Examples
of Great Editors
News
people mention great editors with respect as journalists
who towered abover their peers. Award and programs bear
their names. They were outstanding newsroom leaders with
very different styles and achievements. Their actions offer
lessons for editors today.
Here
are priorities from some of the best.
Improve
the Writer
Max Perkins worked with such novelists as Thomas Wolfe,
Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. During 37 years
with the House of Scribner he gained the confidence and
even the devotion of writers by letting them know he was
with them. He said, "You can tell more about a writer
by listening to him than by reading something he wrote."
Too
often editors absorb themselves in improving the story,
not the writer. As a result, the story makes deadline and
the reporter ends the day frustrated. Editors wonder why
writers don't learn from changes made in stories, but many
reporters don't review their work because it is no longer
their work.
Take
a Stand
The
world is full of social issues to engage you. Don't shrink
from them, although your most important stand might be on
issues in your newsroom. Those around you need you to show
courage, to stand up for values, to defend good writing.
Those battles might not be glamorous, but they are at the
heart of your work.
See
the Real Story
Edward
R. Murrow brought hard news, fine writing and careful editing
to radio and television documentaries. He and co-producer
Fred Friendly took a film crew to Korea for television's
first full-length combat report; they went to a small community
to explore the life of an Air Force officer who had been
classified a security risk; and they examined the tactics
of McCarthyism. In short, they used the new technology of
their time to tell the most important stories in the most
compelling ways.
Make
Business a Value
"Editor
Inc.," an article in a journalism magazine, begins
with this statement: "Once upon a time editors ruled
their worlds like princes. No more. In today's corporate,
high-pressure environment, their roles have multiplied even
as their clout has waned."
Author
Geneva Overholser know about editors. She was on the editorial
board of The New York Times, an ombudsman of The
Washington Post, and as editor of the Des Moines
Register she led the staff to the Pulitzer Prize for
public service. She listed 13 ways of looking at newspaper
editors. Among her listings: "money makers," "marketers,"
and "number crunchers."
That's
scary stuff, and not just for newspaper editors. The role
changes affect almost anyone who edits writers.
Your
image of the good editor's work might center around crafting
award-winning writing, but much of the reality, as you know,
is meetings, procedures, reports, and other business matters.
Good editors set priorities that give primary attention
to developing the writers, but include the time to attend
to business.
Serve
the Community
Carole
Kneeland demonstrated how newsroom leaders make a difference.
Many local television stations seem to live on the motto,
"If it bleeds it leads," the news. Sensational
crime coverage builds ratings but lowers credibility. As
news director at KVUE-TV, Austin, Texas, Kneeland decided
to innovate. She told her newsroom that crime stories had
to meet one of the five criteria to be aired:
- The
crime had to pose an immediate threat.
- The
crime had to pose a threat to children.
- The
crime had to warrant some response by the public.
- The
crime had to have significant impact.
- The
broadcast had to aid in crime prevention efforts.
This
tip was excerpted from The
Effective Editor,
written by Foster Davis and Karen Dunlap. Davis is the former
managing editor of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
and is currently an editing and writing coach. Dr.
Karen Dunlap is dean of faculty at The Poynter Institute.
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