreboard - Jessica M. and Michael S. tally points

Jessica M. and Michael S. both have earned points by raising questions about items on The Flint Journal's Web site.

Jessica M. received three points by raising multiple issues in recent entries. They were:

• In a photo cutline, she found a typo of "beek" instead of "been" in a March 3 story about the Manhattan Place condos in Flint. This is a good catch and relevant to last week's reading because sometimes it's easier for cutlines to contain errors because not as many people look at them before they are published either online or in print.
• Along similar lines, Jessica M. found a typo in a headline in a Feb. 25 story about a man dying after he was hit by a train.
• In the same story, she also questioned the use of the word "instantly" when describing the man's death. I think this a point-worthy question to raise. However, I would justify The Journal's use of it because it's coming from the police, who are using it to explain a key fact in the story.

Michael S. found three style and grammar errors in a March 5 story about General Motors laying off 185 employees at the Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center. They were:

• Work force was spelled as one word.
• The following sentence failed to include a comma after "air," which was needed because there was an independent clause following the conjunction: "UAW Local 1292 Shop Chairman Matt Teachenor said the specifics of the layoff remain up in the air, but he hopes the layoffs don't last."
• The word "worker" near the end of the story needed to be "workers" to agree with the rest of the sentence.

He also pointed out an odd character that appeared in the text. This is some sort of system bug that the site experiences, but that's not an excuse, so there's a point.

These new totals keep Michael S. in the lead, with Jessica M. moving up into a solid third right behind John McKay.

Welcome back from spring break - here's a grading update and one last chance to turn in the text-based assignment

I hope everyone had a restful spring break. This post is just to update everyone that I was able to e-mail a couple of you with your grade on the editing exercise that was possible thanks to Dr. Lewis' class. The rest I plan to get out tomorrow afternoon.

Also, for anyone who missed class today and did not fully complete their text-based assignment, there is one final deadline: 11:59 p.m. this Friday. No further extensions will be granted.

Don't forget essay in text-based assignment that's due Friday

Please remember this part of the text-based assignment that's due Friday:

"Submit an essay that includes what you did as an editor in this process and rate the person who edited you. It should be between 200-400 words."

I bring this up in part because many of you face granting deadline extensions or reporters who missed their deadlines. If that was your situation, please address it and whether you think the rationale was reasonable.

In addition, unlike some earlier assignments, I won't hold a strict word-count ceiling. I still want at least 200 words, but if you go more than 400 words, I won't hold it against you unless the count becomes significantly higher.

Editing assignment due Thursday undergoes slight tweaks

Today, everyone should have received this week's editing assignment via e-mail. If you didn't, please contact me. It is a 300-word story written by students from Journalism Director's Michael Lewis Journalism 225 class. In addition to the materials, here are points that came up today as some students tackled the assignment during class:

• If you don't have the Helvetica font on your computer for the headline, feel free to use New Times Roman instead.
• You can bump the point size on the font up to 38 or down to 34.
• When making changes, feel free to use the "track changes" feature in tandem with the "comment" feature when appropriate.
• Lastly, don't forget to do Step 3. One student who already turned the assignment in didn't apparently include this aspect of the assignment.

It's poetry - an online discussion of Chapter 8 in 'The Art of Editing': Writing headlines, titles, captions and blurbs

Jan Worth, a University of Michigan-Flint faculty member, once told me writing a headline for newspapers is like writing poetry, and I agree. Just like poetry, you have to condense the essence of something into a few words.

It's challenging, especially under deadline pressure. It's much easier to create an incorrect or inappropriate headline. And while accuracy is paramount, injecting a little creativity to draw a reader in is also preferred.

But you can be too clever. For instance, The Flint Journal was criticized for running the headline "Mr. Precedent" the day after President Barack Obama's inauguration. Some readers thought the headline was disrespectful, while others said it was a creative way to honor the 44th president.

In online journalism, writing headlines is different. The goal is follow the principles of search engine optimization, which means including keywords search engines can find easily.

