An Editor's Credo

Never accept anything less than your best. Don’t be lazy. Don’t allow yourself to become indifferent or complacent. Don’t be sloppy. Double-check everything. Always remain honest, fair, objective and open-minded. Never forget that there’s a difference between confidence and haughtiness. That being said, recognize that perfection is unobtainable and criticism is inevitable. Most importantly, don’t lose sight of why you chose this field in the first place.

         

I have been a perfectionist for my entire life. Even when I was younger my Raggedy Ann doll was the only one that wasn’t raggedy. I like my apartment and belongings to be immaculate and orderly. I also expect my work to be polished, accomplished and flawless. Having such anal retentive tendencies has its perks, but it also means that I obsess over achieving something that doesn’t exist: perfection. I often end up editing my work so many times that it doesn’t even make sense anymore. While my goal is always to produce adept work, sometimes I end up with convoluted mishegas. When I’m faced with the realization that I’m not perfect, I usually feel defeated. Every now and then I might even be temped to throw in the towel. That’s why the most important thing for me to remember is that I picked journalism as my major because I love it.

The examples in our textbook show just how many important things can be encompassed in an editor’s credo. Reporters and editors must come up with their own unique “mission statements” that work best for them. In my case, the credo I’ve created incorporates the most important things for me to remember. Though I’m sure I’ll end up tweaking this credo several times throughout the semester, I think this is a good start.