Editing skills prove valuable in all kinds of jobs
Whatever kind of journalist you aspire to be – reporter, photojournalist, designer, multimedia producer, broadcaster or editor – you’ll need to develop editing skills to succeed.
Editors work for all kinds of organizations on many different platforms (print, broadcast, Web, mobile). The goal of editing is clarity, regardless of platform. Editors help readers navigate through information by distilling messages. Editors work for small and large newspapers, broadcast outlets, magazines, book publishers and newsletters. They hold communication jobs for corporate, academic and nonprofit organizations. Editing skills are valued in public relations and advertising. Regardless of where they work, editors increasingly are responsible for work published on the Web.
Since 2011, beginning editing students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln interviewed editors from a variety of places to ask them about their jobs, their advice for journalism students and their insight into how journalism is changing. Although the editors the students chose worked in many different jobs, many editors offered similar suggestions.
Their advice included: Read all different kinds of writing, master the basics of usage and grammar, get internships and college publication experience, learn the Web and new technologies, and be open-minded about the future.
Click on the links below to read their reports:
- Don Aguirre, copy writer, Swanson Russell, by Brook O’Neill
- Kaitlin Ahart, communications director at Marian High School, by Moira Delaney
- Susan Albertus, public relations specialist, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, by Sara Slater
- Mark Allen, freelance editor, by Brandon Thomas
- Graham Archer, online sports editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Tanner Westerholt
- Nathan Arneal, owner, North Bend Eagle, by Meridith Gross-Rhode
- Lindsay Augustyn, communications coordinator, Center for Science, Math and Computer Education, by Mady Traun
- Greg Awtry, publisher Scottsbluff News-Herald, by Andrea Neill
- George Ayoub, senior writer, Grand Island Independent, by Reece Ristau
- Lisa Bain, multiplatform editor, Star-Tribune in Minneapolis, by Jordyn Dixon
- Ann Baker, manager of editorial, design and production, University of Nebraska-Press, by Kelsey Baker
- Brett Baker, executive producer Nebraska News and Information Network, by Jessica Larkins
- Bruce Baker, city editor, McCook Daily Gazette, by Megan Conway
- Doug Barber, general manager and editor of Washington County Enterprise and Pilot-Tribune in Blair, Neb., by C.L. Sill
- Yolanda Barney, co-publisher of Revive! magazine, by Milan Bonner
- Alan Bartels, field assistant editor, Nebraska Life magazine, by Nicole Rauner
- Kathryn Bass, copywriter at Karsh Hogan, by Cassandra Kernick
- Debbie Behne, graphic designer, Hain Publishing, by Shelby Wade
- Gerri Berendzen, editorial production coordinator, Quincy Herald-Whig, by Mason Shumaker
- Jessica Best, marketer at Emfluence:Digital Marketing by Emily Wicht
- Hillary Blayney, journalism teacher and adviser, by Julia Gigliodoro
- Miles Blumhardt, editor of active life and sports, Coloradoan, by Jeremy Shipe
- David Brindley, deputy managing editor for copy and research at National Geographic magazine, by Jasmine Rogers
- Jim Brock, editor of the Nebraska City News-Press, by Madison Wurtele
- Karen Brokaw, owner, Brokaw Marketing, by Brennan Andrews
- Amy Brown, co-publisher and editor, Edible Omaha, by Miranda Milovich
- Mike Brownlee, assistant news editor, The Daily Nonpareil, by Sam Egan
- Linda Bryant, managing editor and publisher, Voice News, by Preston Thiemann
- Tracy Buffington, editor of the Fremont Tribune in Fremont, Neb., by Dustin Hunke
- Dave Bundy, editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Tiler Thomas
- Dave Bundy, editor, Lincoln Journal-Star, by Yuliya Petrova
- LaSharah Bunting, Knight Foundation journalism director, by Kyiia Rollag
- Heather Burns, deputy editor at ESPN, by Natasha Rausch
- Patty Busse, Oakdale, Minn., Patch editor, by Frannie Sprouls
- Sean Callahan, editor, huskeronline.com, by Cameron Dudley
- Jesse Carey, contributing editor, Relevant Magazine, by Veronica Vanderbeek
- Cameron Carlow, sports copy editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Reid Kilmer
- Jim Carmichael, NET sports producer, by Dustin Hoffman
- Lorena Carmona, producer NBC Nebraska, by Jordyn Henry
- Zean Carney, former publisher newspaper publisher, by Kaylee Dump
- Doug Carroll, editor, NEBRASKAland magazine, by Gene Curl
- Scott Changnon, multimedia producer and editor, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, by David Cluchey
- Lee Ann Colacioppo, senior news editor, The Denver Post, by Whitney Carlson
- Bill Connolly, retired New York Times editor, by Asha Anchan
- Sue Copeland, contributing editor, Horse&Rider magazine, by Kelly Schnoor
