ABSTRACT
The job of copy editors is to make bland copy exciting, simple language colorful, and choppy copy flow. Many times, the copy editor makes the writer's story better. Merrill Perlman, director of copy desks at The New York Times, said, The copy desk is a safety net. For some journalists, being assigned a feature story is a luxury. Most journalists are required to write quick-and-to-the-point stories, many requiring little thought and falling into formula writing, such as the inverted pyramid. When reading stories, copy editors analyze single words, combinations of phrases, and whole paragraph the writer's chosen adjectives, their use of expressions, the construction of words chosen to create a story. Many times, copy editors have their own style that follows the rules set by the publication, but, at times, the rules are merely pet peeves. Headline writing may be at the top of the list of the most important duties performed by copy editors.
