Answer: A. Story structure and focus. Macro editing looks at the story’s overall focus, structure, and completeness before sentence-level polishing.
Which task belongs mainly to copy editing?
A Approve ad pricing
B Choose print colors
C Check clarity, grammar, accuracy
D Assign reporter shifts
Answer: C. Check clarity, grammar, accuracy. Copy editing improves clarity, consistency, grammar, and factual accuracy while preserving the intended meaning.
When does a final proof usually happen?
A After corrections close
B During interview booking
C Before reporting begins
D After layout, before release
Answer: D. After layout, before release. A final proof checks the laid-out version for typographical and presentation errors before publication.
Before publishing an unfamiliar source name, how should it be checked?
A By guessing pronunciation
B Against reliable records
C From a social profile
D Using an old headline
Answer: B. Against reliable records. Confirm names and identifying details against the reporter’s notes or a reliable primary record.
How should an editor handle an unsupported factual claim?
A Make it sound certain
B Add a stronger adjective
C Verify with original evidence
D Leave it unattributed
Answer: C. Verify with original evidence. Check the underlying evidence and seek corroboration before presenting a factual claim as true.
For reader trust, what does a transparent correction include?
A Label and explain it
B Remove the whole story
C Blame a source
D Change text silently
Answer: A. Label and explain it. A clear correction tells readers what was wrong and what has been corrected.
Which headline practice best protects accuracy?
A Promise unreported details
B Use stronger claims
C Hide key limitations
D Match the story’s evidence
Answer: D. Match the story’s evidence. A headline should accurately represent what the reporting supports and avoid overstating findings.
Why compare a headline with the full story?
A Increase page length
B Add more keywords
C Prevent misleading claims
D Shorten every headline
Answer: C. Prevent misleading claims. Reading the story alongside its headline helps catch claims or implications that the story does not support.
Across a series, what helps maintain consistent spelling?
A Random dictionary checks
B A shared style sheet
C Separate personal lists
D A reporter’s memory
Answer: B. A shared style sheet. A shared style sheet records names, spellings, and publication-specific choices for consistent use.
Which guide should settle routine style choices?
A The publication’s style guide
B An old advert
C A trending post
D A reader’s guess
Answer: A. The publication’s style guide. Editors apply the newsroom’s chosen style guide and record approved exceptions consistently.
Under AP standards, may editors silently repair grammar inside a direct quote?
A Yes, always
B Only after layout
C Only in headlines
D No; paraphrase it faithfully
Answer: D. No; paraphrase it faithfully. AP says not to alter quotations, even to fix grammar. If needed, paraphrase faithfully without changing the meaning.
When can an ellipsis mislead readers?
A It shortens a passage
B It changes the speaker’s meaning
C It signals a pause
D It marks missing words
Answer: B. It changes the speaker’s meaning. An ellipsis is misleading when omitted words change or distort what the speaker meant.
Which record helps confirm a quote during editing?
A A social repost
B An unrelated press release
C Recording or interview notes
D A headline draft
Answer: C. Recording or interview notes. Check the original recording, transcript, or contemporaneous notes rather than relying on a secondary retelling.
Where should a disputed number be checked first?
A Against its source data
B The caption alone
C Another outlet’s headline
D A search snippet
Answer: A. Against its source data. Return to the original dataset, document, or source used to report the number.
For a data comparison, what should editors check?
A The headline’s word count
B Method, sample, and dates
C Only the largest value
D Font, color, and spacing
Answer: B. Method, sample, and dates. Methodology, sample size, collection dates, and comparable definitions help readers interpret data fairly.
How should a story describe correlation without causal evidence?
A Remove every statistic
B State a proven cause
C Treat them as identical
D Avoid claiming one caused another
Answer: D. Avoid claiming one caused another. Correlation alone does not establish that one event caused another; the wording should reflect the evidence.
Before publishing a serious allegation about a named person, what should editors seek?
A That person’s response
B A stronger adjective
C An anonymous rumor
D A second headline
Answer: A. That person’s response. Make a real effort to obtain a response from someone portrayed negatively and include relevant context.
Why should a story offer a criticized person a chance to respond?