- Stuart Courtney, online sports editor, Chicago Tribune, by Kyle Williams
- Chris Cubbison, USA Today trends editor, by Chelsea Stromer
- Bruce Crosby, editor of the McCook Daily Gazette, by Matt Palu
- Stephanie Croston, sports editor, Seward County Independent, by Jacob Imig
- Kwame Dawes, editor-in-chief, Prairie Schooner, by Jenna Jaynes
- Mary Dearen, managing editor of the Midland Reporter-Telegram, by Emily Deck
- Christine Dell Amore, online natural history editor at National Geographic, by Alli Dickey
- John DiBiase, editor of Jesus Freak Hideout, by Francesca Torquati
- Darnell Dickson, sports editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Ross Benes
- Lisa Gregory Dodge, editor of ANCHORA, by Lindsay Esparrago
- Bruce Dold, editor of the editorial page, Chicago Tribune, by Desi Botica
- Jeff Domingues, assistant news editor, The Denver Post, by Faiz Siddiqui
- Thea Dreisbach, editor of Dirt Road Daughters Magazine, by Emily Taylor
- Margaret Ehlers Bohling, page designer, Lincoln Journal Star, by Flora Zempleni
- Tom Elkins, video editor, by Eric Jesse
- Leeanna Ellis, online editor at Washington County Pilot Tribune & Enterprise by Sophie Tatum
- Dave Elsesser, news and presentation editor at Omaha World-Herald, by Desire Stephens
- Gale Engle, editor at Indian Hills Community Church, by Kathleen Anderson
- Patrick Ethridge, editor, Beatrice Daily Sun, by Jacob Sorensen
- Rick Epps, presentation editor, The Detroit News, by Kelsey Newman
- Randy Essex, senior news editor, Cincinnati Enquirer, by Anna English
- Jennifer Estep, trader and event marketing specialist, T.D. Ameritrade, by Averi Melcher
- Lindsey Faber, freelance editor, by Nikoel Hytrek
- Jim Faddis, managing editor of Grand Island Independent, by Joseph McCarty
- Mary Fastenau, principal, Anthology Marketing Group, by Caitlin Hassler
- Mike Fitzgerald, editor, Nebraska Cattleman, by Jeanna Jenkins
- Mary Flood, legal media consultant at Androvett Legal Media and Marketing, by Lynn Yen
- Joe Foreman, editor of the Opinion-Tribune, by Taylor Lynch
- Darran Fowler, publisher and editor-in-chief, Hastings Tribune, by Collin Spilinek
- Steve Fredericks, Scottsbluff Star-Herald, by Brett Brown
- Betsie Freeman, features editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Kelsey Haugen
- Cate Folsom, metro editor, Omaha World-Herald by Chris Dorwart
- Christian Folsom, producer Channel 10/11, by Erin Hunter
- Jay Furst, executive editor Post Bulletin in Rochester, Minnesota, by Sarah Ruff
- Chet Fussman, sports editor, Florida Times-Union, by Kollin Miller
- Michele Gallagher, public relations director of Panerai North America, by Natalie Kozel
- Jonathan García, digital editor for KETV NewsWatch 7, by Ruth Oliver
- Natasha Gardner, digital editor of 5280, a Denver lifestyle magazine, by Sable Holub
- Ted Genoways, former editor, Virginia Quarterly Review, by Ben Kreimer
- Tom Gitter, public relations specialist at Bozell in Omaha, by Josi Orsi
- Jenn Gjerde, public information officer at Visit Nebraska, by Brenna McFadden
- Nick Goodwin, copywriter, Thought District, by Tiler Grossman
- Larry Graham, executive sports editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, by Eric Bertrand
- Sally Gray, copy editor at Marysville Advocate, by Ben Malotte
- Teddy Greenstein, sports reporter, Chicago Tribune, by Ben McLaughlin
- John Greilick, photo director, The Detroit News, by Bailey Ernst
- Clark Grell, art director, Lincoln Journal Star, by Alex Lantz
- Joe Gulick, editorial page editor, Lubbock Avalanche Journal, by Sarah Jo Lambert
- Sean Hagewood, news coordinator at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, by Xi Deng
- Rachel Halbmaier, events and promotions director at the Railyard, by Elle Hansen
- Ryan Hamm, managing editor of Relevant, by Lindsey Richards
- Laura Haraldson, managing editor of several magazines for Tiger Oak Publications, by Maria Lusk
- Kurtis Harms, executive producer, Market Journal, by Alex Wach
- Tyler Harris, editor of Nebraska Farmer, by Shelby Cammack
- Jim Headley, managing editor, Fairbury Journal-News, by Paige Comreid
- John Heaston, publisher and editor of The Reader in Omaha, by Cara Wilwerding
- Carly Heitlinger, editor, Levo League, by Margaret Bassett
- Bailey Hemphill, assistant editor, Omaha Publications, by Brittany Schave
- Felecia Henderson, assistant managing editor features and design, The Detroit News, by Brianna Foster
- Todd Henrichs, city editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Liang Xiang
- Shauna Hermel, editor of the Angus Journal, by By Ellen Hoffschneider
- Wade Hilligoss, coach support specialist at Hudl, by Zachary Penrice
- Kati and Levi Hime, owners and editors of Wyoming Lifestyle, by Avery Sass
- Curt Hineline, managing editor, Oakland Independent, by Elizabeth Uehling
- Jane Hirt, managing editor, Chicago Tribune, by Hailey Konnath
- Johnna Hjersman, copy editor, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, by Kelly O’Malley
