NOTES ON COPYREADING

COPYREADING TOPICS

 I. What is copyreading
 II. Importance of copyreading
 III. Who is a copyreader
 IV. Qualities of a good copyreader
 V. 10 commandments for copyreaders
 VI. 3 Rs of copyreading
COPYREADING TOPICS

VI. 3 Rs of copyreading
VII. Concepts of macro editing and micro editing
VIII. Copyreader’s concerns
IX. Suggested steps in copyreading.
X. Copyreader’s tools
XI. Common inaccuracies
XII. Copyreading Sybols
HEADLINE-WRITING TOPICS

I. Qualities of a good headline

II. General principles that headline writers must follow
III. Some tips on headline writing
IV. Steps in headline writing
V. Headline terms
VI. Counting Headlines

Copyreading and Headline Writing Exercises

WHAT IS COPYRERADING

is the “art” and “science” of correcting copies, stories, or

articles that journalists, reporters, or writers produce.
is an “art” because the work involves exercise of good
judgment and discretion—when to change a word for
clarity, when to leave a line as is.
is also a “science” because there are right and wrong
answers in doing the work.
is synonymous with copyediting.
10 commandments for
copyreaders
1. You shall not change the author’s meaning
2. You shall not introduce new errors; more
important, you shall not change something correct to
something incorrect.
3. You shall not change anything except to improve it.
4. You shall just focus on your work and do precisely
what is expected of you.
5. You shall honor and obey those in charge of you.
10 commandments for
copyreaders
6. You shall mark clearly and write your corrections
legibly.
7. You shall protect the copy from rain, hail, wind, coffee,
children, pets, and all things damaging.
8. You shall meet deadlines.
9. You shall assume nothing but should seek answers to
all that is doubtful or unspecified.
10. You shall read and study language continually.
3 Rs of Copyreading
1. Reader centered
 Make sure the stories serve the readers’ interest,
needs, and time (stories that directly affect their lives;
stories that interest them; stories about people or
things around them).
 The story should focus on what will be most
interesting to the audience.
 The writer should make the story new for the reader.
3 Rs of Copyreading
1. Reader centered
 Make sure the stories serve the readers’ interest,
needs, and time (stories that directly affect their lives;
stories that interest them; stories about people or
things around them).
 The story should focus on what will be most
interesting to the audience.
 The writer should make the story new for the reader.
3 Rs of Copyreading
2. Readable
 Ensure that readers will be able to understand
what’s being said.
 Is the story clear; does every sentence grow from
the main point?
 Are the words simple to understand?
 Is the story arranged in the most logical manner?
3 Rs of Copyreading

2. Readable
 Is the story concise?
 Is anything in the story irrelevant?
 Has the writer avoided redundancies and cliché’s?
 Does each quotation say something unique or
important? Can quotations be shortened?
3 Rs of Copyreading
3. Right
 Is the story correct in spelling, grammar, and punctuation?
 Are there inconsistencies in viewpoint and verb tense?
 Does it conform to house style?
 Are the facts consistent and accurate?
 Have the math been checked (percentages, ages with birth,
etc.)?
 Have you checked names of people, their designations?
3 Rs of Copyreading
3. Right
 Is the story objective?
 Does the story avoid any statements that might bring a lawsuit?
 Is someone is accused of or criticized for something, does he or she get a
chance to reply? Are all sides given?
 Is the story or picture in good taste?
 Has the writer avoided saying anything that may disparage someone on
the basis of age, race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnic
background?
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Subject-verb agreement
Dangling modifiers
Parallel construction
Fused sentences
Comma splice
Sentence fragments
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Subject-verb agreement

A number of / The number of

A majority of / The majority of
Collective nouns like committee, council, jury, board, team
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Dangling modifiers

If convicted of the homicide charge, the judge will impose the sentence on
the accused.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Parallel construction
We love to eat, malling, and the skateboards.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Fused sentences
The UP Maroons needed to do something they have not
done the entire season they needed to win a game.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Comma splice
The UP Maroons needed to do something they have not
done the entire season, they needed to win a game.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Grammar/sentence problems
Sentence fragments
The UP Maroons. Really needed to do something. To win
a game. The entire season. They have yet to do.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Spelling
American or British English/variants in spelling
theatre theater
organisation organization
labour labor
realise realize
Copyreaders’ concerns

Spelling
Compound modifiers: one word, two words, or
hyphenated

decision making, decision-making

policy making, policy-making, policymaking
Copyreaders’ concerns

Spelling

Variants
toward towards traveled travelled
kidnaped kidnapped judgment judgement
Copyreaders’ concerns

Punctuation
Terminal serial comma

To my parents, Ayn Rand and God

To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God
Copyreaders’ concerns

Usage
Confused words and misused words
affect effect
canvas canvass
compared to compared with
rontinuous continual
regard/regards phrases
Copyreaders’ concerns

