Entry Level Editing

September 12, 2007 4:33 PM

Tomorrow, I'm meeting with an editor at the local newspaper to get some information on what they look for in employees. I was hoping the web's finest Hive Mind would have some thoughts on how to squeeze the maximum benefit out of tomorrow's encounter.

Earlier this week, tired of not quite knowing how to proceed with my career, I decided to call up a bunch of the local businesses that I'm keen to work for to find out what they're after in employees. This included the local daily newspaper, where I left a message with the editor in charge of the layout and copy-editing departments. Of all the potential jobs at a newspaper, it is these two areas that interest me most.

Today, the editor was nice enough to call me back. I told her the purpose of my call, and to my great surprise and delight, she invited me to come meet with her in person tomorrow.

This isn't quite a job interview, of course, just a chance to get some good information from a professional. That said, my aim is to find living wage employment in a field that interests me. So, here's what I'm wondering - what can I do during this meeting tomorrow to make an impression on this editor, and perhaps even squeeze out a job offer? Aside from the usual interview etiquette and a clean appearance, what would catch the eye of the average editor? At the very least, I would like her to have a fond memory of our meeting, so she'll remember my name when she sees it on a resume in a few months.

The meager experience and education I hope to trade upon tomorrow is as follows -

One year with a small town weekly paper, reporting on matters banal as notable local flower gardens and grave as the shooting death of a Sheriff's Deputy. I was also responsible for the weekly police reports and taking photographs. The bad news is that my clippings from this time have gotten lost in the course of a couple cross-country moves.

High marks in my college journalism course, and a great deal of responsibility for the student paper. I wrote news articles, editorials, supplied the cartoons and served as copy-editor. You could have called that paper the EatTheWeekly.

Training and experience as an English tutor, with all the burrowing through The Elements of Style that comes with it.

Thank you so much for any thoughts you might have to offer.

posted by EatTheWeek to Work & Money (14 answers total)

Living wage? Brace yourself, my friend. Small papers = miniscule budgets. I ended up taking a gig in circulation (eventually becoming manager) because it paid more than being a reporter. The other day I bumped into the editor of my local weekly and he moaned about his 5-reporter staff being cut to 2 (to cover 7 towns).

That being said, journalism is a fun career if you're blessed with a curious mind. Good luck!
posted by wordwhiz at 4:54 PM on September 12, 2007

Assuming it's journalism you're interested in, not copyediting, layout, circulation, whatever -- the best journalists I have known have had an incredible knack for asking questions. Anybody can get the basic gist of a story and write it up. Putting a little flair into the lede is no great challenge if you've taken a few college writing courses. But, asking another question, and another question, and another question, after any non-journalistic observer would say, there can't be anything more to ask -- that's a talent. As wordwhiz says, curious mind. Really curious. A good news story will answer not only any question a reader might have about the topic, but will tell them a whole lot more.

So, ask questions. Be curious. Act like this lady has got the most interesting job in the world, working in the most interesting paper in the most interesting town, and you want to know all about it.

Chuck the Elements of Style, by the way.
posted by beagle at 5:09 PM on September 12, 2007

Assuming it's journalism you're interested in, not copyediting, layout, circulation, whatever

Copy editors are journalists, and so are designers (the people who do layout). They're not reporters, but they are journalists and work in the newsroom.
posted by Airhen at 5:13 PM on September 12, 2007

it depends on where you are, but see what the turnover is there. newspaper budgets are shrinking everywhere, so they may simply not have a job to offer you anytime soon.

alas, it's not like the old days where the editor sees a spark of something in the mailroom boy and hires him as a cub reporter on a flyer.
posted by thinkingwoman at 5:33 PM on September 12, 2007

Be on time, be courteous, be professional, be yourself, and if she's any good at all she'll keep your name for freelance work. That's the best way in.

I've been an editorial manager for 20 years and am happy to talk about this. My e-mail's in my profile.
posted by futility closet at 6:03 PM on September 12, 2007

Thanks, Airhen, yes, I should have said reporting, not journalism.
posted by beagle at 6:06 PM on September 12, 2007

wordwhiz is right about the wages; beagle is right about being curious and asking good questions; thinkingwoman is right about the budget.