- Kristen Hoffman, designer, by Taylor Christian
- Sharon Hoffmann, assistant features editor Kansas City Star, by Chris Nelson
- Neil Holdway, news editor, Daily Herald in suburban Chicago, by Adam Kroft
- Roger Holmes, former editor at Fine Woodworking magazine, by Doug Norby
- Margaret Holt, standards editor the Chicago Tribune, by Jessica Gibbs
- Tyler Huckabee, managing editor, Relevant Magazine, by Veronica Venderbeek
- Catharine Huddle, assistant city editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Zach Tegler
- Maj. Kevin Hynes, editor of Prairie Soldier and public affairs officer Army and Air National Guard, by Heidi Krueger
- Matthew Hynes, photographer, by Anne-Marie Schneider
- Darren Ivy, publisher, Doniphan Herald, by Heather Haskins
- Josh Jackson, Paste magazine editor, by Madisyn Hahn
- Josh Jackson, Paste magazine editor, by Brennan Shively
- Emily Johnson, digital editor, The Daily Nonpareil, by Natalie Turcos
- Kelly Johnson, Sunday business editor, Washington Post, by Katie Nelson
- Kurt Johnson, editor and publisher Aurora News-Register, by Kaci Hixson
- Brady Jones, page designer, Omaha World-Herald, by Alicia Mikoloyck
- Danielle Jurski, creative writer and social strategist, Nelnet, by Laura Barker
- Julie Kaiser, public relations and communications consultant, Memorial Medical Center, by Samantha Biel
- Mike Kellams, associate managing editor / sports, Chicago Tribune, by Emily Nitcher
- Dennis Kellogg, news director at NET, by Cadrien Livingstong
- Pete Kerzel, managing editor of MASNsports.com, by Sara Kline
- Janet Kimball, managing editor, Mountaineer Books, by Sara Rueschhoff
- The Rev. Nicholas Kipper, editor, Southern Nebraska Register, by Ruth Jaros
- Ted Kirk, photo editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Kevin Kuehl
- Jane Kleeb, founder and editor of Bold Nebraska, by Shelby Fleig
- Lonna Kliment, director of ticket marketing for University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics, by Jeff Chestnut
- Adam Klinker, editor, Ralston Recorder, by Sara Janak and Robert Vencil
- Jeff Knox, senior director of photography at The Daily Herald in Chicago, by Dena Lorenson
- Julie Koch, copy editor, the Lincoln Journal Star, by Sara Hinds
- Jessica Kokesh, regional editor, Kearney Hub, by Sawyer Davidson
- Mike Konz, Kearney Hub editor, by Abby Schipporeit
- Jeff Korbelik, features editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Abigail Gentrup
- Doug Kouma, managing editor, Meredith Corp., by Morgan Horton
- David Krause, sports executive producer, 9news, by Bailey Neel
- Shelly Kulhanek, assistant city editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Rebecca Carr
- Marianne Kunkel, managing editor, Prairie Schooner, by Julia Jackson
- Jeff Kurrus, associate editor, NEBRASKAland, by Olivia Johnson
- Patrick Lalley, editor, Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, by Jourdyn Kaarre
- Alex Lantz, sports copy editor, Lincoln Jouran Star, by M’Balia Bangoura
- Eric Larsen, senior editor for content at Coloradoan, by Alexa West
- George Lauby, editor of North Platte Bulletin, by Ryan Nielson
- Meg Lauerman, director of communications for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, by Amanda Schmidt
- Jessica Lavicky, e-content managing editor, Farm Progress, by Emma Likens
- Erin Lenz, Friendship Home development director, by Kaelie Kellner
- Thad Livingston, sports editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Teddy Lampkin
- Josie Loza, momaha.com editor, by Emily Eckel
- Kristen Lueck, senior account executive Man Made Music, by Emily Trofholz
- Dana Ludvik, marketing and communications specialist, Water for Food Global Institute, by Cassandra Huck
- Ruben Luna, associate sports editor, The Detroit News, by Connor Stange
- Tim Lyford, news editor, Argus Leader in South Dakota, by Elias Youngquist
- Karen Magnuson, editor and vice president at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y., by Julia Benson
- Buck Mahoney, sports editor at the Kearney Hub, by Sam Peshek
- Carrie Malek-Madani, communications coordinator for the Lied Center for Performing Arts, by Amy Svoboda
- Gabriella Martinez-Garro, marketing coordinator for Downtown Lincoln Association, by Madeleine Johnson
- Melissa Matczak, executive editor Omaha World-Herald, by Alli Davis
- Jamie May, senior associate editor, BEEF Magazine, by Mollie Wilken
- Don McCabe, editor, Nebraska Farmer, by Melissa Keyes
- Sarah McCallister, copy editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Michael Stanek
- Pat McFadden, Page 1 editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press, by Frannie Sprouls
- Meg McGuire, public relations manager at Charming Charlie, by Molly Deaver
- Terry McHale, California lobbyist and editor, by Michelle Baker
- Terry McKeighan, news editor, Fremont Tribune, by Madison Bell
- Bridget McQuillan, content market coordinator at FlyWheel, by Anna Rosenlof