This chapter also discusses titles, captions and blurbs. One type of caption is a cutline. It is written to describe a photo, and it is often troublesome. Typically, this is because they need to be cut for length or require additional editing.

What experiences have you had with headlines, captions, titles and blurbs? How does it compare with editing stories? Do you think we'll be losing the art of writing creative headlines because of search engine optimization?

Michael S. moves into tie with John McKay in extra credit contest

Michael S. was awarded one point today for finding the most errors in the Feb. 3 style exercise, putting him into a first-place tie with John McKay in the extra credit contest. Michael S.'s 28 was three higher than the next highest student.

Michael S. gains on John McKay in extra credit contest

Michael S. correctly pointed out that I incorrectly spelled his name in the discussion post about chapter 7. My apologies to him. This is one of the mistakes you do not want to make as a media professional. It is an avoidable error. While it simply was a typographical error and I have spelled his name correctly throughout the rest of the Web site, small mistakes, such as this one, can erode credibility. So, learn from my mistake - always check names.

Michael S. also challenged the use of the word "which" in the following sentence in the same post, offering "that" as a replacement:

"The 300 words don't have to be in one post, meaning I'd prefer that we have several shorter comments which form a discussion on the chapter."

He's correct in replacing "which" with a "that" in this context. If you use "which," it needs a comma. I did not award a point, however, because in replacing "which" with a "that," he also should have sought to omit the first "that" in the sentence.

Upon further review, a girls’ locker room is really a girls locker room

Originally in class on Thursday, I agreed that girls locker room would need a possessive. It turns out, and this is tricky, it does not. Here's the key part of the Associated Press Stylebook entry for possessives:

“DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES: Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: citizens band radio, a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a teachers college, a Teamsters request, a writers guide.

Memory Aid: The apostrophe usually is not used if for or by rather than of would be appropriate in the longer form: a radio band for citizens, a college for teachers, a guide for writers, a request by the Teamsters.

An ’s is required, however, when a term involves a plural word that does not end in s: a children’s hospital, a people’s republic, the Young Men’s Christian Association."

Another common example of this rule is farmers market, which provides the basis for a good example from this area of an exception. For instance, an apostrophe is used in Flint Farmers’ Market.

So, although versions of stories from The Oakland Press and The Flint Journal used an apostrophe, that doesn't make them definitive or correct.

Accordingly, John McKay now has one fewer point.

John McKay bursts into the lead

After a quiet start, John McKay netted five additional extra credit points today to seize the lead from Michael S.

McKay found three new errors, two of which were in the previous post on this blog and another was on Michigan Live (Click here to see the specifics he noted in comments). In addition, McKay captured a point for questioning a turkey terrorist headline on MLive after a class consensus determined it was at least something worth raising.

McKay tallied his last point by performing the best in Thursday's in-class exercise that focused on Associated Press style.

I hope McKay's sudden rise to the top shows others that it is possible to make a move quickly. Remember, learning how to notice mistakes will help you as an editor of yourself and others.

John McKay grabs two points in the extra credit contest for finding errors in two Michigan Live stories

John McKay has leaped into a tie for second place with Jessica M. in the race for extra credit.

The first error he caught was in a story about a Holly teen who is accused of taking video of the girls' locker room at Holly High School. The story included a sentence referencing the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, which was followed by both a "who" and a "which" to introduce a dependent clause. Since it's an office, the correct word is "which." Probably what happened was the reporter or editor was rewriting the sentence from originally referring to the prosecutor as an individual. It's that type of mistake in rewriting that I often make, and a good one to be aware of. Always re-read your work.

The second error showed how a headline incorrectly listed the wrong first name for the subject of a story ("Anthony" instead of "Andrew"). All reporters and editors should take the time to double-check all proper nouns in the story. Messing up simple stuff like that undermines a publication's credibility.

