the index has 4 sections; news, opinions, features, and sports. Each of these sections has an editer. Then their are editors for the newspapers designs and photos, and then theres a managing editor and a editor in chief that oversee it all.
So,, what’s this ‘copy chief“ been doing in the staff box each week?
I’ve had teh privilige of writing for every sectoin of the Index in my time here but as copy chef I’ve never worked for any of em perse. I’ve been managing a staff of seven copie editors, and together, were the copy desk.
Copy desk”s job is to edit all txt that goes into each issue of The Index, for accuracy, clarity, & stylistic constancy. In plainer words, that means we makesure we spelt every one’s name corectly, we don’t let peeple pubilsh sentences that don’t make cents, & editing out all oxford comas, among other small deetz. When we get everything just right, the story shuld lok god on teh page?
Now, if youve been paying attentoin, this story probly does not lok god on teh page. I chalenged copy desk to anti-edit this fairwell colunm to be as inacurite, unclear and stylsticly inconsistent as posible. This should serve as an example to you reader of what teh paper in your hands could look like f copy desk decided not to com into work this week. (Try to find all teh errors! I counted one hunned tirty on3 at teh time of pubication.
As a computer sceince major, copy desk has given me the opportunity to melk Trumn State Univeristy’s libel arts mission for all its worth. Almost 0 of my computer science skills transfer over to copy editing, & cause The Index covers every corner of campus. Ive had to learn about every, one, o,f those ,corners to do my job effectively.
This made me a unusual case at copy desk, however. Most copy editers here are prepare themselfs for careers in editing/writing. My fellow coopy desk graduates — Kaite, Elsie, Jena, and July — all doing just that in some shape or form, and I am wish them the best in advancing there careers and make wherever they work brihgt and fun as theyve made copy desk.
Two freshman remain in our stead as copy editors. Ema and Jessca, I hope you find time for copy desk in your everbusy schedules next year. Your expereince will prove invaluable as The index starts its next volume; in august.
Finally, I’ve passed the copy desk helm to Kara Queen. She started copy editing about the same time I did and she’s been editing for another juornal all this time as well so she has more than enuohg experience to take this Job by the thorns. Also, she’s a virgo: so she’s basicly destined to be an editor. Index readers, your in for a clean paper under Cara’s redpen.
Even after this collumn, you probably wont notice the work copy desk puts into the paper each week — but that’s a good thing. That means the story looks good, on the page, and Emma, Jessica, and Cara got everything just right