- Micah Mertes, online entertainment editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Annie Bohling
- Ben Meyerson, news editor, Sun-Times Media Group, by Cara Snower
- Terry Miles, co-owner, Frontier and Holt County Independent, by Adam Pribil
- Chad Millman, editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine, by Haley Whisennand
- Susan Minichiello, weekend editor at the Lincoln Journal Star, by Jensyn Labadie
- Elisabeth Mistretta,news editor, Sun-Times Media Group, by Cara Snower
- Scott Monserud, sports editor, Denver Post, by Crystal Zamora
- David Moore, executive creative director, Thought District, by Elise Genaidy
- Alan Mores, co-publisher of Harlan Tribune, by Chelsea Musfedlt
- Kayla Muehler, assignment editor WDAY-TV, by Acacia Wetzstein
- Lyle Muller, executive director of the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, by Andrew Ward
- Carrie Naylor, publisher of Bertrand Herald, by Jeff Renken
- Dawn Needham, deputy news editor, The Detroit News, by Paige Cornwell
- Christopher Nelson, road test editor, Automobile magazine, by Alexander Hall
- Katie Nieland, graphic designer, Chicago Tribune, by Kaitlyn Nelsen
- Andrew Norman, co-founder, director and editor of Hear Nebraska, by Erika Kime
- Brian Norton, online sports editor, Omaha World-Herald, by James Voboril
- Katie Novak, news editor, Burt County Plaindealer, by Jacob Bryant
- Brandon Olson, digital content hub editor, BH Media, by Heather Brandt
- Natalie Olson-Elm, national account director at Target Media Network, by Jamie Gilliam
- Max Ortiz, multimedia producer, The Detroit News, by Emily Walkenhorst
- Crystal Owens, assistant editor, Loudoun Times-Mirror, by Emily Rust
- Jacob Padilla, editor, NebHHSSports.com, by Carter Donahue
- Kaela Paseka, creative director, Duncan Aviation, by Megan Engel
- Amy Palser, managing editor, Hastings Tribune, by Chloe Gibson
- Maggie Pavelka, Deloitte manager, by Alexis Libal
- Megan Paolone, head copy editor, BuzzFeed, by Hannah Trull
- Kate Parry, assistant managing editor, Minneapolis Star Tribune, by Lani Hanson
- Haylee Pearl, copy editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Paige Ourada
- Linda Persigehl, managing editor of Omaha Publications, by Kylie Morrison-Sloat
- Linda Persigehl, former managing editor, Omaha Magazine, by Michaela Noble
- Ron Petak, executive editor, Suburban Newspapers, by Elissa Kroeger
- Courtney Pitts-Mattern, copy editor at Omaha World-Herald, by Alissa Shanahan
- Zach Pluhacek, online editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Emily Walkenhorst
- Nick Piastowski, assistant sports editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Connor Schuessler
- Scott Poese, station manager, KBRX in O’Neill, Neb., by Marc Zakrzewski
- R.J. Post, assistant managing editor, Grand Island Independent, by Jacy Marmaduke
- Mike Powell, contributing editor at Pitchfork, by Ryan Taylor
- Noah Prestwich, associate editor at ClickHole, by Nick Kuklinski
- Heather Price, copy editor/page designer, Lincoln Journal Star, by Bethany Schmidt
- Tomari Quinn, editor and director of audience development at Topeka Capital-Journal, by Jordan Huesers
- Sue Ramsett, news director for KOLN/KGIN 10-11, by Zach Revense
- Jennifer Ramundt, copy chief and assistant managing editor at Meredith Corp., by Lizzie Moran
- Michael Rand, digital sports editor, Minneapolis Star Tribune, by Zachary Markon
- Anne Raup, photo editor, Anchorage Daily News, by Kaylee Everlee
- Andy Raun, regional editor, Hastings Tribune, by Daniel Buhrman
- Lisa Reid, field editor of Showtimes Jr. Livestock Magazine, by Samantha Schneider
- Erin Reynolds, project and brand manager, Archrival, by Jonathan Crutchfield
- Guy Reynolds, Willa Cather scholarly edition books editor, by Weston Poor
- Christine Ricciardi, copy editor, GuideLive, by Alli Lorensen
- Bill Rischmueller , operator of Wakefield Republican, by Daniel Vanderveen
- Mary Lou Rodgers, editor, Douglas County Post-Gazette, by Sarah Vogel
- Jill Rogers, project manager at True North Market Insights, by Kristen Seidl
- Linda Rosenberg, director of copy editing at Penguin books, by Morgan Spiehs
- Ryan Rothman, social media strategist at Hurrdat, by Amanda Callaway
- Corey Russman, editor at Sandhills Publishing, by Julia Peterson
- Burt Rutherford, senior editor, BEEF Magazine, by Valerie Kesterson
- Katie Sands, vice president and account director at Swanson Russell, by Maddie Stuart
- Deb Shanahan, Money editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Michael Bishop
- Ryan Scarrow, social sciences editor for Nature, Plants & Sustainability Journal, by Molli Miller
- Kayla Schlechter, field communications manager for POET, by Miranda Broin
- Mike Schaefer, 247Sports, by Jacob Bova
- Nicole Schmoll, freelance copywriter, by Haley E. Barber
- John Schreier, managing editor at The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs, Iowa, by Hannah Pachunka
