As the new year unfolds, I'd like to offer up some resolutions I hope the staff of The Cavalier Daily might adopt.
Hone in on headlines
The tags assigned to stories generally are the first thing the audience reads connected to the article and, as such, they must summarize the central point of an article in a clear, concise manner.
Above the fold on the front page last Wednesday were two confusing headlines: "University seeks autonomy from state" and "U.Va. black graduation rate highest in peer group." The first is puzzling because it suggests that the University is looking to sever ties with the state completely, as any reader of the following article would determine not to be true. Simply inserting the word "more" before autonomy makes the tag clearer and more accurate. The second headline trips up the tongue a bit. Inserting a verb rather than using an implied (and passive) "to be" would better suit the headline.
Eliminate simple errors
Edit, edit, edit. Read headlines, captions, articles and columns for accuracy and clarity and then read them again. And again.
In the three papers the CD printed last week, there were far too many careless errors that should have been eliminated by editors. In a criticism on left-winger Al Franken, associate editor Maggie Bowden named his signature skit character as "Richard Smiley" from "Saturday Night Life." Letter writers correctly called her out for such inaccuracy ("Stuart," not "Richard," "Live," not, "Life" and "Smalley," not "Smiley") but her editors also share the blame for allowing the imperfections to print.
Other careless errors popped up in the typo-plagued Around Grounds, which never seems to carry a time with the correct spacing, and a caption on the Health & Science page, which appeared to be some kind of Latin placeholder text that was also paired with a photo credit by the esteemed photographer "XXXX XXXX."
Rank articles in the right order
As a reader progresses down a page, his or her eyes should descend from the most timely and important to the least timely and important stories of the day. The Sports staff was in a bit of a predicament returning to Grounds after Winter Break, as the football team shut down Pittsburgh to win the Continental Tire Bowl Dec. 27. It's news worthy of recording in the CD, which had been out of publication since early December due to the break, but it's not more important and timely that the Swimming & Diving team's Jan. 10 victory over a tough Tennessee team. The football article should have been relegated to the very bottom of the page.
Keep layouts crisp, clean and creative
This means ranking stories correctly, selecting effective photographs to complement articles, writing clear headlines and captions and creating logical info boxes or graphs as supplements to an article. Most of the time, the CD does a really good job at layouts (Wednesday's Sports page and Thursday's Life page featured promising layouts), but it also trips up (Thursday's Sports page, for instance, was unattractive and confusing with its dueling above-the-fold articles and the far-too-big stat box included in the feature on Matt Schaub).
Deliver solid reporting
Get the point across early. Answer in some way all of the questions readers might have. These include the who-what-when-where-how issues, but also make sure to also dig deeper. Seek out background. Insert important detail. Follow up.
I haven't made it a practice to single out an article of the week, but if I did, I'd dole out the honors this time to News Senior Associate Editor Kara Rowland, who delivered a solid play-by-play on the Andrew Alston hearing. The article started out with an uninteresting lead (it should have elaborated on the headline, "Judge rules Alston will go before grand jury"), but it developed into a detailed account of the hearing: "Standing next to his mother, whose arm was often placed through his, Alston remained unanimated throughout the proceedings, keeping his eyes focused on whoever was speaking" (note: It should be "whomever," as it refers to the object of Alston's focusing). Courtroom proceedings, especially early hearings, often can be dull to report, but Rowland's piece was anything but.
I look forward to seeing what The Cavalier Daily has in store for its readers this semester. Should readers have any questions or comments of the ombudsman sort, please feel free to send them to me at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.
(Emily Kane can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
KURTZWEIL: True financial aid must be transparent
By Paul Kurtzweil | 3 days agoThe implications and revelations of the lawsuit should inspire greater transparency at the University in order to ensure that financial aid is properly and equitably distributed.
SULLIVAN: Ramp up physical accessibility on Grounds
By Scarlett Sullivan | 4 days agoThe University must take responsibility for the inaccessibility of Grounds and work to promote accessibility for all students despite misguided laws.
EDITORIAL: Scapegoating students will not stop hazing
By Editorial Board | April 25, 2024Instead of retroactively responding to extreme hazing allegations, we, and especially the University, must begin asking more probing questions about the role of fraternal organizations on Grounds.
