ACES | Denver National Conference | Recognizing alternatives

Recognizing alternatives

By Andy Bechtel, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | Posted: 4:54 AM 4/10

Alternative story forms are here to stay. Copy editors can play a key role in making them better.

The Pulitzer Prizes this year did not include categories for Best Timeline or Most Informative Q&A.

There is some recognition, however, that these types of “alternative” stories require good writing and editing as well as solid design. Cox newspapers recently recognized several journalists at the Atlanta paper for their efforts with alternative story forms. Check their work here:

http://www.bestofcox.com/2008/html/combined/alternative/index.html

It’s unclear whether a copy editor is among the Cox winners, but copy editors can play an important role in making ASFs work well. Copy editors understand story structure and the need for collaboration. They know that strong content comes first, followed by strong design.

Perhaps someday a copy editor will share the Pulitzer Prize in Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Alternative Storytelling. I’d love to see it happen.

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GATHERINGS

8 a.m. Thursday

| Registration

9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Thursday

| Opening general session: Welcome, headline contest winners and scholarship awards

6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday

| Opening reception

6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday

| Reception and silent auction

7:30-9 p.m. Friday

| Banquet and Robinson Prize presentation

4-5 p.m. Saturday

| Closing general session

6-9 p.m. Saturday

| Conference wrap party, Falling Rock Tap House ($25)

Overheard

6:05 PM 4/13

| Dan has started a memory thread over at the discussion board. Share your thoughts on this year's conference.

4:27 PM 4/13

| Although many will be taking a day or two to recover from the conference, Deirdre Edgar has sent out conference surveys to every attendee to fill out this week. If you didn't get the e-mail, send a message to .

3:20 PM 4/13

| Feel free to share your photos and videos with the group. Add them to the Flickr group above or send them to .

11:12 PM 4/12

| Three words — ACES karaoke rocks!

6:45 AM 4/12

| Sources say Dan Hunt has been flitting around the hotel so much, he lost his name badge.

6:25 AM 4/12

| From Jim Thomsen: Overheard more than once was the desire to see Bill Walsh and Merrill Perlman do an ACES session together next year — and amicably slug it out over their occasional points of style, usage and grammar disagreement for the amusement and edification of the masses. What say you?

11:36 PM 4/11

| I now realize that this Web site has not yet acknowledged Aubespin Scholarship winner Shanxi Upsdell's speech at the Friday night banquet. Well, the impact, the weight, the emotion can't be conveyed in a blurb, but let's just say this young woman representing our best and brightest of future copy editors was genuine, humble and still already influential. Listen to our recording of her once we get it posted. -- NH

6:47 PM 4/11

| Update: The autographed Chris Wienandt Leather Pants edition of the ACES newsletter drew $50 at Friday night's auction. And the winner (whose name might rhyme with "Merry") wants to regift it! She plans to hang on to the newsletter for one year, then donate it back to the 2009 silent auction. Next year, it could be yours! (This winner whose name might rhyme with "Merri" says, however, she's keeping the whip she won.)

6:17 PM 4/11

| From Jim Thomsen: My banquet table, Table 23, had the highest pledged amount for the ACES education funds among all tables Friday night. Most of the $1,650 raised came from Orange County Register copy editor Jill Reed. Her explanation? "My alimony check just came in."

4:34 PM 4/11

| From Jim Thomsen: Best quote from an ACES session so far: "I have a degree in journalism but never used it until I got to the zoo and got a job as a bus driver." That was spoken by Debbie Andreen, who now heads up communications for the San Diego Zoo, at the "What Else Can I Do With These Skills?" seminar Friday afternoon.

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Calendar

ACES CALENDAR

Oct. 9, 2010: Regional workshop in Lincoln, Neb. LINK
Nov. 13, 2010: Regional workshop in State College, Pa.
March 17-19, 2011: Phoenix conference LINK
April 12-14, 2012: New Orleans conference