Edit and re-write the atrocious rough copy into a minimum 325-word, maximum 375-word hard news story

When rough copy makes its way to your computer, fixing GSP errors, rooting out bias or judgmental reporting and paying attention to AP Style presents challenges for a copy editor.

Luckily, you’ve taken a course that has trained you for the job.

Chapter 7  from this module provides guidance about holes, redundancies, tone, bias and other problems associated with rough copy.

Use your knowledge from this and past chapters., plus  your proficiency with AP Style, grammar, punctuation and spelling to edit this news story: Highway Patrol investigates statewide crashes

Please download the 

Once you have finished editing and polishing this story, submit it as a Word document following the directions below.

Directions

Edit and re-write the atrocious rough copy into a minimum 325-word, maximum 375-word hard news story following the tips in Chapter 7,  the examples and style sheets provided.

Do not go over or below the word count.

This means many details in this rough copy story will have to be revised or not used. AP style errors abound in this story. Incorrect punctuation, abbreviations and grammar/spelling/punctuation errors can be found in the story.  

As an editor, you have to make decisions. Follow the editing instructions below or lose points.

Edit this story like a pro, by checking:

Headline: The one provided for the story doesn’t work. Revise.

Lead: Do the edits make the lead readable? Does the edited lead follow the structure of an inverted pyramid story?

Lead rules. The lead should be one sentence. A lead does not contain names of persons who do not have prominence. Review the style sheet for leads in the assignment.

Paragraph length. After the lead, paragraphs are 1-3 sentences. That’s the style best used for print and online stories. Blocks of type are not readable.

1. Sentence lengths. Generally, 15-30 words. Overly wordy sentences require punctuation and often the meaning of the sentence is lost. Breaking up wordy sentences into two sentences or trimming excess words is the key to success here.
2. Body: Is the body of the story free from grammar/spelling/punctuation and AP errors?
3. Make sense. Does the story flow logically?
4. Are there statements in the copy that have no attribution/source that raises questions that need to be answered? If so, find an answer or delete the statement.
5. Quotations: Do the quotations follow the quotation style published in the AP Style Book? Are they punctuated correctly?
6. Direct quotations are always stand-alone paragraphs. Don’t combine then with other copy, it dilutes the readability and impact of a direct quotation.
7. Writing quality. Are the paragraphs connected to each other by transition sentences? Is the information arranged in inverted pyramid format?
8. Libel/fairness. Is there faulty or biased information that needs to be taken out of the story regarding libel and fairness?
9. Delete button. Some details in the rough copy need to be deleted or rewritten. Not every detail deserves to be in the story.
10. Redundant terms, words etc. Write concisely and eliminate redundancies and clunky ways of saying things.
11. Revise, revise and then, yes, take another look at the edited story you turn in.
12. Does the final product look and read like a news story you would read online or in print?