Writing is hard. For journalists, self-editing can be even harder. After the demands of reporting and drafting, revising your work may feel like an extra chore. But in an era of instant sharing – when one mistake can spread to thousands in seconds – overlooking this step can weaken your story, damage your reputation and harm your career.
Shrinking newsrooms, tighter budgets and the fast pace of digital publishing have reduced editorial oversight. “A lot of times your content just goes straight to publication online,” said Jennifer Cox, a professor at Salisbury University and author of “Feature Writing and Reporting: Journalism in the Digital Age.” “If you don’t have accuracy in your reporting, if it’s sloppy or error-ridden, you’re going to lose all credibility.”
While digital platforms make correcting or deleting mistakes easy, any misstep in articles, social media posts, websites or newsletters can reflect poorly on you. “It’s like squeezing toothpaste out of the tube. You can’t put it back in,” Cox explained. Even a small typo can turn readers away. More serious errors might erode trust in your coverage and spark public criticism.
Polished drafts show respect for your audience. They also demonstrate professionalism to your editors. Whether you’re a freelancer or a staff journalist, submitting work that needs extensive revisions can lead to fewer commissions or opportunities. “If layoffs come to a newsroom, the one who’s costing them the most time is probably going to be the first out the door,” she warned.
Thorough self-editing honors the effort you’ve put in, sharpens your message, improves clarity and ensures your piece has the strongest impact. Here are some practical tips from Cox and Gerri Berendzen, a copy editor with over 35 years of experience and a lecturer at the University of Kansas’ William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, to make the reviewing process more manageable and effective.
Take a break before revising
Sometimes, taking a break from your writing is the best way to improve it. “If you’re not in a crushing, breaking news situation, step away from the work for a while,” Cox advised.
When you’ve been immersed in your material, it’s easy to gloss over mistakes or assume your audience understands what you mean. “By the time a writer is done doing and reviewing the research and interviews, they know the story and they know what they want to write,” said Berendzen.
This familiarity means missing words, repeated phrases or awkward constructions often go unnoticed. “Their brain sees the writing the way they’re thinking about it — not the way it is actually rendered.” Even a five- or 10-minute pause can help you return to your draft with fresh eyes.
Read your work aloud
Reading your work aloud is one of the best ways to notice run-on sentences, fragments or unclear phrasing. “When we’re editing just in our brains, we tend to fill in words that we think are there or should be there but actually aren’t,” said Cox. This technique forces you to slow down and focus on how your writing sounds.
Know your blind spots
Every writer has challenges with specific aspects of grammar and word choice.
“After years of experience and studying grammar, I still have problems with ‘lay’ and ‘lie.’ I know that about myself, so I write around it,” said Berendzen. “You need to look at yourself carefully and know where your weaknesses are.” It allows you to make your revisions more targeted and effective.
Change how your draft looks
Adjust how your draft appears on the screen or page to catch errors more easily. “Change something about the text. Make it bigger, a different color or change fonts,” Berendzen suggested. “This tricks your mind into thinking it’s new.”
Making your text feel unfamiliar helps you see typos, clunky sentences or other overlooked errors.
Edit line by line
For meticulous editing, Cox recommended using a blank sheet of paper to cover your work, revealing one line at a time as you go.
“What happens when we sit down and read something is we take in the whole paragraph,” she said. “This [method] forces us to take it piece by piece, line by line.” It ensures you don’t skim over small but significant details.
Double-check names, numbers and facts
Berendzen stressed the importance of verification. “Don’t assume you know how to spell names of people and things. Look them up,” she advised.
Readers expect accuracy, and mistakes in basic facts can undermine even the most well-reported story. Take the time to fact-check and confirm all the information in your piece before submitting it.
Focus on the first and last paragraphs
The opening and closing of a story introduce your main points, set the tone and tie everything together. They deserve extra attention.
“Look at your first and last paragraphs carefully. Errors tend to happen a lot in both places,” said Berendzen. Focus on these sections to confirm your story starts strong and ends cohesively.
Ask for a second opinion
While self-editing is essential, an outside perspective can reveal issues you might have missed. “Ask a friend, somebody preferably who doesn’t have journalism experience, to look at it,” said Cox.
Someone new to the topic can quickly flag unclear phrasing, missing context or overly technical language. Their feedback can help you fine-tune your writing for a broader audience.
Use tools, but don’t rely on them
Spell checkers, grammar tools and other software can be helpful, but they’re not perfect.
“Use them judiciously. Grammar checkers make mistakes,” said Berendzen. Always review their suggestions carefully to ensure they align with your intent and don’t change your meaning or style.
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