- Dave Schroeder, news director, KRVN, by Bryce Doeschot
- Gary Schwab, senior sports editor, Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer, by Gage Peake
- Mark Schwaninger, L magazine in Lincoln, Neb., by Kayla Stauffer
- Brien Seifferlein, video editor, NET Nebraska, by Will Stott
- Lew Serviss, staff editor, The New York Times, by Carrie Niemeier
- Howard Sinker, digital sports editor, Minneapolis Star Tribune, by Josh Skluzacek
- Amber Smith, news producer at KOLN-KGIN 10/11, by Lindsey Berning
- Patrick Smith, online editor at Omaha World-Herald, by Annie Pigaga
- Dan Speirs, assistant managing editor, Kearney Hub, by Sarah Parkin
- Dave Stagg, owner and editor, HM Magazine, by Ben Rickaby
- Chip Souza, sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times, by Robby Korth
- Larry Sparks, a former online editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Kyle Cummings
- Chris Spurlock, graphics editor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, by Anna English
- Philippa Stasiuk, content developer at Resort Lifestyle Communities, by Matt Balascak
- Christine Steele, senior copy editor, The Capital Group Companies, by Gabbi Nicole
- Kathy Steinauer Smith, community investment manager at Woods Charitable Fund, by Griffith Swidler
- Haley Steinkuhler, media specialist, Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, by Emily Long
- Hilary Stohs-Krause, multimedia reporter and online editor, NET, by Margaret Baker
- Colleen Stoxen, assistant managing editor for Page One, Minneapolis Star Tribune, by Angela Hensel
- Ginger Stringer, Web editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune in Columbia, Mo., by Demetria Stephens
- Tim Summers, graphics editor, The Detroit News by Mikala Kolander
- Jenny Sundberg, brand communications manager at Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, by Jolene Dreier
- Iris Sutcliffe, freelance editor, by Karynn Brown
- Marissa Tankersley, editor of Drive, by Amanda Schutz
- Rob Taylor, sports acquisition editor, University of Nebraska Press, by Libby Mason
- Zach Tegler, sports copy editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Matt Jensen
- Ryan Terrell, news editor, Suburban Life, by Margaret Sorce
- John Teti, senior editor at the A.V. Club, by Drew Preston
- Tyler Thomas, owner and writer of the blog Nebraska Foodie, by Lauren Grace Bejot
- Emily Thornburg, communications director for Nebraska Corn Board, by Morgan Zumpfe
- Michael Todd, managing editor, Hear Nebraska, by Matthew Masin
- Vince Tuss, homepage producer at Star Tribune, by Monica Uzpen
- Mike Vandermause, sports editor and columnist at the Green Bay Press Gazette, by John Howell
- Ben Vankat, online editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Anna Gronewold
- Susan Veidt, president U.S. Central Region of FleishmanHillard, by Nicole Emanuel
- Brandon Vogel, managing editor at Hail Varsity, by Sarah Frey
- Krista Vogel, account manager, Hurrdat Social Media, by Sherene Al-Turk
- Job Vigil, managing editor of the North Platte Telegraph, by Cade McFadden
- Curt Wagner, features editor, RedEye, by Ally Phillips
- Kent Warneke, editor, Norfolk Daily News, by Michael Menish
- Tim Weber, sports copy editor, Lincoln Journal Star, by Josh Nedved
- MaryJo Webster, data editor, Minneapolis Star Tribune, by Aidan Connolly
- Darrell Wellman, managing editor, Nemaha County Herald, by Thomas Shelly
- Sandra Wendel, owner Write On, Inc., by Michaela Odens
- Metta West, copy editor, Meredith Corp., by Cristina Woodworth
- Joshua Whitney, journalism teacher at Southeast Community College, by Julian Hayden
- Kevin Wilkins, editor, of Skateboard Mag, by James Pace-Cornsilk
- David Williams, editor Omaha magazine, by Jillian Humphries
- Melanie Wilkinson, news editor, York News Times, by Kelsey Baldridge
- Bill Windler, sports editor, Milwaukee Journal Star, by Jake Sueflohn
- Connie White, state government editor, Omaha World-Herald, by Jaime Melton
- Mark Zeligman, assistant sports editor, Kansas City Star, by Chris Heady
- David Zenlea, associate editor, Automobile magazine, by Alexander Hall
- Sara Ziegler, entertainment editor at Omaha World-Herald, by Maranda Louglin
- Chuck Zimmerman, founder, ZimmComm New Media LLC, by Kristi Block
- Joeth Zucco, senior project editor, University of Nebraska Press, by Jordan Kranse
Vincent Tuss’ journey to becoming an editor started with an internship
by Monica Uzpen
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
International relations isn’t a traditional major for journalists, but don’t tell Vincent Tuss that.

Vincent Tuss, night homepage producer at the Star Tribune
Vincent Tuss, night homepage producer at the Star Tribune and professional copy editor, said international relations is all about helping people connect with and understand each other, which is a big part of what journalists do.
Throughout his career, he has been doing just that.
