Copy editors do final edits of news stories after they have been edited by assignment editors. Copy editors also usually do layout of newspaper pages and write headlines for stories.
Here's a checklist of things copy editors need to watch for when editing news stories:
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Is the story fair, accurate and balanced?
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Is the headline accurate & balanced?
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Is the background and context complete enough to give readers a sense of why the story is relevant?
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Is the lede sufficiently supported by the rest of the story?
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Have all phone numbers and Web addresses been checked?
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If there are numbers or percentages in a story, have they been checked?
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Has spelling been checked?
Grammar?
Punctuation?
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Have you checked photo captions and graphics information to make sure they coincide with the story?
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Have you proofed the display type?
