Macro editing Editing for the big picture

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Macro editing Editing for the big picture

• 1 Make sure stories are worth running. For
  example, a story is only worth a reporters time
  and effort if it focuses on what reader, viewer
  or listener wants to know or needs to know.

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• 2 Making sure stories have good leads are
  organized and flow well.
• Some rules for hard news and feature leads leads
  are
• A- Keep leads short and simple, normally not more
  than 20 words. Generally, feature leads run
  longer than hard news leads, but not so long you
  bore the reader.
• B Dont jam too many facts and figures into the
  lead. Reporters do not have to answer every
  question (who, what, when, where, why and how) in
  the lead.

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• Wordy A Statesboro exotic dancer was arrested
  and charged with indecent exposure Monday,
  officers George Smith and Henry Brown said.
• Short and simple A Statesboro exotic dancer was
  arrested and charged with indecent exposure
  Monday, police said.

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• C - Short and simple does not mean you cannot
  write a catchy feature lead.
• For example The moon still shines on the
  moonshine stills in the hills of Pennsylvania.
• D Avoid tired leads. These leads are used so
  often they are irritating.
• For example Christmas came early for
• Quick action by two alert police officers was
  credited with saving the life of

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• E Make sure leads says something definite.
• Vague A University of Georgia researcher spoke
  on campus about cancer Tuesday.
• Definite A University of Georgia researcher told
  a campus audience Tuesday that new evidence
  suggests that secondhand smoke may not pose as
  big a cancer risk as previously thought.

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• F- Dont hype a story more than it is actually
  worth. No matter how well-written a lead is it is
  not good if it misleads the reader into thinking
  a story is better or more important than it
  really is.
• G Dont bury the lead of miss the real story.
• H Use the most up-to-date information available
  in the lead. As an editor, this may be an
  occasion where you could rewrite the first part
  of the lead.

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• I - Dont bury the lead. Copy editors will base
  headlines on what they read in the first few
  graphs. If a reporter buries the lead, it is
  possible the headline will not be as accurate as
  it should.
• In addition to the lead, editors most look at the
  story as a whole.
• 1 - Look at whether the story contains quotes. If
  a story is very short (5 inches or less) it may
  not need them, although most stories could use at
  least one quote. However, a story 8 inches or
  more should have some quotes.

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• Make sure the story is understandable throughout
  and moves along at a good pace.
• Make sure stories dont leave unanswered
  questions.
• Make sure stories are accurate
• Make sure stories are objective