1. Chapter 8 Editing and Rewriting News

2. Electronic news media strive for uniqueness. Therefore, they rewrite wire copy. News Services Associated Press most common. Most news organizations want to edit so stories do not sound like competition. Copy should be in the style and voice of newscaster or newscast. Check for misspellings, excessive modifers, too much attribution.

3. Editing Wire Copy Editing – minor changes to improve flow, reduce wordiness (example, p. 172). With computerized systems, copy is rarely read from hard (paper) copies, so crossing out is not an option. Rewriting Wire Copy Rewriting – major changes. Using essential facts, but restructuring the story.

4. Localizing Wire Copy Many national stories can be localized by interviewing a local authority. References to “Texas” following a city name generally should be eliminated. Why? “Rural East Texas town of Emory …” Should we change this, if broadcasting in Commerce?

5. Electronic news copy should be written as if spoken to another person, conversationally. People listening in their homes or cars. “Is this the way I’d explain story to a friend?” Saving Time Copy must be edited to fit into a given amount of time. Often, important facts must be cut. What is essential?

6. Converting TV scripts to the Web (see p. 176) Combine copy Remove extraneous Fix capitalization Add direct quotes Form complete sentences Remove references to video Beef up the story Bring it all together Add interactivity