I have no doubt that this is a question you have answered before. But browsing through, I didn't find the answer, so I thought perhaps you had a link that could direct me to the answer if it's been posted before.

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I am currently a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund intern and have another year of college.

I am going to try to find a job copy editing when I graduate, and I was wondering about the proper format to send clips of stories I have edited. Would a Word file with redline strikeouts and noted edits be appropriate? Or should I stick with cutouts of stories with written-in notes on the sides explaining what was changed? If you could let me know what the best format would be for an editing portfolio, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Jacob

I'm glad you asked this question, because my thinking on it has changed.

Walter Middlebrook

Walter Middlebrook, who recruits for The Detroit News, has done extensive copy editor training for METPRO and the Maynard Institute editing program. He says he always wants to see samples of how candidates have edited stories, and not just their explanations.

You want to submit work samples that will work for all editors, and versions with the edits shown should satisfy everyone.

Joe Grimm

Do a little checking to see whether the system you are using this summer will show changes right in the copy. A printout would do the trick. It might be impossible to get a digital copy if it is proprietary software like CCI or similar large systems, but a printout would be fine.

Something printed or downloaded straight from the computer would be preferable to trying to recreate the document in a program like Word with track changes.

Thanks for giving me the chance to take a second crack at this one.

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Coming Wednesday: Quite unexpectedly, a magazine editor offered this intern a job. Now, the intern fears it will be a detour away from the career path he has in mind.

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