Editing Advice from the Soviet Union

 

A man wearing a libel suit playing the soviet national anthem, so begun Michael Koretzky’s workshop “Editor -in-Grief: Rule with an Iron Fist, Wear a Velvet Glove.” As Koretzky circled the room, riding crop in hand, he imparted five pieces of wisdom upon us all about managing an efficient newsroom.

 

Triage

In a mass emergency, first responders treat those who can be saved first. According to Koretzky, the same principle applies to the newsroom. Instead of focusing all of one’s effort on reporters who can’t be saved (so to speak) editors should help those with potential to grow. This includes things like firing a slacker to set an example, and publishing sub-par stories to reward reporters who’ve made progress.

 

Overthrow the Old Order

If what your old process doesn’t work, stop doing it. Changing habit is hard but not impossible. Koretzky recommends hosting guest speakers to reinforce good practices and shake up the newsroom. To keep momentum on stories, save a few non-time sensitive ones for a rainy day and stress deadlines for others.

 

Embrace Your Impatience

News is a fast-paced industry, and your newsroom should reflect that. Koretzky said that editors shouldn’t be afraid of “blowing their top” over things like deadlines. To prevent this from happening, however, you can break up deadlines. If the story is due on Friday, make the lede and nut-graph due on Wednesday. After an event on campus, discuss it as a staff to generate ideas. When editing a story, focus on teaching rather than rewriting. This saves time and helps reporters learn. Hold short meetings that get to the point and get going.

 

Write and Go to War

Editors are busy. But as leaders it’s important to set an example. If you can make time to take finish a story on time, then your reporters have no excuse not to. When picking these stories however, think big and write small. Choose a local issue that appeals to a broader topic. On college campuses, issues like Title IX and diversity can be specific to your University while engaging a larger audience.

 

Edit and Rule

According to Koretzky being too nice as an editor can

 

 get you into more trouble than being too tough. Make a strong first impression, then ease up as needed throughout the year. Critique a story in front of your staff with the other editors, and tear it apart. When asking for story ideas, don’t assign them immediately. Just because someone pitched something doesn’t mean they would be the best person to cover it.

There are a lot of little things you can do to polish a newsroom, but the most important is simply being mindful. Don’t be content with what you always do just because it’s familiar. If you see a problem, fix it and move on. Rule with an iron fist, but wear a velvet glove.

— Sam Cushing