This blog is mainly about the spectacular train wreck at The Sacramento Bee and its parent company, the McClatchy Company. But I also post about current events, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, politics, anything else that grabs my attention. Take a look around this blog, hope you enjoy it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Why would anybody want to be a Copy Editor?
Just came across this news... entry level copy editors make $30,500 a year. A copy editor with 20 years experience makes $52,000 a year. (!?!) Geez, I'm thinking the manager at the 7-11 around the corner makes more.
.
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20 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The spiritual rewards of copy editing, the highest form of journalistic art, transcend mere money.
One might as well ask why anybody would want to be a priest. Of course, if what I read is accurate, the priests are having a lot more sex than the copy editors.
Funny, sad and weird to see this sentence in the copy editor job ad linked in the original post: "You’ll also have an opportunity to help us grow our website."
I actually know a journo that said, “I love my craft, I would work for free if I had to.” So his great company laid him off. When push came to shove, he applied for a job at the US Post Office. A funny little thing called a paycheck ruined his glorious career. I know one thing for sure, if he continues to piss and moan about who is to blame, he will wear out his welcome very fast. He needs his mommy, not rational friends.
You are equating a copy editor with a priest? And, lumping millions of priests together? That is the sickness that is destroying journalism. Geez, a gratuitous knock for Catholic readers? Take your sick self off.
Anon.11:38 AM, I hate to admit we were all proper Marxists coming out of college. Two of us, upon paying taxes, took a slight right turn. The other one, still wants big brother to buffer him from all his worldly cares. Hey, two out of three ain’t bad!
Is there any sort of standard for paying freelance work? I just can’t figure out how that will work in the future. All these journalist trying to do the same thing, will surely drive the salary down. It seems like it might become a supply and demand business, with the supply swamping the demand.
Might become a supply and demand business? Um, what other kind of business is there? 3:23, do you know anything beyond the warm security of full time employment? Again, I repeat, if you don't like the salary ranges in these jobs then quit. Do your own thing, find your own clients, buy your own benefits and pay the double social security and with whatever is left over, live on that. And a "standard" for freelance rates would be price fixing, which is illegal.
Any classically trained professional journalist with the highest professional standards can become a nationally syndicated columnist and make a nice living.
As long as you are willing to sleep with the publisher.
The spiritual rewards of copy editing, the highest form of journalistic art, transcend mere money.
HA! What spiritual rewards? We are obviously underpaid, under appreciated, not recognized, work nights, weekends and holidays. And now we are understaffed with layoffs we are cutting corners just to make deadline. As paginators/copy editors, some nights pages don't even get proofed.
I don't want to be a copy editor -- anymore. But considering I've got seniority thus security in this horrible time, I'll ride it out until I can get the @#$!@ out of this business.
Yep, stay put. This is not the time to be out of work. What else, the new media may open up a job with your name on it, and on the terms you want. Who really knows where this is going?
Anon says; “Any classically trained professional journalist with the highest professional standards can become a nationally syndicated columnist and make a nice living.”
Yes indeedy, riches await you-
“As long as you are willing to sleep with the publisher.”
And, dig every dime you can out of your ex-old man!
Well, many journalists view their career as a calling, not a job, so I guess we are like priests... We certainly don't get any earthly rewards.
" All these journalist trying to do the same thing, will surely drive the salary down." Wake up! It already happened with the photographers. Our paper's day rate won't even cover your equipment costs, nor your car costs (for which we don't pay mileage,) let alone your mortgage. Plus they grab all rights. It will happen with everyone....
The $50k salary for a 20-year vet is probably close to what he earned all those years ago. My inflation-adjusted salary has dropped 25% from the day I was hired as a young kid.
The problem with "the media" isn't liberal bias.... it's bad management and an unwillingness to invest in the most important asset of all: skilled employees.
Funny how we've got a newsroom full of middle managers with a full schedule of meetings, but no copy editors, no reporters, no photographers....
20 comments:
The spiritual rewards of copy editing, the highest form of journalistic art, transcend mere money.
One might as well ask why anybody would want to be a priest. Of course, if what I read is accurate, the priests are having a lot more sex than the copy editors.
Just think. You could hire 13 copy editors for the price of one Jason Whitlock.
