Copy Editing Resources
TheSlot.com A must-see reference site for copy editors. CopyEditor.com CopyDesk.org AssignmentEditor.com Newsthinking.com An excellent site on newspaper writing and reporting from Bob Baker of the LA Times. The site offers a dynamic e-newsletter on writing, editing and newsroom collaboration. Editors Weblog
Editing a Web Site: Extending the Levels of Edit Describes lessons learned by a university editing class when they edited a web site.
Yale's World Wide Web Style Manual Describes lessons learned by a university editing class when they edited a website.
NewsCoach2 A social network for newsroom trainers, started by Steve Buttry of No Train, No Gain. The site grew from the old Newscoach listserv.
GrammarGuard.org American Heritage Dictionary ACES Copy Editing Tests ACES Iraq Information Page The Elements of Style NewsCollege Loaded with tip sheets and articles, this site features work previously published in "The Write Way," some of which have been updated and revised for NewsCollege. Started in early 2006, the site covers many writing basics, such as tightening copy and eliminating weak quotes. Word Police Barbara Wallraff, The Atlantic Monthly's copy editing guru, writes a "Word Court" column that offers super advice. SlipUps.com Mistakes in movies, books, etc. Institute for Mid-Career Copy Editors: Grammar Smackdown! Instructions on how to run a two-round test of your staff's knowledge of punctuation, spelling, grammar, style and, if you want, their ability to content edit. Developed by Ron Hartung of The Tallahassee Democrat and Debbie Gump of Ohio University. Confusing Words A database opf more than 3,000 words that get confused with other, or are difficult to understand. It?s great for sorting out small grammar issues, too. Professor Charles Darling's Grammar Site Outstanding to use as a quick reference for your grammar questions. Your Dictionary.com: 100 Most Mispronounced Words Your Dictionary.com: 100 Most Misspelled Words SearchSpell.com Check your spelling as you submit a query. The Vocabula Review FreeSpeling.com (with one "l") A fun little site on how the Web is revolutionizing spelling. Slanguage: Slang Terms A collection of regional, national and international slang terms. RhymeZone.com Packed with useful word search tools, enter whatever related word you can think of and the site will help you find what looking for. You can find words that rhyme, similar spellings, synonyms and antonyms, similar sounding words, match consonants and more. Poynter.org: Why Copy Editing Matters Poynter.org: Why Reporters Should Sit on the Copy Desk Copy Editing Web Sites NY Times Weekly News Quiz Do you read the newspaper? You better! Copy Editing Training A lot of training material for copy editors on our Web site, which also provides information on a summer institute program, funded by the Knight Foundation. AP Style Exercises Online Developed by Ron Hartung, writing/editing coach at the Tallahassee Democrat. Pantheon: Encyclopedia of Myths Encyclopedia of Television Simple-to-use site for fact-checking. Grammar Resources Online A quick guide to several grammar tools from the University of Chicago's writing program. AP Stylebook Online You make the call: A one-year subscription to the online version is $20. You can buy the print copy for $12.50. The site does have some "web-only" content. Jack Lynch's Guide to Style The Vocabulary Review (Vocabula.com) The Writing Center's Online Handouts Phaster Lookups Reference Database Do quick searches for reference tools: encylopedias, economic terms, legal dictionary, biblical reference, quotes and more. Great one-stop reference shopping. Dictionaries on the Web More than 100 links to dictionaries in 40 languages Gallery of Misused Quotation Marks Copy editors are into sites like this. Slipup.com Today's Media Bloopers. Newswriting Cliches Cliche of the Day West Egg ClicheFinder Search Engine More than 3,300 indexed cliches. Look them up and edit them out of stories. PoliticalQuotes.org: Eigen's Political & Historical Quotations Great for fact-checking. More than 40,000 free quotations from more than 11,000 different historical and political figures in a searchable database.
RhymeZone Shakespeare Search Engine The Virtual Chase: Checklist for Fact-Checking Web Site Information A legal research site offers tips on evaluating information quality. Cornell University: Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages KPlay Reference Tool This site makes it simple to use different online reference works. The Canadian Press Stylebook The New York Times Manual of Style and Libel You have to register. Then click on store, then books. EditTeach.org Resources for journalism instructors at many levels: high school, college, newsroom, etc. JPROF.com Resources for college journalism instructors. JTeacher.com Avoid Holiday Cliches From the American Copy Editors Society. CopyEditorJobs.com Editing for the Web Covers design and editing tips, as well as training for web editors and offers pointers on how to make web products work. My Favorite Word Techniques for Writing Good Web Documents An extensive list of specific do's and don'ts, with examples. Many of these tips are familiar to technical communicators but are often news to other writers. Includes a good discussion on when and how to use frames. Sun Microsystem's Style Guide Tim Berners-Lee's CERN Style Guide
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