After a short stint as a digital editor at The Information, I began freelancing as a copy editor for New York Amsterdam News. My role centered on ensuring that stories moved through the editorial pipeline with clarity, accuracy, and consistency. Working closely with editors and reporters, I reviewed articles prior to publication, correcting grammar, tightening language, and improving readability while preserving the voice of the original reporting. My work required careful adherence to the Associated Press Stylebook as well as the publication’s in house editorial style guide to ensure consistency across stories and maintain the standards expected in a professional newsroom.
Founded in 1909, the New York Amsterdam News is one of the most influential and longest running Black newspapers in the United States. For more than a century, the publication has documented the political, cultural, and social experiences of Black communities in New York and across the country. From covering the Harlem Renaissance to reporting on contemporary policy debates and social movements, the newspaper has played an important role in amplifying voices and stories often overlooked by mainstream media while maintaining a deep commitment to community centered journalism.
What I did:
- Reviewed and copy edited newsroom stories before publication to ensure accuracy, clarity, and grammatical precision.
- Applied the Associated Press Stylebook alongside the publication’s in house editorial style guide to maintain consistency in tone, formatting, and terminology across stories.
- Corrected structural issues including sentence flow, punctuation, headline formatting, and attribution while preserving the original intent of reporters.
- Collaborated with editors when clarification or fact verification was needed to ensure published stories met the newspaper’s editorial standards.
- Prepared articles for publication by ensuring that formatting, quotations, and references adhered to professional newsroom conventions.
Working with the Amsterdam News was especially meaningful because it allowed me to stay grounded in the craft of journalism. Copy editing requires patience, precision, and respect for the written word. In many ways, the work brought me back to the foundations of reporting and storytelling. At a time when my career has expanded into technology, audience strategy, and research, contributing to a historic newsroom helped me remain rooted.
