Testy Copy Editors

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 Post subject: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2003 4:13 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2002 1:01 am
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Location: Bethesda, Md.
Prizes, whether they be cash or candy bars, are acknowledged to be a great way to recognize the fine work that copy editors do. But one aspect of our jobs is woefully unrecognized. We will care of that with the first annual Testy Copy Editors Jumphed Competition.
Anyone can write a decent headline. But after you do, thinking that you've tapped all your creativity, there looms the jumphed.
Many newspapers have given up on the jumphed in favor of the keyword (MEATBALLS, from Page 1), but publications respectful of industry tradition have stuck with it. Some papers are foolish enough to jump twice, making the job triply challenging.
Send in your jumpheds. We'll award a cash prize, a bag of candy bars and a cheaply printed certificate of achievement to each winner.
Entries, with supporting PDFs or JPEGs, should be e-mailed to jumphed@testycopyeditors.org . The deadline is indefinite.<p>[ September 15, 2003: Message edited by: blanp ]</p>


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 3:59 pm 
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Location: Cusp of retirement, grave or both
Ah, you have hit a sore spot.<p>We still have jumpheds, using this format:<p>WORLD COURT: Kissinger guilty of genocide<p>OK, fine. But the problem is that, for some reasons, some copy editors write the hed like this:<p>WORLD COURT: Convicts Kissinger of genocide<p>HTF can anyone think this is OK, using the word before the colon as part of a "sentence?" Why do I have to change this crap all the time? Why am I working today, when it is supposed to be my day off?


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 4:45 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
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Location: Baltimore
Will the First Annual awards banquet be held in the Greater Great Falls area?


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 5:17 pm 
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Location: Bethesda, Md.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Wayne Countryman:
Will the First Annual awards banquet be held in the Greater Great Falls area?<hr></blockquote><p>Cheeseburgers.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 5:52 pm 
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I guess it's the same all over. Once I finish with all the bells and whistles, I don't give a shit about the jumphed and will send out almost anything.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 6:57 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 26
Location: Albany, NY
Can there also be consolation prizes for slots who deal with the most instances of rimsters who turn in prize-worthy amounts of jump heds that read: "jump hed here"?? (that is the default the layout editors use where I work)


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 9:08 pm 
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Well, Theothermike, at this very paper we used to have a community page that was put out by the copy desk's equivalent of F Troop. <p>One time this page, full of light features and school menus and crap, had a huge 72pt bold hammerhed over a story about something or other. The hammerhed must have puzzled a few readers, for it said ONE LINE HERE.<p>Digression: The same outfit once produced a fine little piece about a sweet 100-year-old woman with a hed that referred to her as a "centurion."
I bet she was something while swinging one of those big swords.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 9:45 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2002 12:01 am
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Location: Albany, NY
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by blanp:
<p>Cheeseburgers.<hr></blockquote><p>I smell a Bob Greene reference. But please explain further.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 9:47 pm 
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Location: Bethesda, Md.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jmcg:
<p>I smell a Bob Greene reference. But please explain further.<hr></blockquote><p>You read too much into it. That's the menu for the awards dinner.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 9:57 pm 
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I agree with Theothermike. Jumpheds that say ONE LINE JUMPHED HERE are automatic winners. We get lots of 'em.


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 Post subject: Re: Contest Fever
PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2003 4:20 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
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Location: Baltimore
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Many newspapers have given up on the jumphed in favor of the keyword (MEATBALLS, from Page 1), but publications respectful of industry tradition have stuck with it. <hr></blockquote><p>A previous employer used the keyword-only method.<p>Can't remember exactly what the Page 1 story was about, but it had something to do with jumping. So, I used "Jump" as the keyword. The composing room, accustomed to seeing "Jump" at least once per section front on some slots' pages, called to demand "the right one." Can't remember how long we argued, but it made my month.


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