A A guaranteed correction
B A story veto
C Time to address allegations
D Final text approval
Answer: C. Time to address allegations. Seeking a response supports fairness; it does not give a source approval over the finished story.
For anonymous sourcing, what should readers learn?
A The source’s private address
B Why anonymity was granted
C Every interview question
D The reporter’s personal opinion
Answer: B. Why anonymity was granted. Explain why anonymity was necessary and provide enough context to assess the source’s relevance and credibility.
How can editors make technical jargon accessible?
A Add unexplained abbreviations
B Replace it with slang
C Remove all technical terms
D Define it in plain language
Answer: D. Define it in plain language. Explain necessary specialized terms in clear language so readers can follow the story.
When revising a reporter’s sentence, what should remain intact?
A The intended meaning
B Every original word
C The sentence length
D The writer’s punctuation
Answer: A. The intended meaning. Editing may improve wording, but it should not change the facts or intended meaning.
Why label a substantial digital story update?
A Avoid correcting facts
B Hide the earlier version
C Readers can track changes
D Replace source attribution
Answer: C. Readers can track changes. A clear update note helps readers understand when significant information changed.
If reported dates conflict, how should an editor resolve them?
A Choose the press release
B Resolve them from records
C Delete every date
D Pick the earliest date
Answer: B. Resolve them from records. Check primary documents or knowledgeable sources and resolve the discrepancy before publication.
In newsroom workflow, what purpose does a story slug serve?
A A source’s job title
B A published correction note
C A photo permission form
D A short internal identifier
Answer: D. A short internal identifier. A slug is a brief internal label used to identify and manage a story in newsroom workflows.
Which proofreading pass catches layout mistakes?
A The final page proof
B The interview transcript
C The initial pitch
D The assignment memo
Answer: A. The final page proof. Proofing the designed page can reveal line-break, placement, and typographical issues missed earlier.
Before publishing a web link, what should an editor verify?
A That it opens new tabs
B Destination and relevance
C Its anchor length
D Its color only
Answer: B. Destination and relevance. Check that a link works, points to the intended source, and supports the surrounding text.
Under AP’s visual standards, what is prohibited?
A Minor color correction
B Dust removal from scans
C Necessary cropping
D Altering a photo’s content
Answer: D. Altering a photo’s content. AP allows limited adjustments for accurate reproduction but does not allow changing the content of a news photo.
Caption accuracy depends on checking which details?
A Names, place, date, context
B A reader’s assumptions
C The camera model only
D The article’s word count
Answer: A. Names, place, date, context. Verify who or what is shown, where and when it was made, and how it relates to the story.
How should a generic stock image be captioned?
A Describe an unverified scene
B Omit its source
C Identify it as illustrative
D Call it eyewitness footage
Answer: C. Identify it as illustrative. Make clear when a generic image is illustrative so readers do not mistake it for a photograph of the specific event.
Under AP editing standards, what must a shortened soundbite preserve?
A The original video length
B The speaker’s meaning
C Every pause
D The editor’s tone
Answer: B. The speaker’s meaning. A shortened clip must not alter or misconstrue what the speaker meant.
During legal review, what increases defamation risk?
A An unsupported harmful allegation
B A verified public record
C A corrected spelling error
D A clearly labeled opinion
Answer: A. An unsupported harmful allegation. An unverified damaging factual claim about an identifiable person creates avoidable legal and ethical risk.
Which change is a typical copy edit?
A Reassigning reporting duties
B Redesigning the page
C Changing the story angle
D Correcting spelling and punctuation
Answer: D. Correcting spelling and punctuation. Copy editing includes sentence-level corrections for spelling, punctuation, consistency, and clarity.
Structural editing concentrates on which parts of a story?
A Only comma placement
B Only spelling variants
C Order, focus, and completeness
D Photo pixels and color
Answer: C. Order, focus, and completeness. Structural editing addresses how the story is organized, whether it has a clear focus, and whether important material is missing.
Which goal best describes line editing?
A A redesigned home page
B Clearer sentences and flow
C A new reporting assignment
D A changed legal standard
Answer: B. Clearer sentences and flow. Line editing improves sentence clarity, rhythm, precision, and transitions while preserving meaning.
