“If you want to write, you write. Talent is simply not enough.” - Jane Yolen

Special Projects: Try the Headline Challenge!
Want to write better heads? Key words and active verbs help, but the best tactic is to practice. Try your hand at stories published in papers across the country - and then get the inside story from the original editors on how they wrote their heads. To get the story on the "Sticks" head above, go to the last item on the Study Tools page.; Take a Dow Jones dry run
Help your students prepare for the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing test by letting them practice on actual exams from previous years. You can also use the tests as classroom exercises. Answer keys included, as well as information on how the tests are graded.; Coaching for copy editors
Working with reporters isn't the sole province of the city desk. When it's late, or busy, copy editors can find themselves working one-on-one with a reporter. Watch as writing coach Don Fry demonstrates how coaching techniques can help copy editors produce a better story.; 'Guardian of the Newsroom'
John Bremner turned his students into disciples for copy editing. A copy editor, he preached, was the "guardian of his newspaper's character and reputation." Watch a video of Bremner in action, and download a copy of "HTK," his guide to writing headlines.

Study Tools: Your own spelling bee; Test your real-world IQ; NewsU: A cyber campus; Are you a Wordista?; Grammar alert system; Take the Headline Challenge!; ALL STUDY TOOLS

Now that we're all editors: Useful info from ASNE

An editor, a reporter and an academic walked into a bar. And although lots of jokes could flow from there, the bar was at the Marriott Wardman Park in D.C., where ASNE was about to open its 2012 convention. So what followed was three days of tools, strategies and inspirational journalism.

April 12, 2012

And the winners First Amendment Tweet winners are ...

Sharing their enthusiasm for the First Amendment earned 22 students $5,000 scholarships. The winners have been in announced in the First Amendment Center's "Free to Tweet" campaign. More than 17,000 tweets and messages were sent Dec. 15, 2011, in celebration of the First Amendment's 220th birthday. Check out the winning entries.

Jan. 10, 2011

Tools Of The Trade

Improving Content: Writing; Accuracy; Headlines; Cutlines; Design & visuals; Editing tip gallery
Language skills: AP & other styles; Grammar & usage; Punctuation; Words: Spelling/etymology/slang
Professional Life: Diversity; Working with people; Law, First Amendment & ethics; Organizations & news sources; Journalism blogs & columns; Internships, jobs & salaries; Training; Online journalism; What copy editors do
Editing Resources: Current events; Math & numbers; Geography; Government & citizenship; Religion; Science & medicine; History; Resource roundups
Teaching Resources: Usage & style exercises; Online exercises; Content editing exercises; Fact-checking exercises; Headline exercises; Design exercises; Interviewing & writing exercises; Math for journalists; Coaching & management exercises; More exercises & practices; Lighter side of editing; Courses online; Web & print resources; Edprof listserv; College press resources; High school resources

Latest News

Now that we're all editors: Useful info from ASNE

And the winners First Amendment Tweet winners are ...

Tools Of The Trade