Q. I'm a junior in college, and numerous mistakes involving grammar, punctuation and style have been edited into articles I've written both for my campus newspaper and the small newspaper where I currently am interning.
When it comes to providing clips to potential employers, I'm not sure how to handle this situation without sounding like a know-it-all. I completely understand I'm not perfect and mistakes are inevitable in any newspaper, but I somehow want to make it clear that the ones in my clips are not of my doing.
ConcernedA. I am glad you understand that we all need editors and that neither we, nor they, are perfect. Still, spoiled clips are no joke.
But I would not mark up my clips or attach little notes explaining which mistakes belong to other people. It will, as you say, make you seem like a know-it-all. Or worse.
Keep trying and keep writing. Try to babysit your clips through the editing process and catch mistakes before publication when you can.
If you do this, you will eventually get a clean set of clips, and you will not get a reputation as someone who complains about people who are trying to help.
What do you think? How can reporters and copy editors work together to ensure cleaner copy?
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Coming Friday: One of Joe's former students is considering a job as a technical writer with the Army. The benefits look good, but will this path keep her out of journalism?
One thing to consider if you're writing for a small,...