Funny, sad and weird to see this sentence in the copy editor job ad linked in the original post: "You’ll also have an opportunity to help us grow our website."
I actually know a journo that said, “I love my craft, I would work for free if I had to.” So his great company laid him off. When push came to shove, he applied for a job at the US Post Office. A funny little thing called a paycheck ruined his glorious career. I know one thing for sure, if he continues to piss and moan about who is to blame, he will wear out his welcome very fast. He needs his mommy, not rational friends.
Anon 9:25 AM,
You are equating a copy editor with a priest? And, lumping millions of priests together? That is the sickness that is destroying journalism. Geez, a gratuitous knock for Catholic readers? Take your sick self off.
Copy Editor would be down (copy editor)
Anon 11:21, Amazing how that paycheck, "Truth to power" thingy works huh?
Nice story. I'll bet your friend was a pisser and moaner at the paper too.
And to possibly get run off at a gov. job... Oh the Hummanity
Anon.11:38 AM,
I hate to admit we were all proper Marxists coming out of college. Two of us, upon paying taxes, took a slight right turn. The other one, still wants big brother to buffer him from all his worldly cares.
Hey, two out of three ain’t bad!
Who makes more money than copy editors?
Let me check my teleprompter:
The answer to that question is decided by some being: "above my pay grade"
BUT, I will adlib an answer:
Just about everybody.
"Just think. You could hire 13 copy editors for the price of one Jason Whitlock."
The 13 editors would probably mean less total poundage as well.
if the pay scales offend all you fte, then why don't you leave your fabric covered cells and try life on the outside as freelancer?
Is there any sort of standard for paying freelance work? I just can’t figure out how that will work in the future. All these journalist trying to do the same thing, will surely drive the salary down. It seems like it might become a supply and demand business, with the supply swamping the demand.
Anonymous said...
The spiritual rewards of copy editing, the highest form of journalistic art, transcend mere money.
Bwahahahaha
That was a joke? Yes?
Might become a supply and demand business? Um, what other kind of business is there? 3:23, do you know anything beyond the warm security of full time employment? Again, I repeat, if you don't like the salary ranges in these jobs then quit. Do your own thing, find your own clients, buy your own benefits and pay the double social security and with whatever is left over, live on that. And a "standard" for freelance rates would be price fixing, which is illegal.
Any classically trained professional journalist with the highest professional standards can become a nationally syndicated columnist and make a nice living.
As long as you are willing to sleep with the publisher.
The spiritual rewards of copy editing, the highest form of journalistic art, transcend mere money.
HA! What spiritual rewards? We are obviously underpaid, under appreciated, not recognized, work nights, weekends and holidays. And now we are understaffed with layoffs we are cutting corners just to make deadline. As paginators/copy editors, some nights pages don't even get proofed.
I don't want to be a copy editor -- anymore. But considering I've got seniority thus security in this horrible time, I'll ride it out until I can get the @#$!@ out of this business.
Anon. 4:56 PM
Yep, stay put. This is not the time to be out of work. What else, the new media may open up a job with your name on it, and on the terms you want. Who really knows where this is going?
Anon says;
“Any classically trained professional journalist with the highest professional standards can become a nationally syndicated columnist and make a nice living.”
Yes indeedy, riches await you-
“As long as you are willing to sleep with the publisher.”
And, dig every dime you can out of your ex-old man!
@3:28
Yes. It was a little joke. Good eye.
Well, many journalists view their career as a calling, not a job, so I guess we are like priests... We certainly don't get any earthly rewards.
" All these journalist trying to do the same thing, will surely drive the salary down." Wake up! It already happened with the photographers. Our paper's day rate won't even cover your equipment costs, nor your car costs (for which we don't pay mileage,) let alone your mortgage. Plus they grab all rights. It will happen with everyone....
The $50k salary for a 20-year vet is probably close to what he earned all those years ago. My inflation-adjusted salary has dropped 25% from the day I was hired as a young kid.
The problem with "the media" isn't liberal bias.... it's bad management and an unwillingness to invest in the most important asset of all: skilled employees.
Funny how we've got a newsroom full of middle managers with a full schedule of meetings, but no copy editors, no reporters, no photographers....
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