Inventing an Online News Publication

After reading these articles it seems obvious, if a little sad, that the only way for a new news publication to be successful is to be online. If I had to invent an online news publications I would take many points from these writers. I would definitely make my site and the news that was on it interactive and transparent. I would want readers to feel like they had some say in the publication, and would attach forums or links to other social networks where my readers could continue discussing a topic they found interesting. I also really liked the idea that you do what you can best and then you should link to the rest. It makes sense. If I really wanted the site to be the best option for a reader, and it's not good at everything, at least having the easy connection to the better site makes my site legitimate, honest and definitely efficient. I also loved the idea of a personalized news site and I would certainly incorporate that into my site. Readers could type in the five topics of most interest to them every day if they pleased, and then the site would filter through mainstream and alternative media, as well as the publication's stories to come up with a comprehensive list of stories designed to the web page. It would motivate not only beginner news readers who just want to know what everyone else is talking about but the veteran news readers who simply want to know more about a topic in one stop. I think that could really be a cool online news publication.

Reading on Copy Editing

As I read Jeff Baron's response to why copy editing is important, I found myself nodding. Everyone needs editors. I make mistakes all the time, or often, I write "awkward" sentences that an editor could point out to me if I was writing for a paper. It was depressing though to hear that copy editors have no social life and no time. The no money part never bothers me as much as it does others probably. I know we all need money to survive, but if you're truly passionate about something, you'll find a way to make ends meet while keeping the job you love. However, I'm not saying that I dream of being a copy editor. I liked the piece about the slot man. I think the horseshoe shape of the table makes perfect sense- easy distribution. Also, the next piece about how to become a copy editor made me feel semi-accomplished. I've already set up an internship for the summer and work at the Ithacan, but in the sales department. It's also nice to know that I won't always have to necessarily live in a big city to follow this career. The final piece that went through the specific jobs of a copy editor was very interesting. Honestly, I did not know that copy editors write the headlines. I assumed the assigned editors would do that. It seems like a huge task, looking out for not only grammatical errors but libel and factual errors, all the while reading dozens of copies a day. Still, it must be rewarding to finalize a piece with a reporter and see it in the paper the next day completely polished.