Tuss received his bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in 1994. Afterwards, he won the Dow Jones News Fund internship, worked as a copy editor for many publications, joined ACES: the Society for Editing and finally landed a job at the Star Tribune. But he was interested in journalism far before crossing his graduation stage.
“I was thinking about doing it in high school, but the timing didn’t work out,” Tuss said.
His interest came from reading The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, his hometown papers, which Tuss said were big and vibrant with lots of personality. It would take him until his senior year in college to act on this interest and join his college paper.
After that the rest is history. Literally history.
After he graduated, the Cold War made jobs in international relations hard to get, and Tuss knew he had what it took to be a journalist, so he accepted a Dow Jones internship, which places students in internships across the country after they take a highly competitive editing test.
That internship was like a two-week boot camp. Taught by a former Marine and journalism professor, the program had Tuss taking spelling and geography tests too difficult to pass.
“The idea was not so much that you had to learn everything, but to make you realize what you didn’t know, which is a lot.”
After the internship, Tuss pursued a career in sports journalism, which he always had a passion for. He started out covering women’s soccer and eventually worked his way up to men’s basketball, but soon realized everyone wanted to do sports and that there was little room in that industry. That’s when he realized he’d be great at editing.
“The more I did it, the more I liked it, the more I thought I was good at it.”
Now, he works as a night homepage producer at the Star Tribune, using all the experience he gained from editing. The biggest challenge? Trying to fill in the gap of what can make a story and what can’t.
And of course, trying to get everyone on the same page to fill that gap.
Tuss said that it’s especially difficult at night because the discussion of what to put in and leave out of the paper already happened. But Tuss also understands the importance of working with other people and communication.
“As much as we like to put a name on a story, it’s all a cooperative effort.”
The culture of his workplace is shifting to help make communication easier. The layout of his office, which he called The Hub, has changed to make the workplace more collaborative. Small innovations like this are just the tip of the iceberg in a changing field like journalism.
To keep up with the changes, Tuss recommends that aspiring journalists stay curious. Keep learning because you don’t know where the industry will be in two years, let alone 10.
But you don’t just have to look to the future to improve your skills. Tuss said that he wished he focussed more on writing, as well as other basic skills.
“You’re a better editor if you’re a writer and you’re a better writer if you’re an editor.”
Freelance editor finds editing skills still matter after newsroom
By Brandon Thomas
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Mark Allen, a newsroom veteran of over 20 years, is a freelance copyeditor.
Since the Great Recession, newspapers have cut jobs dramatically, forcing editors like Mark Allen to find new venues for their skills.
Allen started working in journalism when he was in high school as a reporter for the student newspaper. After high school, he continued as a reporter for a small time, but found employers valued his ability to edit others.
For more than 20 years, he worked for various news organizations until cutbacks led him into freelance work.
Journalism is far from what it was 20 years ago, but Allen still misses the fast-paced atmosphere around the copy desk.
“The most fun I get as a freelance copy editor is when it’s more of a journalistic thing, like a blog for a website,” Allen said. “I can apply those skills that I used as a journalist.”
Allen said all copy editing basically has the same goal, and that is to ensure that the story makes sense and is free of grammatical errors. It is the editor’s job to make the writer sound credible.
Allen’s experience as a reporter has helped him as an editor. Often editors are focused more on the reader, while reporters focus more on composition.
“When I was a copy editor, I wasn’t really thinking about the feelings of the writer so much,” Allen said. “I care that the reader may have questions, and are we answering those questions … the intent of what has been written is the result of what’s read.”
As a freelancer, Allen has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ohio State University, The Knight Foundation as well as the Center for Transitional Justice.
He also teaches at University of California San Diego Extension in advanced copy editing. That allows him to teach editing skills to a variety of people from all over the world.
Allen said he’s learned different perspectives from foreign students.
“English has become the lingua franca that everybody uses in business throughout the world,” he said. “People want to be able to edit in English because there is a demand for that.”
Allen was the first freelance editor to hold a seat on the board of ACES: The Society for Editing, which is an indication of the changing state of news media.
“When I was laid off, the first thing I wanted to do was to sign up for the ACES national conference,” Allen said. “As I was launching a freelance career, I knew that would be a good resource and I wanted to be with other people in the field that were going through the same thing.”
Allen said that the biggest group of people in ACES now are freelance editors, with around a quarter of members working in actual news media.
Editing is important in a variety of fields and on a variety of platforms. With more editors looking for work, non-traditional news outlets can find former newspapereditors to provide that work. Websites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy are seeing a need to put out more refined content, and editors help enforce that.
Allen reaches out to others through his blog, which keeps up with the changes in AP style, as well as a venue for his compilations of mnemonic devices, which help people to remember common grammatical errors.
Another way that Allen stays connected to the news world is through Twitter. It started as a way to remain relevant as a copy editor and to reach a wider audience. Allen began posting editing tips, and a lot of people appreciated that he was doing that.
“So much of what’s great about Twitter is what you can learn from other people,” Allen said.
He started following people he thought were interesting, and soon it turned into something much like co-workers hanging around the copy desk of a newsroom. Soon he started following linguists and lexicographers, which has helped him learn new things and expand his craft.
