The Art of Editing in the Age of Convergence, 10th Edition

CHAPTER

4

Macro Editing for the Big Picture

 

Editors often speak of macro editing and micro editing, borrowing the terms macro and micro from economics.

Macro editing is big-picture editing and includes:

• Making sure stories are worth running.

• Making sure stories have good leads, are organized and flow well.

• Making sure stories don’t leave unanswered questions.

• Making sure stories are accurate.

• Making sure stories are objective.

• Making sure stories are legal, ethical, tasteful and sensitive to the audience.

In this chapter, we’ll look at all of these except the last item, then devote Chapter 5 to it—law, ethics, taste and sensitivity.

Micro editing is editing with an eye toward the details and includes:

• Making sure the ...