Editing for Clear Communication 2/e

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Editing in the Age of Information

 Working as an Editor

  • The Challenges of Editing
  • Developing Your Editing Skills

Editing for the Web: Job Basics

Editor’s Corner: “An Editor Who Writes, A Writer Who Edits,” Beth Gavaghan

Grammar School: Stylebooks and Dictionaries

Chapter 2

Tailoring Your Material

  • Learning About Your Audience
  • Using the Knowledge
  • Assigning and Selecting Material
  • Applying the News Values
  • Another Tool for Selection

 Using Outside Information

 Preparing the Material for the Appropriate Medium

  • Making Major Cuts

Editing for the Web: Targeting Your Audience and Content Writing, Structure and Beyond

Editor’s Corner: “Are You Talking To Me? Making Content Fit Your Audience,” Meredith Curtis

Grammar School: Verbosity and Clarity

Chapter 3

Looking for Holes and Other Problems

  • Buried Leads
  • Misleading Leads
  • Lack of Balance
  • Source Bias
  • Unanswered Questions
  • Anonymous Sources
  • Failing to Show Relevance
  • Including Irrelevant Information
  • Including Contradictory Information
  • Cause and Effect Problems
  • Lack of the “Big Picture”
  • Confusing Time Sequences
  • Incorrect Interpretation
  • Generalizations
  • Poor Organization
  • Transitional Words and Phrases
  • Filling Holes
  • The Trouble with Polls

Editing for the Web: Using the Web to Provide Additional Information

Editor’s Corner: “Cross-checking,” Chris Zang

Grammar School: Phrases, Clauses and Sentences

Chapter 4

Checking Facts

  • When to Question the Facts
  • Names
  • Places
  • Corporate and Organization Names
  • Assertions of Fact
  • Dates/Chronology/Ages
  • Numbers
  • Rankings
  • Translations
  • Titles
  • Facts that Aren’t
  • Where to Check
  • General
  • Biography
  • Geography
  • Quotations
  • Government and Politics
  • Dictionaries
  • Periodical Indexes
  • Local Sources
  • Trade Directories
  • When in Doubt, Leave It Out
  • When All Else Fails: Running Corrections

Editing for the Web: Using the Internet for Fact Checking

Editor’s Corner: “Just the Facts,” Liza Featherstone

Grammar School: Misplaced Modifiers

Chapter 5

Legal Issues

 Libel

  • What Is Libel?
  • Defenses Against Libel
  • Looking for Libel
  • The Role of Retractions
  • Privacy
  • False Light
  • Public Disclosure of Private Facts
  • Other Privacy Issues
  • Copyright
  • Trademarks

Editing for the Web: Media Law in Cyberspace

Editor’s Corner: “The Other Side of the Law,” Paul Warren

Grammar School: Punctuation

Chapter 6

Establishing an Ethical Foundation

  • Ethical Problems for Editors
  • Bias
  • Invasion of Privacy
  • Plagiarism
  • Questions to Guide Ethical Decision Making
  • Ethical Principles

Editing for the Web: Ethics in Cyberspace

Editor’s Corner: “Looking in on Tonya Harding,” Joe Grimm

Grammar School: Making Words Match

Chapter 7

Sensitivity and Taste

 Sensitivity

  • Sexism
  • Bias Based on Race, Ethnicity and Nationality
  • Religious Stereotypes
  • Stereotypes of Lesbians and Gay Men
  • Ageism
  • Class Bias
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Mental Illness
  • Bias Against White Men
  • Taste

Editing for the Web: Building Community

Editor’s Corner: “The Color of Media Diversity,” Wanda Lloyd

Grammar School: Using Quotes

Chapter 8

Getting the Best Out of Writers

  • Collaboration Is Key
  • It’s the Story Stupid
  • Get Personal
  • Be Involved from the Get-Go
  • Read First, Talk Second
  • Think Positive
  • Critique the Copy, Not the Writer
  • If Time Permits, Let the Writer Take the Lead
  • Communicate
  • Be Available
  • When You Do Need to Rewrite, Honor the Writer’s Voice
  • Choose Your Battles Carefully
  • Admit Your Mistakes
  • Be Flexible
  • When You Get Work, Write
  • Above All, Do No Harm
  • Share the Goods
  • Making It Formal

Editing for the Web: Teamwork on the Web

Editor’s Corner: “An Editor and Writer at Work,” Donald M. Murray

Grammar School: Misused Words Part 1

Chapter 9

Handling Headlines

  • Two Types of Headlines
  • Informative Headlines
  • Having a Fit
  • Headlines With Style
  • Attention-Getting Headlines
  • The Underline
  • The Overline
  • Common Headline Problems
  • Generic Headlines
  • Spelling and Grammar Errors
  • Senseless Headlines

Editing for the Web: Grabbing Online Readers’ Attention

Editor’s Corner: “Dress Your Headlines for Success,” Maria Stuart

Grammar School: Misused Words Part 2

Chapter 10

Graphics and Media Design

  • Think W.E.D.
  • Three Parts of the Whole
  • Type
  • Type Styles
  • Leading
  • Headlines and Beyond
  • Choosing Photographs
  • Cropping Photos
  • Sizing: Bigger is Better
  • Creating Information Graphics
  • When to Use Infographics
  • Working with Words
  • Charts Add Charm
  • Infographic Guidelines
  • Basic Principles of Page Design
  • Design Goals
  • Working with White Space
  • Using Color

Editing for the Web: Designing for the Web

Editor’s Corner: “Working in a Multimedia Environment,” Elliot King

Grammar School: Misused Words Part 3

Appendix A: Copy Editing Symbols

Appendix B: Headline Schedule