INFLUENCE OF PROOFREADING AND EDITING IN NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE PRODUCTION

INFLUENCE OF PROOFREADING AND EDITING IN NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE PRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

The cost of not proof reading or proper gatekeeping ranges from the death of the print outfit to the life of journalists, editor, publisher, jail term or fine. The research therefore, examined the impact of proofreading and editing in print media with a study of Nigerian Tribune. The paper is anchored on gatekeeping theory and libertarian media theory. Cross sectional survey research method was adopted while sample random sampling was used to select 100 respondents within Nigerian Tribune newspaper. Also, the data collection instrument is questionnaire which was administered face to face while the data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency percentage and tables). From the finding, it is clear that gatekeeping determines the quality of the media output or messages. If the gatekeepers perform well, the integrity and reputation of the media will be sustained. It is also recommended that media outfit should employed qualified people that will be saddled with the role of opening and closing of information gate. Seminars and workshops should be continuous activities i.e training and retraining of staff is essential. Media library should be updated and upgraded all the time because media practitioners are expected to know everything about something and something about everything.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

Editing and proofreading are often neglected, but they are the crucial final stages of the writing process. Even the smallest error can result in embarrassing or even costly outcomes (misspelling a name, transposing digits in telephone number, mistakes in a prospectus) so taking time and care to check what you have written is essential. Editing is the first task that should be undertaken after finishing the first draft of a piece of text. It involves checking the content of the text to ensure that the ideas are expressed clearly and logically, and form a coherent and meaningful whole (Appiah, 2009). Proofreading involves checking over the text in finer detail after the editing stage, to detect errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and format. The importance of the two tasks is demonstrated by the fact that the publishing and printing industries employ different people who are specifically responsible for each of them (Mamishev and Williams, 2009).

In recent times, the digitized consumerism has contributed significantly to collapse the traditional boundary of communication. Thus, necessitates a dynamic global communication model to address diversified readers by understanding their paramount needs. With the advent of e-technology, many exciting changes are taking place, where people are frequently using e-mail, SMS for their day-to-day communications. The use of abbreviated language is now widely accepted, which has compromised and diminished the importance and role of good writing skills. It needs conscious and persistent effort to develop good writing skill. But only a good piece of write-up is