Facts
Names and titles/designations
Numbers: Contradictory text and figures; percentages add
up
Places
Inner logic
Copyreaders’ concerns

Brevity
Get to the point.
Remove deadwood and redundancies.
Copyreaders’ concerns

Clarity
Keep the text simple (by using simple words instead of complex terms)
Avoid jargon or specialized language
Check the time sequence
Use transitions (each sentence logically follows the previous sentence
or relate to it.)
Copyreaders’ concerns
Offensive words

Subheads

Headline
Suggested steps in
copyreading
1. Read the story
Read quickly; do not change anything.
Find out what the story is about.
Note the story structure.
Spot any major problems that are readily
identifiable.
Suggested steps in
copyreading
 2. Edit the story thoroughly
(second reading; major editing is done)

Read slowly
Pay particular attention to the lead (check effectiveness;
should include essential information and introduce the
angle; should also be brief, captivating, and appropriate
in tone)
Story structure: organization of the story; point of the
story. (Rearrange paragraphs if necessary.)
Suggested steps in
copyreading
2. Edit the story thoroughly
(second reading; major editing is done)
Improve the writing; check paragraphing and
transitions (ideas should flow smoothly and logically)
Accuracy (names of people and organizations, titles
and jobs, ages, dates, place,)
Clarity
Brevity (irrelevant information)
Suggested steps in
copyreading
2. Edit the story thoroughly
(second reading; major editing is done)
Style
Triteness and clichés
Editorializing
Wordiness (a total of, in order to, at this point
in time)
Suggested steps in
copyreading
 2. Edit the story thoroughly
(second reading; major editing is done)
Repetition/redundancy
Offensive language
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Suggested steps in
copyreading
3. Reread the copyread
story.
Proofreading
Other inaccuracies

Unwarranted superlatives
first
only
biggest
best
record number
Other inaccuracies
Editorializing
Some Words That Convey Opinion
amazing astounding
awful bad
best bizarre
certainly complex
(See handout for more samples.)
Other inaccuracies
Offensive language

Some Words That Can Be Demeaning

addict adulterer
alcoholic alleged/allegedly
bankrupt blackmail
(See handout for more samples.)
Other inaccuracies
Redundancies and wordiness
Long Version Short Version
advance planning planning
armed gunmen gunmen
at this point in time now
at that point in time then
(See handout for more samples.)
Other inaccuracies

Sexist pronouns and gender-biased

terms

It is no longer acceptable to use the

pronoun he when the referent may be
a man or a woman.
Other inaccuracies

Sexist pronouns and gender-biased

terms

A student should always do his

homework.
Other inaccuracies
Sexist pronouns and gender-biased terms

Substitute gender-biased terms with gender-neutral

ones.
fireman firefighter
chairman chairperson
mankind people/humanity
Other inaccuracies

Unnecessary words

Words that add nothing to the

meaning
really very actually
Qualities of a good headline

Attracts the reader’s attention.

The average reader does not read the
average newspaper story.
Good headlines attract a reader’s attention
to stories that otherwise may be ignored.
Qualities of a good headline

Summarizes the story.

In writing headline, assume the
reader won’t read the story.
The reader should have a clear idea
of the news from reading just the
headline.
Qualities of a good headline

Helps the reader index the contents

of the page.
Headlines serve as index to the page,
which enables readers to determine
what stories to read or bypass.
Qualities of a good headline

Helps set the tone of the newspaper.

Front-page news headlines reveal the
character of the newspaper.
Qualities of a good headline

Provides adequate typographic relief.

Headlines separate stories on the
page, and relieves tedium of a mass of
text.
Qualities of a good headline

Provides adequate typographic relief.

Headlines separate stories on the
page, and relieves tedium of a mass of
text.
General principles that
headline writers must
follow
Accuracy
Headlines must give accurate information
about the gist of the story.
Logic
Headlines on themselves should make
sense.
General principles that
headline writers must
follow
Specificity
A headline should be as specific as possible
in presenting information to the reader.
Word precision
Saying exactly what we mean to say.
Some tips on headline
writing
Headlines should be based on the main idea of the story,
which should be found in the lead or introduction.
If facts are not in the story, do not use them in a
headline.
Avoid repetition. Don’t repeat key words in the same
headline; don’t repeat the exact wording of the story in
the headline.
Avoid ambiguity, insinuations, and double meanings.
Some tips on headline
writing
If a story qualifies a statement, the headline should also.
Headline writers should understand a story completely
before they write the headline.
Use present-tense verbs for headlines that refer to past or
present events.
For the future tense, use the infinitive form of the verb (such
as to go, to run, etc.) rather than the verb will.
To be verbs, such as is, are, was, and were, should be
omitted.
Some tips on headline
writing
Write headlines in the active voice (Man bites dog
instead of Dog is Bitten by Man)
Do not use articles a, an, and the. These take up space
that could be put to better use in informing the reader.
New Police Patrols Help Make the Streets Safer
New Patrols Help Make Westside Streets Safer
Some tips on headline
writing
Do not use the conjunction and; use a comma or
semicolon instead.