Lastly, McKay sought a third point that I haven't decided on yet, and I'm leaning against awarding a point. He questioned the headline: "Days numbered for turkey terrorists." He echoed the concern a commenter had on the story, stating this was an inappropriate use for the word "terrorists." Deciding on taste is another important judgment editors have to make. In this case, I personally think it's acceptable, and that the concern is an over-reaction. But maybe my judgment of community standards is off. What does the rest of the class think about the use of the word? If there's enough people who agree with McKay, he gets the point. Weigh in by commenting or during our class discussion tomorrow.

Online discussion for Chapter 7 in 'The Art of Editing': Hollistic Editing: Integrating the Macro and the Micro

Jordan C. and Brett Smith have volunteered to be the mandatory participants from class in this week's discussion, joining Michael S., who is now an online student. The minimum requirements for named participants is 300 words through midnight Sunday, Feb. 15. The 300 words do not have to be in one post, meaning I'd prefer we have several shorter comments that form a discussion on the chapter. And remember, everyone is welcome to comment, and if you're not required this week, commenting does boost your participation grade.

That said, let me move on to this week's chapter. It categorizes different types of stories and provide useful tips about the expectations for each, which is especially helpful for beginning journalists, who might have not written or edited all the various types. Even reporting veterans probably haven't dealt with every type. For instance, I've never written a boating or shipping story, although I have copy edited a few. Still, I never knew that a distinction between ship and boat is "if it can be hoisted on another craft, it is a boat," as it states on Page 189.

So, what are some other categories and specific points therein that you didn't know much about? Are there any tips you wished you have been aware of in working on a previous story? If so, tell us about that situation and how the tip could have helped. Also, are any of these guidelines no longer necessary? If you believe so, tell us why.

Remember your AP Stylebook for Thursday

A graded editing exercise tops the agenda for Thursday's class so don't forget your Associated Press Stylebook. Also, be prepared for a discussion of this week's reading assignment, which is Chapter 6 of "The Art of Editing."

Online discussion for Chapter 6 in 'The Art of Editing': Micro Editing for Precision in Language

In class Tuesday, I announced that we will hold discussions of the readings online here. Everyone is welcome to contribute, but every week there will be some students who will be assigned to offer some observations about the material. I will give those students advance notice. I also will pose questions to help start the discussion and participate throughout.

Regarding this chapter, it contains several important rules and practices for better writing. Still, the grammar jargon, such as idiom, antecedent and dangling participle, can be a little intimidating, but I would encourage you to breathe in the knowledge these lessons offer deeply. Mastering them not only will help you be able to successfully copy edit, but empower you to communicate more effectively. To risk a mixed metaphor, learning grammar rules is like eating your fruits and vegetables -- it will keep your writer and editor skills healthy.

One tip that I constantly employ as a copy editor at The Flint Journal is a simple one. It's called time-date-place, and it is explained on Page 171. It's not a rule, but simply a practice that often can make a sentence shorter and easier to understand.

With so many detailed in this chapter, are there any you think are obsolete? Which ones, and why? Also, which one or two do find the most useful, and why?

Michael S. finds several small errors in Weekly Jog to surge into the lead

Here's what he found in the Jan. 29 Weekly Jog:

• The "Freshmen 15" should be the "Freshman 15."

• A comma was needed after "Novi Town Center," because they are two independent clauses.

• No comma was needed after "Worried."

• Bauman's lacked something. He was right. It should be Bauman's Running and Walking Shop on first reference.

He also lost a point for suggesting I change something that was already correct. He said "5-kilometer" should be spelled out. This is part of what I wrote to him about it:

• "You are correct that distances in kilometers and miles below 10 are spelled out, but it's not five kilometers. It's "5-kilometer race," which some will argue, including me, changes everything (I think you could find others who disagree that this is stretching this particular rule). Instead of a simple distance, this is now a length, which under dimensions would be a figure."

Even with the oops, he still netted three points.

