10 rules for a college editor

I was looking through articles on Poytner institute when I ran across one that was similar to what we’ve been reading about over the past few weeks.  It was a list of the top 10 things a great boss needs to know.  I agree with everything the author Jill Geisler said, but after working as a copy editor at the DEN for the past semester and as an editor for the yearbook I feel like college publications should have their own top 10 for editors and reporters.

1. Give new writers a chance: Yes they’re fresh out of news 1 but if we don’t give them a chance who will?
2. Don’t stare at said newbies when they walk in the door, it’s intimidating and scares them away
3. Get out of the newsroom:  luckily most of us walk from our dorm to the newsroom, because if we didn’t we’d never know what was going on outside this fluorescently lit prison
4. Call people: whether it’s to set up an interview or contact a reporter, it’s faster and you get better information than compared to emailing
5. Take it outside: if something is hilarious or enraging take it outside and leave it there, I can’t work if someone is screaming with laughter or anger
6. Sex sells: battle of the sexperts/rubber lovers/masturbatathon – is there a theme here?
7. Lola is always right
8. Caffeine is a lifeline, time is a shark
9. Experiment: try new things, don’t be afraid to question, look outside the box, because that will get you a job
10. And when all else fails: call student government stupid

“You reporters need to do your research”

So, newly-appointed Sen. Roland Burris may have lied, or omitted as he put it, information regarding the sale of the senate seat. The Associated Press reports that Burris was specifically asked if he had ever spoken to Robert Blagojevich or other aides. Burris says he did not.

However, in a report by CNN Burris claims all conversations with Blago’s inner circle were an after-fact kind of deal and did not have anything to do with the purchase of the senate seat.

During a press conference in Chicago today Burris charged at reporters saying they hadn’t done their research and the reporters were ’spinning’ the information to make him look as corrupt as Blago.

Even as a novice journalist I’m aware of the repercussions of misreporting facts. Especially when it comes to our sensitive (read: corrupt) state government. I understand that facts and figures can become confusing when politicians DON’T DO THEIR JOBS AND LET MONEY AND GREED GET IN THE WAY, but that does not and should not have an effect(affect?) on the quality of reporting and research done during proceedings like this one. Fact checking is a journalists best friend in situations like this and basically saying, in all cases.

Mr. Burris please don’t blame your shortcomings on “you media people.”