Copy Desk Farewell

In 2010, Media General announced it would consolidate the copy desks at its three largest newspapers into one consolidated editing center. The Winston-Salem Journal lost 18 people -- the entire copy desk and a graphic designer. A farewell tribute to them

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Winston-Salem Journal
• copy editing
• journalism
• newspapers
• copy desk

[Realbeagleboy]

Consolidated copy desks are a tool of the devil.

[CrazyOldBat]

"Its success is its credibility, not its bottom line." Karen Parker, those are words that should be memorized by every newspaper's publisher and top editors. Those people, who are usually in and out in a few years, don't understand 1. What we do or 2. How much we know and contribute to the newspaper in a multiplicity of ways, not just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. And seeing that cake at the end just got me all choked up.

[athensjw2]

I'm sure MG execs would say this is part of the transition online. Newspaper stories online need editing, too.

[TicklesTinkles]

We have a copy desk opening in beautiful Tyler, Texas. Look us up on journalismjobs.

[bullgimp]

start a new paper i got fired at the yadkin ripple two weeks ago boss asked me what i thought of the secretary's breasts and i reported him to the ceo

[bullgimp]

yo

[cobbox]

This breaks my heart. Very sad to watch newspapers dying. I loved my nine years in the newspaper business. Best of luck to everyone who got laid off. It's just not right.

[craiggles61107]

Well--ultimately, good work has to be its own reward, I guess.

[lookoutkeeper]

this saddens me deeply. I spent more than 20 years at the Journal, five on the copy desk. I worked with many of the people in this video. I consider most of them to be my friends. Eighteen good, accomplished and caring journalists lost their jobs in what can only be described as a short-sighted corporate decision to bolster profits. The Journal and the city will poorer because of it.

[penningtonjl]

I've never been to Winston-Salem and I don't think I've ever even read a single story from the Journal. But what a shame this is, and what a tribute this is.

[aresef]

What a damn shame.

[Gayle5088]

Thank you for your years of unheralded service. Those of us who have been here for decades know what a difference you made.