Journalistic ideas – Word on the Street

Color by Numbers (in Narratives)

Let’s face it: Journalists aren’t known for being good with numbers. But that doesn’t mean they don’t write about them. A slew of recent headlines involving numbers come to mind, including: “Dow Closes Up 936, Biggest Point Gain Ever,”; “Bengal’s Wide Receiver Changes Last Name to Ocho Cinco”; and “Marry Me at 8 on the 8th,Continue reading “Color by Numbers (in Narratives)”

Seeking Resources for Copy Editors

Pretty soon I’m going to be entering the world of copy editing. I have copy editing experience, but I want to read and learn more about the profession. Right now I’m reading The Copy-Editing and Headline Handbook by Barbara G. Ellis. (Sounds real fun, I know!) It’s actually pretty interesting. Ellis goes into a lotContinue reading “Seeking Resources for Copy Editors”

Addressing (and Parodying) Criticisms of the ‘Eastern Media Elite’

“On a mission to destroy.” “On a witch hunt.” “Got it wrong.” “Tackier than a costume change at a Madonna costume.” Ouch. These are just some of the criticisms that have been used to describe journalists and their coverage of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Last week, Republicans called out The New York Times forContinue reading “Addressing (and Parodying) Criticisms of the ‘Eastern Media Elite’”

Responsibilities Rise as Copy Desks Shrink

Mallary Tenore/Poynter Online My editor asked me to write an article about “the future of copy editing” last week after hearing talk of copy desks shrinking nationwide. She said she thought I would be especially interested in the topic, given that I am going to spend the next year copy editing for Poynter Online andContinue reading “Responsibilities Rise as Copy Desks Shrink”

Committed to Commenting … Or Not

I often wonder why some articles receive more comments than others. If I receive three comments on a Poynter Online article, I consider that to be pretty good. I thought the article I wrote about journalists paying it forward last week would receive at least a couple of comments, given the subject matter of theContinue reading “Committed to Commenting … Or Not”

‘Sex and the City’ Movie Makes for Quite the Story

I’ll admit, I’m a huge “Sex and the City” fan. I hardly ever watched the show while it was on TV, despite the fact that my friends were all fans. But when a colleague lent me the DVDs, I was hooked. I went to see the movie tonight with friends from work and felt asContinue reading “‘Sex and the City’ Movie Makes for Quite the Story”

Chips Quinn Reunion: New Memories and Friends in D.C.

The Chipsters and I. Me and our cute D.C. tour guide, Carol, at the FDR Memorial. Me and my friend Meghan in front of the Capitol. Windy day. Thought I’d share a couple of photos from my trip this past weekend in Washington, D.C. I was fortunate enough to attend the Chips Quinn 2008 trainingContinue reading “Chips Quinn Reunion: New Memories and Friends in D.C.”

A Swimming/Summer Story Idea

I just wrote a Diversity at Work post, “Bridging the Minority Swimming Gap,” about a new study that found that 58 percent of black children can’t swim compared with 31 percent of Caucasian children. One reader, who is a teacher, pointed out to me that the word “pool” in my article could just as easilyContinue reading “A Swimming/Summer Story Idea”