The Importance of Copy Editing

As a producer there are a multitude of things to do before the newscast and sometimes certain tasks happen to slip through the cracks.  Unfortunately, it seems copy editing is one of those things even though good writing is crucial for a successful newscast.  Now that I am more comfortable in the producing positions, I have been able to focus on the details for the newscast including copy editing.  

This week I was the web graphics teammate so I got practice copy editing for the website as well as the newscast.  In the morning I copy edited the stories that went up on the website.  That was the majority of copy editing I did for the day.  Although in the afternoon after I finished working on graphics I had extra time to look at the newscast copy.  

I found copy editing for the website is easier than copy editing for the newscast.  When I copy edit for the web the writer is usually in the newsroom so I can explain the corrections.  Much of the time when I am copy editing stories for the newscast the MJ who wrote has already left for the day.  Now I try to copy edit a story as soon as an MJ tells me they have finished.