When I was the managing editor of a small-town daily (circulation roughly 3,000), and news editor of a 20,000+ daily before that, what I most wanted to see was not a resume (they can be faked), was not clips (that only told me how good an editor someone had had), but was instead proof on the spot that I had a thinking human being in front of me.

Be knowledgeable about the community and what's going on in it. Demonstrate you know something about the local government and how it works. Let the editor know that you've read her newspaper -- not just one issue but several -- and know what is in it regularly and what's only occasional. Ask a design or style question, as though it were information you were going to need soon as an employee (i.e.: "Am I correct that you spell out all numbers under 100 rather than just the numbers under 10 as AP recommends?" "Do you ever place a photo above the lead headline?").

FYI and FWIW, I gave each new reporter or editor a copy of The Elements of Style with the expectation it be read and followed, save where it conflicted with the AP Stylebook.
posted by bryon at 6:11 PM on September 12, 2007

I third the Strunk & White recommendation. Sure some of it's dated, but it's s still good stuff for anyone trying to write...
posted by wordwhiz at 6:50 PM on September 12, 2007

you're meeting with the editor in charge of layout? do you have any experience with newspaper layout? i'm a newspaper designer and most people in my field, well, we love to talk about it. a lot. line rules, pantone colors, special sections... brush up on the latest trends in news design and talk about it with her. i would remember you if you talked design and knew what you were talking about. go to newseum and browse the daily front pages and pick a few that you really like, then throw them out there like "oh, did you see the plain-dealer's front page today? i loved their use of the dominant photo.... etc." and good luck :)
posted by kerning at 8:36 PM on September 12, 2007

Get your hands on the AP stylebook and review it. The Elements of Style is fine for your personal use, if you like it, but most papers use the AP stylebook as a starting point. During the interview, to establish that you know your shit, you may want to ask if they have a stylebook of their own, and on which points it differs from the AP.

In my experience, editors want copyeditors who are professional and reliable. Are you going to show up late or hungover? When you're ten minutes away from quitting time and you're handed a three-column story, are you going to catch that one misplaced comma in the penultimate paragraph? It sounds like you wouldn't have a problem telling "look how responsible and detail-oriented I am" anecdotes from your work history.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if you were handed a copyediting/proofreading test as part of your interview; if you're never quite sure how many "c"s and "m"s accommodate has, refresh your memory before you go.
posted by booksandlibretti at 9:24 PM on September 12, 2007

Just go in there, be yourself, but make it known this is something you have enthusiasm for and would love to be able to take a shot at.

Most importantly, remember that even if a job does not come out of this, you are still making a contact in the field. More jobs are obtained via networking than you'd think, and if this editor doesn't pln to hire right now, she may remember you when someone else mentions they're looking for someone. Both my wife and I have obtained a couple of jobs this way.
posted by azpenguin at 11:24 PM on September 12, 2007

Be sure to follow up with a hand-written thank you note. Write it as soon as you get home and get it in that day's mail. Email is not an acceptable option for this. Just get a nice simple plain card if you don't have your own stationery, and thank her for taking the time to meet with you. Mention a few things that you found especially memorable or helpful and let her know how you plan to stay in touch.

Good luck!
posted by Kangaroo at 6:02 AM on September 13, 2007

I second Kangaroo's advice. Also, in addition to researching the city, research the paper. Have they won any awards? Did they do a good investigative series? Do you like their design? If you're trying to be a reporter, look through upcoming events in the area and come in with a list of story ideas.
posted by drezdn at 7:01 AM on September 13, 2007

I am a hiring manager at a magazine. You've got to get your clips. Call the paper, make friends with the archivist, get them off the Internet, drive to the paper and use their library, etc. But telling an editorial hiring manager, "I worked as a reporter for a year but have no clips" tells them that you're a) disorganized, and b) not enterprising enough to get them back.
posted by stonefruit at 6:35 AM on September 21, 2007