Thursday, March 17, 2005

Today's Axiom

There's nothing easier in newspaper criticism than taking pot shots at editing. In other words, no matter how accomplished an editor you are, you will commit errors that fourth-graders will notice. In other other words, the eagle-eyed reader who makes an excellent point about something you let slip through could well be functionally illiterate. In other other other words, the managing editor who might fire you for missing two errors in a story wouldn't necessarily have caught any of the 48 other errors you fixed.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Being an editor is like being in the Department of Homeland Security. You have to be right 100 percent of the time. The difference is, if you're ever wrong, you're the only one who gets blown up.

Brida Connolly said...

Well put, Bill and Witch. There's a reason "Horrifying mistakes I have made or almost made" is such a popular topic when copy editors get together in life or online!

I could tell you stories....