Each year, representatives of The Associated Press Stylebook announce updates at the national conference of ACES: The Society for Editing. It’s typically one of the most-attended sessions at the conference. I had planned to attend this year’s gathering in San Diego, but obligations at UNC-Chapel Hill kept me home. So I followed the fun on Bluesky and Instagram. Several attendees posted news from the Stylebook session. The showstopper: a change of dictionary. After decades of recommending Webster’s New World College Dictionary, the Stylebook is switching to Merriam-Webster. Here’s what Stylebo ..read more

The 2023-24 academic year is in the home stretch. The last day of class at UNC-Chapel Hill is April 30, followed by exam week and commencement. This year, I have been fortunate to have several visitors speak in person and via Zoom with students in my courses. As I’ve written before, I use a question-answer format for these visits instead of a formal presentation. Before the class meets, I ask students to submit questions. In class, I start the conversation and then serve as a moderator, calling on students to ask their questions. Afterward, students submit a recap of three takeaways and a dir ..read more

Normally a hub of student activity, the Pit at UNC-Chapel Hill is quiet during spring break. UNC-Chapel Hill’s spring break is wrapping up. Here’s how I spent my week: graded midterm exams for an introductory writing course; prepared presentations and assignments for classes; reviewed applications for an online master’s program in digital communication; read a graduate student’s thesis proposal; wrote a “letter of readiness” to the dean of the journalism school and prepared materials for a possible promotion to full professor. Classes resume on Monday. Best wishes to students, facu ..read more

Justin Smith is editor and publisher of The News Reporter in Whiteville, North Carolina. The newspaper, founded in 1896, shared a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for its courageous reporting on Ku Klux Klan activity in southeastern North Carolina. In this interview, conducted by email, Smith discusses his roles at The News Reporter and the importance of community journalism. Q. Describe your job. What is your typical day like as editor and publisher? A. I spend a majority of my time on editorial functions, but as publisher, I also oversee advertising, circulation, the business office and everything el ..read more

Last week, Twitter notified me that I had reached my 15th anniversary on the platform. I had long been an enthusiastic user of Twitter, but that changed after its new ownership made numerous bad decisions. I’ve been looking at alternatives to Twitter (now known as X) for some time. I’m on Mastodon, and I’ve had some good interactions there. But it feels like USENET from the ’90s, with a limited reach and fussy interface. I’ve spent more time on Reddit, following subreddits with news and commentary about places and topics of interest. It’s been particularly useful for news at local level: rest ..read more

The 28th national conference of ACES: The Society for Editing will take place April 4-6 in San Diego, California. I’ll be there. The conference’s theme is “Unleashing Creativity,” and the gathering will have sessions that will appeal to editors across disciplines. We’ll learn who won the Robinson Prize, enjoy a spelling bee and silent auction, and honor scholarship recipients. See you in San Diego ..read more

The spring 2024 semester at UNC-Chapel Hill begins on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Here’s what I am teaching this term: MEJO 153, Writing and Reporting. In this course, students learn the essentials of writing and information gathering for journalism and public relations. The class meets in person twice a week and has 20 students. MEJO 557, News Editing. In this course, students learn about editing for digital media, including headlines, email newsletters and push notifications. The class meets in person twice a week and has 20 students. In addition to teaching these courses, I will work with a stude ..read more

The fall semester at UNC-Chapel Hill is almost over. I have posted grades for my courses, and after several meetings and a thesis defense this week, I will be off for winter break. This site will be on a break for a few weeks too. Thanks for reading, and see you again in 2024 ..read more

Jordan Thomas is communications and outreach coordinator at the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association in Durham, North Carolina. In this interview, conducted by email, Thomas discusses ECWA’s purpose and goals, and how she connects to website readers, social media followers, newsletter subscribers and supporters of the organization. Q. What is ECWA, and what is your role there? A. Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) is best described as a land and water trust organization. We protect areas within the watershed by conserving land, restoring the creek and preserving green space so that peo ..read more

Today is the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Here’s how The Associated Press reported the news via teletype on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963. Let’s look at the lead. Did you notice that it’s written in the passive voice? “President John F. Kennedy … was shot to death today by a hidden assassin.” You may have heard that passive voice is wrong or even ungrammatical. Although it’s true that passive voice can suck the action out of a sentence, it’s a smart choice on some occasions. That’s the case here. The president is the focus of the news, not the assassin. Here ..read more