How to Edit a Print Interview
An interview of any celebrity or a famous personality published in a newspaper, magazine or a newsletter is called a print interview. Such interviews are not just interesting and entertaining to read, they also help create awareness in the society. A layman however, does not know that not everything expressed in an interview is published. This is where the role of an editor comes into play as he/she decides which portion of the interview is going to be printed and which will be erased. This is the reason why a professional editor is also known as a ‘gatekeeper’ in journalistic language.
An editor of a newspaper is likely to be among the most competent people of the organization, having a firm grip on current affairs as well as on the language.
Instructions
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1
Know your target audience
It is extremely important for an editor to know the target audience of the newspaper or the magazine, in order to edit a print interview. You have to take into account a number of elements about your target audience like gender, age, education level, income level and the cultural norms. Knowing the target audience will help you understand what should be published. -
2
Correct any grammatical or factual mistakes
During an interview, your reporter or the interviewee can make some mistakes and one of the primary jobs of an editor is to point out the errors and fix them, in order to make the interview more presentable for readers. Those errors can either be factual or grammatical. In case of any confusion, you can contact the interviewee again and seek clarifications. -
3
Do not be opinionated while editing
Being a professional editor, you possess no right to influence a print interview according to your own perception and opinion. Your job is just to present the facts in front of the people and allow them to make their own judgements. -
4
Make it compact & choose a suitable image
To create more space for the interview and to enhance its presentation, an editor can tighten the sentences and make the writing look compact. An editor should also choose a suitable image to be printed alongside the interview, which will help him gain attention of more and more people. -
5
Proofread
A newspaper or a magazine has no room for any mistakes. You should proofread a print interview at least five times before sending it to the publisher.
