Audrey Kuo
By Audrey Kuo
Voices
I considered it a real bonding moment when my mother mentioned she’s annoyed with spelling mistakes in e-mails.
I pretty much jumped out of my seat, unleashing a rant about misplaced apostrophes and commas.
Always practical, my mom responded: “Well, if everyone knew where to put the commas, you wouldn’t have a job.”
True – sort of.
As a copy editor, I do sometimes move commas around, but my copy-editing brethren and I also write headlines, check facts, spot holes in stories, stop libel, ferret out bias and stereotypes and weigh ethical concerns against journalistic merit.
To me, it seems obvious that copy editors are essential in the production of solid journalism. And yet, as I was working on Voices stories about the shifting media landscape, I was shocked to hear just how many newsrooms are bypassing copy desks to post directly online.
I appreciate the need to break news quickly, but I value journalistic integrity more. The distinction between journalists and bloggers has become irrelevant, yet it’s still important to define basic standards for journalism.
Journalism is about finding truth and being accurate, and it’s simply impossible to do that without copy editors.
Errors are already on the rise. Last month, Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander documented recent mistakes and chalked them up to a declining number of copy editors.
“Small errors will continue,” he concluded, adding that he hoped readers would note them and “also show some patience and understanding.”
Yes, some errors are unavoidable, but readers should not have to bear with us while we flail around trying to figure out the truth.
As a reporter, I’ve gotten details wrong, like when the copy chief at my college paper – the fifth person to read my story – mentioned that I might want to fix a quote that implied the Americans won the Battle of the Alamo.
It’s just not possible to read your own copy objectively.
Journalism requires rigorous standards and vigilance about accuracy. The American Copy Editors Society has been pushing back against cuts to copy desks, making sure news organizations understand this battle is more than just about comma placement.
No matter what format we use to deliver information, we need people to vet those stories and to consider the ethical standards that set journalism apart from speculation.
I wonder what lawsuit or catastrophic error it will take for news organizations to figure out how essential copy editors are – and I worry that we ask too much of readers when we seek forgiveness for our sloppiness.
They deserve better.
- Audrey Kuo is a member of the American Copy Editors Society and a recent recipient of the Aubespin Scholarship.
I agree. It’s scary that copy editors are being reassigned or cut out of the picture. Big mistake.
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