Editing Wire Service Copy Wire stories often need to be cut more dramatically Wire editors often need to combine stories

What is “railroading” Answer: Running wire stories in paper without having edited them

Goals to keep in mind when editing wire copy Preserve as much copy as possible (unless turning article into a brief, obviously) Keep as much of reporter’s style as possible Trimming for space never good excuse for introducing error Watch out for headless snakes No mindless hacking from bottom

Combining stories Context – watch misplacing paragraphs Transitions and smoothness (tip: call them up side by side)

Tip Wire editors also watch wire for stories of interest to reporters, editors on their beats Wire editors also watch out for wire stories they can add local element to