Aug. 27, 2024

Top stories















Press freedom




CRAFT

The secret of effective editing


“Editing is not just looking at a piece of writing and figuring out how it can be better, or how it can be structured better, or written in a prettier way. It’s really about pretending the page is blank and trying to conjure out of the universe the best possible version of this story — then working with the reporter to figure out how to get that. It involves asking: ‘Do we even have all of the best possible material? The writing is really pretty, but is it actually true? Is it the most logical argument we can make? What are the fatal flaws buried under this pretty writing?’ It’s like an X-ray reading, seeing beyond what’s on the page to what the possibilities are.”


-- Alexandra Zayas, a deputy managing editor at ProPublica, excerpt from Q&A with Nieman Storyboard, “Effective editing: Trust and Ted Lasso-style cheerleading”

CAREER
 

Quick tip to tighten your resume


“Go ahead and leave short-term employment out of your resume. Any position you’ve held less than six months (especially if you were fired or the position involved tasks you don’t particularly want to perform at your current job) aren’t worth including. Not only could they make you seem like a job hopper, but you could get stuck doing the tasks you didn’t like in your old position.”


-- Andrea Moran, excerpt from "This is what employers don't want to see on your resume" (Washington Post Jobs)

 
COMMUNITY

Resources


This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Mitch Harle. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.


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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.