“It turns into this fantastic conversation where you have your co-workers online,” Allen said. “You can talk about changes in the language and editing issues. You can talk to people that are beyond what you are used to, and still provide a service for those that are looking for it.”
The vast landscape that journalism exists in is constantly changing. How students prepare for those changes is hard to gauge. Sometimes the role a student picks up after graduation is not what the student had planned.
“One thing that I realized when I was young, was that having a journalism degree, having the ability to write … those skills are so transferable and so useful in so many situations,” Allen said. “One piece of advice is to look broadly at how those skills can be used to the jobs that are available. If you are a good editor, there is going to be a place for you.”
Project manager Jill Rogers turns her passion into a career
By Kristen Seidl
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Most people don’t equate market research with editing, but for Jill Rogers the two go hand-in-hand.
Rogers is the director of project management at True North Market Insights, a small market research company based near Lawrence, Kansas, where she edits documents for clients daily.

Jill Rogers, director of project management at True North Market Insights. (Courtesy of True North Market Insights.)
Even in college, Rogers realized that she wanted a career in market research, but didn’t want anything to do with business.
“The business classes were boring me,” Rogers said in a phone interview.
Rogers came into college in 1986 as a business major. Like most students, she didn’t know what she wanted to do after graduation. She figured a business major would guarantee her some kind of job.
After her freshman year, she decided that if she was bored in her business classes, then she would be bored in her career after she graduated. She knew that she wanted more than that in life.
She had always liked advertising and marketing, and over the summers she would work as an interviewer, calling people and administering surveys. When she went back to school at the beginning of her sophomore year, she switched her major over to advertising in the journalism college.
Rogers took a marketing class that year and fell in love with the advertising part of it. She knew that the editing part was just as crucial so that the clients she worked with over the summers wouldn’t find any mistakes in her work. She graduated from the University of Kansas in 1990 with a degree in journalism and an emphasis in advertising.
A typical day in Roger’s job consists of a couple of conference calls and lots of computer work. She works with several PowerPoint and Excel documents a day, reviewing them for grammar and style errors before sending them out to the company’s clients.
“I’m living in PowerPoint and living in Excel, and really paying attention to detail so that you don’t have one thing wrong in a document or a report that’s going to be going to a client,” she said.
As it says in True North’s profile of her, it is her “job to guard the quality of the data at every stage and to ensure that results are delivered when promised.”
She talked about how she liked the variety of the projects that the company works on. There are a lot of different projects that she is working on at any given time. If there’s something that she didn’t necessarily like doing, she said, it would go away in a certain amount of time.
One of the challenges she faces is that while there is a variety in what kind of projects the company is working on, her job can be pretty monotonous. Rogers is always doing a lot of computer work. She said that doing the same thing day in and day out can get repetitive.
When asked what kind of advice she would give to someone in college looking for a job after graduation, she had a simple answer.
“Always be on the lookout for opportunities,” she said. “If you don’t want to get held up in your field, switch jobs every three to four years so that you can get those raises and promotions because staying in the same job for years on end isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
Even as a child, Jay Furst knew he wanted to be a journalist
Sarah Ruff
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jay Furst knew he wanted to be a journalist since he was a kid and saw newspapers all over his house.
“Journalism is a public service,” he said, “and it’s an honor to be able to report news, meet people and tell their stories and inform and entertain readers.”
Furst has been a journalist for 35 years.

Jay Furst, executive editor of the Post Bulletin, in Minnesota
In college, he was as an English and creative writing major at Princeton University, graduating in 1979.
Now he’s the executive editor of the Post Bulletin in Rochester, Minnesota. Though Furst is an editor, he said he still hopes to one day write deathless fiction.
With journalism, Furst said, he likes writing stories that people can relate to.
“I love to write and to bring literary qualities to my daily journalism — creative word choice and approaches to stories,” Furst said. “I write daily columns that are all about personality, voice and humor.”
Furst said his favorite type of news is long-form stories that are issue-oriented. He said he likes when the people are front and center, but the context of the story is clear. He enjoys when plenty of sights and sounds are provided to make the reader feel involved.
Furst started in journalism in high school drawing political cartoons for his hometown paper in Wahpeton, North Dakota. His interest in politics started with political talks with his parents.
“We were a news-oriented family, three daily papers in the house, lots of politics and debate at dinner,” he said. “My parents were good readers, always talking about news and books.”
Through his career, Furst said he has won some awards. His most recent was an award for an investigative series on panhandling in Rochester and whether it was a scam. He said he believes that awards are nice, but they are not what is most important to him.
Furst said he considers his biggest accomplishments raising a family and being a journalist.
“Hopefully my kids would say I’m a good dad,” he said. “and professionally, that I’ve been able to make a living as a writer and journalist at a time of profound changes in the business.”
After all these years in the business, Furst said he has learned a lot.
His advice for future journalists:
“Journalism is a public service. If you don’t believe that, there are easier and more lucrative ways to make a living.”
Bunting emphasizes digital transformation, diversity in journalism
By Kyiia Rollag
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Omaha, Nebraska, sits in the center of the United States of America.
Most couldn’t point it out on a map, but for LaSharah Bunting, the Knight Foundation director of journalism, it’s home.
