Newspapers employ various strategies to check for grammar, spelling
For many professionals, a grammar check is a common part of their work. For some, however, failing to complete this task could severely impact their credibility.
One industry that is heavily reliant on good grammar and spelling is the news sector. Many writers and editors use a variety of tools to ensure that their copy is clean before it is presented to the public.
Courtney Potts, a writer for the Utica Observer-Dispatch, recently penned an article that detailed her strategies for producing typo-free stories. These include consulting the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the Roget's Thesaurus and the AP Stylebook.
Potts admitted that she does use more modern methods of ensuring that their content is free of errors, as she occasionally relies on Google searches during the editing process.
Failing to complete this step can lead to embarrassment on the part of a writer and detract from intention of an article. For example, a recent article from Reuters that used the word "that" instead of the intended "than" resulted in an attack from one reader. Professionals who use spelling and grammar checkers in addition to meticulous editing strategies may be able to avoid similar situations.