After revising a key fact, what else should be rechecked?
A Every unrelated story
B The reporter’s lunch break
C Only the byline font
D Headline, caption, and links
Answer: D. Headline, caption, and links. Related elements such as headlines, captions, graphics, and links must remain consistent with the revised fact.
Why read copy aloud during an edit?
A Catch awkward phrasing
B Count the sources
C Verify image metadata
D Check rights clearance
Answer: A. Catch awkward phrasing. Reading aloud can expose awkward rhythm, repetition, or sentences that are difficult to follow.
For clarity, what makes a headline verb useful?
A Vague, dramatic, and lengthy
B Unrelated, catchy, and absolute
C Specific, active, and accurate
D Passive, abstract, and inflated
Answer: C. Specific, active, and accurate. A precise active verb can make a headline clear, provided it does not exaggerate what the reporting establishes.
When a press release provides a ready-made story, what should the editor do?
A Remove its attribution
B Verify, add reporting, rewrite
C Use only its claims
D Publish it unchanged
Answer: B. Verify, add reporting, rewrite. Treat a release as a source, assess its credibility, add reporting, and prepare original copy with proper attribution.
Track Changes helps a team do what?
A Publish without approval
B Replace the style guide
C Verify every source automatically
D See and review edits
Answer: D. See and review edits. Tracked changes make proposed edits visible so writers and editors can review them.
How should online information from another source be used?
A Verify and credit its source
B Remove its original link
C Copy without attribution
D Trust a search snippet
Answer: A. Verify and credit its source. Vet online information and attribute it to the original source when it is used.
When a quotation sounds incomplete, what should an editor review?
A The reader comments
B A social media summary
C The full recording or transcript
D A headline list
Answer: C. The full recording or transcript. Review the full source to restore context and ensure the quotation is not misleading.
Why check that the headline matches article evidence?
A Imply certainty
B Avoid overstating findings
C Hide limitations
D Broaden the topic
Answer: B. Avoid overstating findings. The headline’s level of certainty and scope should match the evidence in the article.
Which identity details should editors verify?
A Favorite color and hobby
B The photo’s framing
C Pronunciation alone
D Name, title, and affiliation
Answer: D. Name, title, and affiliation. Check names and relevant titles or affiliations against reliable records before publication.
After discovering a factual error post-publication, what is responsible?
A Correct it promptly and clearly
B Delete reader comments
C Wait for a complaint
D Silently edit it
Answer: A. Correct it promptly and clearly. Ethical newsroom practice calls for timely, clear corrections rather than silent changes.
How can a second editor strengthen a story check?
A Replace source verification
B Approve every claim
C Bring independent fresh eyes
D Guarantee no errors
Answer: C. Bring independent fresh eyes. A second reader may spot gaps or ambiguity, but independent review does not replace verification.
During a content edit, what deserves priority?
A Ad sales and placement
B Structure, evidence, and audience
C Kerning, color, and crop
D Spelling alone
Answer: B. Structure, evidence, and audience. A content edit considers whether the story is well organized, adequately supported, and useful to its intended audience.
How should sponsored material be presented?
A Published without disclosure
B Hidden below the fold
C Mixed into news
D Clearly labeled as advertising
Answer: D. Clearly labeled as advertising. Clearly identify advertising and keep commercial content separate from independent newsroom work.
Editors reviewing AI-assisted copy should do what?
A Review and verify every claim
B Assume it cites sources
C Publish it unchecked
D Skip human review
Answer: A. Review and verify every claim. AI output still requires human editorial judgment, source checks, and accountability for accuracy.
Under AP guidance, where does a bar chart’s value axis start?
A At midpoint
B At first label
C At zero
D At maximum
Answer: C. At zero. AP’s charting guidance says a bar-chart value axis should start at zero to avoid exaggerating differences.
Which final check helps catch overlooked publication issues?
A Photo size only
B Facts, names, links, and credits
C Headline length only
D Font color alone
Answer: B. Facts, names, links, and credits. A final check should revisit factual details and publishing elements, including names, links, and required credits.