COMM 313, Editorial Processes

Midterm exam review

Exam will cover all lectures, exercises, and class web site readings through Reading 14 (headlines). Proofreading marks and commonly misspelled words will be included. Part One will be about 25 multiple-choice questions. Part Two will be a grammar/clutter/clichés/trite wording/slow leads section. Sentences in this section are taken directly from daily class exercises. The questions below are designed to give you a feeling for what you should study; they are not (usually) exact questions from the test.

1. How are number of pages determined in most publications?

2. What is an advertising ratio?

3. Name two reasons editing is important.

4. What is a hed sked used for?

5. What does the "unit count" on a hed sked mean?

6. A 2-36-2 hed. What does this mean?

7. How many points in a pica?

8. What is a column inch?

9. Describe some functions of editors.

10. Describe some constraints of editors.

11. Put this lead into passive voice: The Cass County Commission held a meeting yesterday.

12. What is the difference between a direct quote, a partial quote and a paraphrase?

13. "It will be a nice day tomorrow," said meteorologist Irving Nern. Is this statement

a. a fact; b. an interpretation; c. a judgment?

14. Change the above to include an interpretation based on Nern's statement.

15. What is an inverted pyramid style lead?

16. What’s the difference between a standard head and a label head?

17. What is the difference between a deck and a kicker?

18. What is a "backed into lead?" A "buried lead?"

19. News reporters don't give judgments (good or bad) in standard news stories. But they can suggest judgments. Based on the class reading, how might they do that?

20. How many points in an inch?