COM 347 - Media Copyediting

• Edit stories for grammar, punctuation, style, journalistic conventions, and ethical and legal considerations such as privacy and libel.
• Help reporters improve their work in all phases: from generating story ideas to providing reporting guidance and writing clean, accurate and compelling copy.
• Describe the editing process and identify the various types of editors in media organizations: copy editors, content editors, section editors, design editors, wire editors, supervisory editors, managing editors and editors-in-chief.
• Write headlines and cut lines according to the conventions of the profession.
• Recognize the ethical and legal issues - such as privacy, libel and copyright infringement - involved in the selection of photos and other visual elements that accompany stories.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate graphics and other “entry points” into story packages in order to complement information and attract readers’ attention.