Mayor and Council Meet on Budget for Next Year

Mayor, Council Agree to Cuts on New Budget

Some tips on headline
writing
Personalize where you can (avoid he, she, or they).
Attribution is best shown with the word says, but it is
often shown with a colon instead.
Avoid using unclear or little-known names, phrases, and
abbreviations in headlines.
Use punctuations sparingly.
Some tips on headline
writing
Use single quotation marks instead of double quotation
marks.
Drop end punctuation.
Never begin a headline with a verb.
Never split names between lines of a headline.
Some tips on headline
writing
Headlines should be complete sentences or should imply
complete sentences. When a linking verb is used, it can
be implied rather than spelled out.
Fill out most of the space allowed for headlines; do not
leave gaping holes of white space. In most newspapers,
headlines should fill at least 90 percent of the maximum
space allowed.
Do not use pronouns alone and unidentified.
Some tips on headline
writing
Only well-known abbreviations should be used.
Do not abbreviate days of the week and months, unless
followed by a date.
In a multiline headline, a noun and its modifier should be
on the same line.
Steps in headline writing
Make sure you understand what the story is
about.
Find the action verb and the most important
noun, which tell what is happening in the story.
Sum up the story with key words; build this
summary around the verb you have chosen.
Steps in headline writing
Cast the summary in a sentence.
Shorten the sentence by putting it in headline
form.
Once the first draft of the headline is written, find
synonyms for key words in the lead and begin
substitution as necessary.
Headline terms

Downstyle and upstyle

These terms refer to capitalization in headlines/heads.
Downstyle heads are treated like sentences, with only
the first word and proper nouns capitalized.

This is a downstyle head

Headline terms
Upstyle heads capitalize first letter of all
major words. All capital letters in heads is
also called upstyle.

This Is an Upstyle Head

THIS IS AN UPSTYLE HEAD
Headline terms

Main head
The main head in headlines that are
combinations of two or more heads.
Usually the largest in font size.
Says the main point of the headline.
Headline terms

Deck or drop head

A small secondary head that runs
beneath the main head.

This is a main head

This is a deck beneath the main one
Headline terms

Hammer
A label head above the main head, typically one
to three words.
In bold type, bigger than the main head.

Hammer
Here is the main head beneath the hammer
Headline terms
Kicker
A label head above a main head, typically up to five
words
Usually about half the point size of the main head.

This is a kicker up here

Here is the main head

Headline terms

Label head
A headline that has no verb.
Often focuses on a theme or mood.
Most often used with feature and
magazine stories.
Headline terms

Flush left, centered

Two ways of positioning a headline in
relation to its story.
Flush left heads begin at the left margin.
Centered heads are equidistant between
the left and right margins.
Headline terms

Slugs
Short name or title—usually one or
two words—a story is given for quick
and easy identification in the
newsroom.
Headline terms

Points
Refers to the font or type size (its height
in points measured from the bottom of a
descender like g to the top of an
ascender like h).
Headline type typically ranges in size
from 18 points to 72 points.
Headline terms

Picas
Another unit of measurement, used to measure
the width of the space allotted to a head
There are 6 picas in an inch, which means there
are 12 points in a pica.
The print area on a standard broadsheet is
typically about 78 picas wide.
Headline terms

Columns
Vertical strips of text.
The thin white spaces between
columns are called gutters.
Broadsheets carry 6-7 columns;
tabloid and magazines, 4-5 columns
Headline terms

Headline count
Count or length in units of each line.
See Table: Count of Letters, Figures, and
Marks.
Headline terms

Headline order
Refers to request for a given size of headline.
Three-number sequence that tells (1) how
many columns a headline should cover, (2)
what point size it should be, and (3) how
many lines it should fill. Columns–Font Size–
Lines (e.g., 6-42-1: six columns wide, 42-point
type size, one line).
Headline terms

Headline schedule
Chart that allows one to translate a headline
order into a specific count. It tells how many
counts of a given point size can fit into a given
column width.
See Headline Schedule Chart.
Count of letters, figures,
marks
 Width
 Letters, Figures, Marks
½ unit
Lowercase f, i, j, l, and t

Capital I and numerical figure 1

All punctuations except question mark and dashes
1 unit
All other lowercase letters except m and w

All other numbers

Question mark

Spaces between words
Count of letters, figures,
marks
Width
Letters, Figures, Marks
1½ units
Lowercase m and w

All capital letters except I, M, and W

Dashes

Symbols such as ?, $, %, and &
2 units
Capitals M and W
Headline Schedule
Chart