Her career in journalism has taken her across the country from The Dallas Morning News to The New York Times to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami.

LaSharah Bunting, director of journalism of the Knight Foundation. (Photo courtesy of the Knight Foundation.)
At one time, Bunting had considered law school but decided as a journalist she could change the world.
She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2000. She gained additional training through the Maynard Media Academy at Harvard University, Chips Quinn Scholars program and the Dow Jones News Fund editing program.
She joined the Knight Foundation, which gives money strategically and invests in journalism organizations, in 2017.
Before that, Bunting had worked at The New York Times for 14 years, guiding much of the newsroom as a senior editor.
“This opportunity at the Knight Foundation was an opportunity to help the entire industry,” Bunting said. “So, I could help just The New York Times or I could help the entire industry. It’s an amazing privilege to be in this role and do the work that I am doing.”
While at The New York Times, Bunting gathered a plethora of knowledge in digital transformation and as an assignment editor.
Bunting credits The New York Times, where she began to focus on strategic digital transformation, in preparing her for her Knight Foundation position.
Her years as an editor helped too.
As an editor, you have to see even the smallest details – a skill necessary in any job you do.
“Digital was very much my focus during my time as an assignment editor,” Bunting said. “That job requires you to have critical thinking skills. You need to be able to look around corners to anticipate things, you need to both have a high-level view of a situation and then be able to switch to sort of the nitty-gritty.”
In a digital world, for newspapers to be successful, it is crucial that editors are aware of their audience. This means paying attention to trends and likes.
Bunting said that diversity is also important in storytelling. To write interesting, vibrant stories, newsrooms need to reflect their diverse communities.
A McKinsey research study has proven that companies with diverse staffs make more money.
“It’s so crucial to the bottom line and some news organizations are starting to realize that to be able to connect with those different, diverse audiences you need diverse staff to do so,” Bunting said.
Over the past decade, Bunting has acquired a wealth of knowledge to pass down to future journalists.
Bunting recommends reading The New York Times, The New Yorker and other good writing.
Her advice to students: “Get internships. Be experienced. Whether it’s working at the Daily Nebraskan or working at the Lincoln Journal Star.
“Be curious. Always stay curious. Always be aware of what’s going on in the industry.
“Read. Read. Read. Read really great writing. Read what’s out there. Know what good writing is. Know what good reporting is. Doing and reading are the ways to get closer to where you want to be.”
Greg Awtry talks the business of journalism
By Andrea Neill
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Greg Awtry’s career did not start off in journalism.
“I was in business, sales and marketing for most of my life, usually working with the media from the other side,” Awtry said.
This all changed in 2004 when he joined a newspaper as an advertising director. He then moved on to become a publisher the next year.
Awtry is the publisher of Star Herald in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. As a community newspaper publisher, he makes sure he knows what is going on around the community and informs others about it.
“Who will tell their stories, cover their city councils, high school plays, concerts and sports? Who will announce upcoming charity events, sponsor little league teams and make generous donations to the community? Who will publish and save decades of obituaries and wedding announcements?,” Awtry said.
Occasionally, he’s been involved in national news stories too. He was interviewed by CBS News to discuss the cons of the Keystone XL pipeline and why citizens in his area were affected by it.
He takes his job seriously, but knows that sometimes mistakes happen in newsrooms. “Some embarrassing, like the time the cutline under the photo said ‘Fat man in a red shirt’, which slipped by all our copy editors,” Awtry said.
The error underscored the importance of careful editing.
Being a journalist poses challenges. At times, the newsroom produces stories the consumer doesn’t necessarily want to see. It’s hard to see journalists villainized by others.
“What most people don’t realize is that journalists are people too,” he said. “We are often accused of sensationalizing the news by reporting on tragedies just to sell newspapers. This is false. Journalists covering fatality accidents come back to the office in tears. In short, we cover a lot of stories we wish we never had to: murders, assaults, sexual predators, etc. All these stories have victims and we must be sensitive to them as well as report on the incidents.”
Though Awtry has worked in journalism for 13 years, he stills brings fresh ideas to the newsroom.
His paper has embraced the use of technology in journalism.
“Our digital audience growth and readership is growing at a rate outpacing most newspapers in the industry, and it has been for some time,” he said. “While some papers still resist the Internet, we welcome it, knowing it is our future.”
Journalists are reaching audiences on mobile platforms. And he believes that as social media grows so will the confusion on what real news is versus a friend’s version of the news.
“Journalists today have a huge responsibility to rise above the fluff, to deliver a message with facts and purpose, and to make a difference by spreading the truth,” he said.
How can journalists make sure that their readers trust them enough to seek news over the fluff?
“Report the truth. Be relentless in seeking out and reporting the truth,” Awtry said. “Some readers may never come around, but to earn the respect and trust, we must report the truth… always.”
Coming from a business career, Awtry looks at numbers and figures of the newsroom along with the stories.
“Without profits, we cease to exist,” he said.
Being economically secure ensures that he can provide everything his staff needs to be the best journalists they can be.
“That includes hiring excellent management, provide proper training and equipment and to fight every day for their rights to access,” Awtry said.
Although he didn’t expect to wind up in journalism, Awtry wants nothing more than to be part of its future.