editing
I often address students in yearbook directly (in newspaper it is much easier to address a student face-to-face because the class is much smaller and people do not often leave the classroom). In doing so, I will sit down with anybody who has questions about writing, layout, photographs, the website's operations and other concerns. I am always out in the classroom looking to assist those that need my help. When I am not able to address a student directly for whatever reason, I will leave sticky notes on their spreads instructing them on how to make alterations or improve some aspect of their work. In the picture above, the sports' editor, Emileigh, captions the photos in the module just above the dominant photo using complex syntax, which is great, but the sentence structures are almost too varied to really follow along. In the sticky note to the right of her spread, I gave her some tips on how to strengthen the captions by utilizing complex-compound sentences instead of run-ons. In addition, I suggested that, instead of saying the Falcons "lost," she could say they were "defeated" or "played tirelessly, but came up short", as the connotation is not as harsh. I encourage staff members and editors alike to approach me with any questions they may have about copy.
Our clubs' editor, Zoe, has not always had confidence in her writing abilities. When she became a member of the staff during her freshman year, it was very rare to see her putting pen to paper or brainstorming ideas on her own. Time and time again, the two of us would sit down together and ask questions back and forth to try and get ideas flowing. Now, as a sophomore, Zoe is a writing fool. Her ability to almost perfect AP Style and utilize a strong command of language makes each of her stories bold and enticing. However, Zoe is often confronted with a problem: her stories are too short. In the sticky note to the right of her spread, I offered some suggestions that she could take in order to increase the length of her story.
Story writing presents itself as an obstacle to some first year journalists. Perfecting the elements of AP style, proper grammar and punctuation and the use of compelling leads is difficult for those who are in their preliminary years of journalism. A freshman named Christopher handed me the story that he had written to be published in The Bird's Eye (2018). While the content was generally well written, Christopher had forgotten to write the narrative portions of the story in present tense while the interviewee's monologue must be written in past tense (in addition to a few awkward clauses that needed adjustments). After I had reminded Christopher to remember the tenses in which he needs to write as well as following the rules of AP Style. Christopher handed me the story on the right after just one class period's worth of revisions. He had climbed mountains in a single class period.
A philosophy that I uphold and assure the staff of each and every day is that guiding the staffer is the most advantageous form of productivity. Doing the work for somebody is not editing. It is controlling. I advise members of the staff to make certain changes as to better their own work, not change it to meet some set of expectations. In doing so, staff members learn how to make corrections that will benefit their future endeavors and practice conscientious writing and editing.