As April is already flying by, we’re all closer to the end of another semester and the beginning of another summer. Before we get there though, it’s time for another evaluation of my work as a Sports Desk copy editor at the Columbia Missourian.
Consistently since my first check up, I still sift through many sports stories and check them for errors. I also check to make sure that the reporter’s words make sense and that their story runs clean and free of mistakes. I also still fact check scores and stats for their accuracy as well. Then, a final process is making sure the copy remained clean before it heads to print. Finally, headlines are decided upon and written for print as well.
Something new that I’ve done since my first check up is scheduling and writing tweets for the sports section. This has broadened the range for creativity and deadline work during my shift because Tweets can’t read similarly to the headline or the lede. Then, I have to make sure the Tweets are scheduled out at random times in a time frame but also spaced out so it doesn’t look like a bot wrote them.
Once again, here is a link to my shift work log which will show you the stories I’ve worked on and what kind of editing work I did to each one: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ls4rMQgJM7-ekQH_ubDFXgql-MLM7H4rqIAx4iDPNUA/edit#gid=0
Examples of Edits for Web During a Shift
1) MU wrestling ready to ‘crush everybody’ at MAC Championships
Missouri wrestling was only going for their sixth consecutive MAC title and not their seventh, that had to be fixed everywhere. I also made a few grammar changes. Then, I edited in InCopy for print as well.
2) Lock, Crockett like what they see from new OC Dooley
In this story, I reworded things and fixed awkward sentences. Then, I made it an Editor’s Pick that night. I also edited it in InCopy.
3) COLLEGE ROUNDUP: Missouri softball tops LSU in walk-off style
For this roundup, I added words or stats for clarity. Then, I added an “Editor’s Pick” tag for that night. I then scheduled the tweet for this story, my first ever scheduled tweet for a story.
4) Passion for coaching makes smooth transition back to sidelines for Ofodile (Print Headline: Odom optimistic for Ofodile’s opportunity)
I deleted an extra word and reworded a sentence that didn’t have much context in this story. I also edited this in InCopy later on and simplified the headline.
5) A year removed from MU, Dolphins’ Harris focused on giving back to the place he came from (Print headline: Humbled Harris gives back to MU football)
I deleted extra spaces and reworded awkward phrases for clarity in this story. This story also required a grammar sweep up. I then edited it in InCopy and scheduled the tweet later.
Print Editing and Headlines
1) “Grit, guts, and angels” and “Close shots don’t geaux in for MU in Baton Rouge”
I edited both of these in InCopy after editing them for web. I love both of these headlines because one of them is punny and the other is to-the-point. The “geaux” headline was worked on by both me and Jack Radetic.
PDF: Feb. 18-19 B1
2) “Lopsided loss in Lexington”
Link: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/eedition/page-b/page_ae71e841-6af2-5918-8630-8d7f7fafb332.html
I edited this story in InCopy and I’m really proud of the alliteration of this headline.
PDF: Feb. 25-26 B1
3) “Hello, Newman: Career game lifts Jayhawks,” “Sexton’s Tide slip past Texas A&M in final seconds,” and “Pitt fires coach Kevin Stallings”
Link: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/eedition/page-b/page_e815893a-e63b-5b00-8297-52b550a95da7.html
I wrote all of the headlines on this page, but I’m prone to believe that the Newman headline is the greatest headline ever because it’s a Seinfeld reference indicating Kansas guard Malik Newman’s career-high scoring game.
PDF: Mar. 9-10 3B
4) “There’s no crying (or clocks) in baseball”
Link: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/eedition/page-b/page_b8397ec2-a394-5184-b690-bcf0e31418b2.html
I edited and trimmed this story in InCopy. I really like this headline because I referenced a line from Tom Hanks in the film A League of their Own in relation to possible addition of pitch clocks in MLB games.
PDF: Mar. 23-24 4B
5) “Holding out for a Haleigh: Tolton’s Humbled Hero”
Link: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/eedition/page-b/page_06be8add-528a-58cb-9764-5404f73744f7.html
I worked a lot on this one by editing it for both web and print. But once again, I made a pop-culture reference to Bonnie Tyler’s song “Holding Out for a Hero” because that song serves as inspiration for the girl in the story. Using that was really fun.
PDF: Apr. 8-9 4B
Tweets During Shifts
I started scheduling and writing tweets for the sports desk only a few weeks ago. I’ve had a good amount of tweets so far, but the three below I did just the other day and they each got a lot of action on Twitter and I’m proud of that.
The Danny Diaries 