I like to think that being a copy editor came with special privileges.
I got to know what was about to make the news before everyone else read it because I got to write the headlines. I got to be in the same room as an incredibly talented group of young professionals that made big things happen. I got more than just a glimpse behind the curtain of what goes into making the stories that serve our community.
I got to be a part of The OU Daily, and I’m grateful and all the better for it.
When I stumbled into the newsroom by happenstance at the end of the fall semester in 2019, I was a shy, sophomore journalism major looking for any experience to put to my name. Looking back, I think about the day I came in to take a copy editor’s test for an intern position and reflect on all the lessons I’ve learned that are now treasures I’ll carry with me into my career.
Lessons like AP Style says “OK” never “okay,” or that street names are only abbreviated when they’re used as part of a full address and to know the difference between an em and en dash.
Lessons from The Daily’s stylebook, like spell out “percent,” use parentheses instead of brackets when including words in quotes and please, whatever you do, remember to only use single quotes in headlines (sorry it took me so long to figure out, Francisco).
And then, there are the lessons that I could have only learned from getting to rub elbows with the people who are the lifeblood of this organization that upholds every governing principle of journalism and routinely demonstrates its significance in our community.
One of the first iterations I saw of our reporters' dedication to our campus was in covering the Black Emergency Response Team’s sit-in at Evans hall in February 2020. I remember going in for my shift as a still fairly-new intern and editing the live updates of the sit-in proceedings. Then, I had so little comprehension of the event’s impact and I had no grasp of the magnitude of The Daily’s coverage.
Throughout the duration of the three-day sit-in, there was no shortage of Daily staff volunteering to be there, from our then editor-in-chief to newcomer news interns. Not only were the reporters there, but they worked as hard as they could to make sure they represented BERT and its aim accurately.
The BERT sit-in coverage was just one of many pivotal moments that shaped my understanding of what it looks like for a news outlet to get the stories that matter, and to get them right. That understanding would become pride in the semesters that followed.
While the banter and camaraderie that flowed over the tops of computers and carried across the desks in Copeland hall was disrupted by the pandemic, the work wasn’t.
Again, I had the privilege of getting to see the products of fresh-faced, hungry journalists at work amid unprecedented circumstances. Even as life itself seemed to fall into a lull, the interns, reporters and their respective desk editors kept turning out meaningful pieces. Our photographers and videographers went wherever few events were still taking place. If there was a story to be told, someone from The Daily wanted to be able to tell it.
While the admiration and respect I have for all of the different roles in our newsroom have only grown with time, I’ve always secretly thought that the copy desk was the best seat to learn how to be a better journalist from the safety of your comfort zone. In the past two years, I’ve seen talented reporters blossom into equally talented writers. I’ve watched as colleagues branched out to try new desk assignments or take up additional skills and flourish. I’ve listened as our newsroom advisor, Seth Prince, gave careful guidance and pushed us all to consider where value lies.
The service done by the work of student journalists extends beyond that of the general public, and I owe each and every person I’ve crossed paths with at The Daily my gratitude for allowing me to learn from them and with them.
Among the innumerable cherished experiences that I get to take away from working in OU’s independent student newsroom, getting to proof the last edition of the weekly paper is among the highest.
Coming in every Sunday for print production was truly a unique experience every time. The first time I was allowed to headline a story I sat nervously with an empty slot for an unholy amount of time before I finally let myself try. I’ll never forget the first time I picked up a paper I had a tiny part in making from a newsstand the next day.
I had the honor of getting to play a small role in an organization that has a reputation of excellence and commitment to its audience. I’m so grateful for the time I had at The OU Daily, and I look forward to what time will bring for the next generation of student journalists that inhabit Copeland Hall.
Sydnee Lyons served as a copy intern from spring of 2020 to summer 2020, junior copy editor in fall 2020, and assistant copy editor from spring 2021 to spring 2022. She is a journalism graduate with a minor in African American studies.
