Newspapers err, just like everyone else
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
One reader recently sent an e-mail complaining that we always seem to blame our errors on reporters and copy editors.
She noted, correctly, that the newspaper's leaders are the ones who should ultimately be responsible for making sure there are no errors in the paper. Actually, everyone who works here has a responsibility to keep errors out of the paper, but regardless, they still seem to happen.
The reason the errors are frequently attributed to a reporter or a copy editor is that they represent the beginning and the end of the progress of a story through the process of being published. Like the takeoff and landing of a plane, the beginning and end of the publication process are where most errors occur.
Our procedures are such that we assign responsibility for the mistake to the person who originated it. If a reporter spells someone's name wrong in a story, it's unlikely that the editor will question it unless it's either someone well known or a highly unusual spelling. Editors DO question facts and details. They do send reporters back to get more information. And, they do make mistakes. We all do.
Once the reporter and the editor or editors have finished with the story, it moves on to the copy desk to be put on a page. There the copy editor, under tight deadlines and fairly substantial time pressure, creates a page design, writes a headline and completes a final story edit. And sometimes mistakes happen.
We don't like that, but we accept it and we keep trying to do better.
* * *
One of the other, unfortunately common but nonetheless frustrating errors we make is to publish something with XXs or blanks where information should appear. Or a line that says simply "headline" or "head goes here."
That happens because we frequently work with templated pages as a time-saver. The format is set up and some basic information exists on the template, so all our copy editors have to do is "fill in the blanks." That's fine, except when they leave those blanks . . . blank.
The use of XXs is, at least in part, a consequence of some bad judgment by journalistic predecessors. In fact, on some small papers, you might still see something like, "Some woman and her kids . . ." rather than names, because the plan was to fill the names in later.
More than one journalist has lost a job for making that line read something less flattering, like "stupid people doing stupid things" -- or worse. So, XXs are the option of choice when we're trying to fill in the blanks.
* * *
I've been working on a project that involves some information about journalism in general and newspapers specifically.
In researching details, I've run across multiple quotes and facts that seem particularly appropriate to the changing environment of today's newspaper.
So, if you run out of things to talk about over the dinner table or at your next cocktail party, try these profound thoughts:
"When all is said and done, what must be remembered is a newspaper is a business. It used to be a fabulous business that made extraordinary margins. It's now a very good business with appropriate margins."
Sam Zell, chairman and chief executive of Tribune Newspapers
"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had."
Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google
"Newspapers cannot be defined by the second word -- paper. They've got to be defined by the first word -- news."
Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., New York Times publisher
Finally, a tidbit from a psychology textbook that says it all: "When Bill Clinton became president of the United States in 1992, there were about 50 sites on the Internet; today there are more than 135 million and still counting."
One reader recently sent an e-mail complaining that we always seem to blame our errors on reporters and copy editors.
She noted, correctly, that the newspaper's leaders are the ones who should ultimately be responsible for making sure there are no errors in the paper. Actually, everyone who works here has a responsibility to keep errors out of the paper, but regardless, they still seem to happen.
The reason the errors are frequently attributed to a reporter or a copy editor is that they represent the beginning and the end of the progress of a story through the process of being published. Like the takeoff and landing of a plane, the beginning and end of the publication process are where most errors occur.
Our procedures are such that we assign responsibility for the mistake to the person who originated it. If a reporter spells someone's name wrong in a story, it's unlikely that the editor will question it unless it's either someone well known or a highly unusual spelling. Editors DO question facts and details. They do send reporters back to get more information. And, they do make mistakes. We all do.
Once the reporter and the editor or editors have finished with the story, it moves on to the copy desk to be put on a page. There the copy editor, under tight deadlines and fairly substantial time pressure, creates a page design, writes a headline and completes a final story edit. And sometimes mistakes happen.
We don't like that, but we accept it and we keep trying to do better.
* * *
One of the other, unfortunately common but nonetheless frustrating errors we make is to publish something with XXs or blanks where information should appear. Or a line that says simply "headline" or "head goes here."
That happens because we frequently work with templated pages as a time-saver. The format is set up and some basic information exists on the template, so all our copy editors have to do is "fill in the blanks." That's fine, except when they leave those blanks . . . blank.
The use of XXs is, at least in part, a consequence of some bad judgment by journalistic predecessors. In fact, on some small papers, you might still see something like, "Some woman and her kids . . ." rather than names, because the plan was to fill the names in later.
More than one journalist has lost a job for making that line read something less flattering, like "stupid people doing stupid things" -- or worse. So, XXs are the option of choice when we're trying to fill in the blanks.
* * *
I've been working on a project that involves some information about journalism in general and newspapers specifically.
In researching details, I've run across multiple quotes and facts that seem particularly appropriate to the changing environment of today's newspaper.
So, if you run out of things to talk about over the dinner table or at your next cocktail party, try these profound thoughts:
"When all is said and done, what must be remembered is a newspaper is a business. It used to be a fabulous business that made extraordinary margins. It's now a very good business with appropriate margins."
Sam Zell, chairman and chief executive of Tribune Newspapers
"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had."
Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google
"Newspapers cannot be defined by the second word -- paper. They've got to be defined by the first word -- news."
Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., New York Times publisher
Finally, a tidbit from a psychology textbook that says it all: "When Bill Clinton became president of the United States in 1992, there were about 50 sites on the Internet; today there are more than 135 million and still counting."
posted by Sheila Friedeck at 12:37 PM
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