Jennifer Profitt corrects misspelling in Flint Journal story

Jennifer Profitt earned her first point in the extra credit contest Saturday, pointing out a misspelling in a Flint Journal story about campus life at the University of Michigan-Flint. The story misspelled "worried" as "worred." Good catch.

Jessica M. becomes first student to catch on Flint Journal runners’ blog, moves into first place in extra credit contest

Today, Jessica M. noted a usage error in my blog entry today, marking the first time someone from class caught an error on the Web site (She also moves into first place in the extra credit race).

So, what was incorrect? I wrote, "There are a couple of negative to consider …." It should have been — and is now — "negatives." Watching for errors such as that one is key in copy editing. I wrote my blog late this morning, and I had only about 25 minutes to self-edit. This is yet another example of the reality is that everybody can use a copy editor.

Jordan C. latest to earn point in extra credit contest

Jordan C. caught the most errors — 15 — in today's in-class editing exercise, snagging him a point in our extra credit contest. Today's session included some good discussion on the types of mistakes editors should seek, ranging from consistency in titles to potentially libelous quotes.

Link posted for in-class discussion today

Hello everyone,

Today, we'll start class by discussing an Associated Press story that was posted recently on MLive.com about President Barack Obama's first few days in office. You'll have a moment to read it in class, but I posted the link here to provide easy access.

Jessica M. finds mistake on Flint Journal Web site, earns extra credit point

Jessica M. found two unnecessary words in a Flint Journal story about a man who police say was shot while attempting to buy marijuana. Jessica M. found the words — "were made" — floating at the end of the story, an apparent typographical error. Here's what it looked like:

Man shot while attempting to buy marijuana, Flint police say

By David Harris | The Flint Journal
Sunday January 25, 2009, 4:45 PM

FLINT, Michigan -- A Flint man was shot at least once about 9:30 p.m. Saturday on Canniff Street, near Fleming Road.

The man is in fair and stable condition at an area hospital, according to Flint police.

Police said the man was trying to buy marijuana at a Canniff Street home when he was held at gunpoint by four males and robbed.

Shots were fired, and the victim was hit. He was unable to walk on his own, and a friend took him to Flint Fire Station No. 6, 716 W. Pierson Road.

The man was then taken to the hospital. No other information was available today.
were made.

Note, the words "were made" are no longer in the story because they have since been removed thanks to Mora.

When submitting the catch, she said she wasn't sure if points would be awarded for my mistakes or for anything that can be found. As of Thursday, it was only my mistakes, but I'm going reward her initiative in pointing out this error. Whether we formally expand the contest to the entire Flint Journal Web site will be addressed in class tomorrow.

Austin B., Michael S. win first points in extra credit contest

Austin B. and Michael S. scored the highest in Thursday's in-class exercise, becoming the first students to garner points in the contest for extra credit. Bailey had the best score in the cell phone story. Michael S. was No. 1 in the story about the mayor.

In addition to the errors I inserted into these stories, several students found other mistakes, which added to their scores, but they also inserted new ones, which subtracted points. Remember, when making changes, the goal is to "do no harm." Here were a few of the mistakes:

• In the mayor's story, some changed "ten percent" to "10%." It's "10 percent," according to Associated Press style.
• In the mayor's story, some changed "work force" to "workforce." While "workforce" is in the dictionary we use, "work force" is AP style.
• In the mayor's story, some removed capitalization from "City Council" and "City Hall." They keep their capitalization under AP style when they refer to a specific body or place.
• In the cell phone story, some changed "whom" to "who." This is a tricky rule to learn, but in this story "whom" is correct because it's tied to the object of the sentence, not the subject. Who and whom are pronouns. For a good online explanation, click here.

There also were some good catches. They included:

• Not capitalizing "obscenity" in the headline of the mayor's story.
• Raising questions about grammar in quotes in the mayor's story. While these are fixed on a case-by-case basis, a good copy editor will flag each and weigh whether to add parentheses to aid in understanding for the reader.
• Breaking up the quote, "Why talk about it? Just do it," in the mayor's story.
• Removing the word "itself" from before "election day" in the cell phone story.
• Questioning the use of contractions in both stories. AP style advises to minimize their use, except in more informal contexts and quotes.

Jan. 22 preview

If you missed class today, you should prepare for a discussion about Chapters 3 and 4 of "The Art of Editing." There also will be an in-class exercise that's focused on editing skills.

In addition, the deadline to submit Assignment 2 for a regrade is 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

Class judges inauguarama coverage

Today, students battled deadline pressure, using class time to post a brief analysis about the coverage of President Barack Obama's inauguration on specific Web sites.

The sites ranged from The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune to the Drudge Report and MichaelMoore.com. They also edited each other for the first time and presented their findings.

Links established to News University, Dow Jones

As discussed in class today, I've now included links to News University, the site detailing Dow Jones Newspaper Fund college internships and a site that includes the Dow Jones editing tests.

News University offers a free course on improving style and grammar called "Cleaning Your Copy" that every student must complete. If you weren't in class today, please register on the site. The goal of this exercise is to offer additional help with common mistakes writers make. I'd like everyone to go slow and not feel rushed. With that in mind, no firm deadline to complete the exercises has been set, especially since another assignment is pending, but one will be established soon.

That said, a point in the contest for extra credit will be awarded to the first person to finish. Again, please don't rush, but I'm offering the incentive in hopes you will tackle these exercises sooner rather than later.

Assignment 2 on Blackboard

For those who missed class today, the second assignment, which focuses on first two chapters in "The Art of Editing," was distributed. It is now posted on Blackboard. Please note, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Also, we will hold a discussion on the reading in class on Thursday.

First big deadline expires

Kudos to all those who met the 3:59 p.m. deadline today. All blogs submitted can be found in "Our Blog List" on the right hand side of this page.

Yourdictionary.com is now our dictionary

As discussed in class today, buying "Webster's New World College Dictionary" (fourth edition) is no longer required because it is available free online at yourdictionary.com. A word of caution, as mentioned in class, I found it wasn't as user-friendly as having the actual book, especially if one is unsure of the spelling or looking up whether a word is hyphenated. The site does provide some advice on spelling searches:

“If you do not know the exact spelling of your word, you can use the ‘wild cards’ in your search. Use ? to replace a single letter in your word or * to replace more than one letter when you search. For example: penguin, peng*n or pen?in.”

I'm going to list the Web address in a new favorite links box on the right along with the online version of The Associated Press Stylebook, which isn't free.

And, remember, if you're planning on a career in editing, I still recommend buying the dead-tree version.

Our classroom now a newsroom

In this class we’re going to be working together sometimes producing content and sometimes editing content. Sometimes students will face deadline pressure, such as today's in-class exercise of taking the 2008 Dow Jones Editing Test. I want you to think of this room as your home base for the course. I want it to be your newsroom. So, thanks to my wonderful wife, Elaine, I have a sign for us that I'll put on the door while were in class to add a little character and ownership to this space.

Note, this online version doesn't include the Michigan State University-like green border that everyone so admired today. Also, to put to rest some conversation about who the intrepid reporter looks like (Some said he looks like Dr. Lewis), my wife said this evening she had me in mind.

Class documents now online

The syllabus and the first assignment are now on Blackboard. I'll post all the assignments and eventually grades, but the online discussion should be on our blogs.

At least one student blog is live

Aug. 4, 2009 update: Because I've written an article about this class for the Nieman Reports, I've only included the full names of students who have granted permission, so I've removed the link to blog of Michael S. from the blog list.

Michael S. posted to his blog today, and I've listed it in "Our Blog List." I'll list others as they are turned in.

Off with a click: A group of University of Michigan-Flint undergraduate students begin a journalism class in news editing

Photo/Christofer Machniak

About 15 University of Michigan-Flint students work on laptops Tuesday at the William S. White Building in Flint, Mich. They are participating in a news editing class in which they will create their own blog publications.