The Importance of Editing Articles

Editing is the process of selecting and preparing language, images, sound, video, or film through processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications in various media. A person who edits is called an editor. In a sense, the editing process originates with the idea for the work itself and continues in the relationship between the author and the editor. Editing is, therefore, also a practice that includes creative skills, human relations, and a precise set of methods.

Editing consists of: correction of grammatical mistakes, misspellings, mistyping, incorrect punctuation, inconsistencies in usages, poorly structured sentences, correction of statements conflicting with general scientific knowledge, correction of synopsis, content, index, headings and subheadings, correcting data and chart presentation in a research paper or report, correcting errors in citations.

This activity ensures that documentation is of good quality. In large companies, experienced writers are dedicated to the technical editing function. In organizations that cannot afford dedicated editors, experienced writers typically peer-edit text produced by their relatively less experienced colleagues.

Editors specialize in language, whether that language is used in an annual report, marketing brochure, newsletter, novel, website – or anything in between. In other words, any project that has text in it can benefit from the input of an editor.

If you’ve spent months or years working on your manuscript, it’s often difficult to see it with an objective eye. An editor represents your intended reader and reviews your project with that reader in mind – whether it’s a 10-year-old child, a professional, or a member of the general public.

An editor will make sure the reading level is right and the text is structured to flow easily. He will eliminate repetition and redundancy and make sure your message is clear, concise, and says exactly what you mean.



If you are like most business writers, you have done everything you can to make your copy the best it can be. Yet, once the piece is produced, you’ve cringed at the errors that got through. Perhaps you’ve had to make last-minute corrections and reprint and resend corrected documents. It happens more than you think.

A professional editor can also help you by overseeing special writing and marketing projects. When you have no staff dedicated to such projects, a professional editor can save you time and money by coming on board as needed and taking the project from beginning to end. An editor can also augment existing staff when an important deadline looms.

If you're in business, you've worked hard to be recognized as knowledgeable and professional in your field. Your marketing materials are designed to convey an image that will gain the trust of your customers and tell them that you know what you're doing. Simple spelling errors, inconsistent facts and faulty grammar reflect on the quality of the work you do – shoddy language translates into shoddy work, or tells readers that inaccuracies and mistakes don't really matter to you.

Errors and omissions in any writing, editing or proofreading of your letters, newsletters and reports can diminish your company's image and jeopardize your credibility. Meticulous language, on the other hand, reflects the scrupulous care you provide to clients and customers.

Fraud at 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

Fraud and corruption can only affect the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup negatively. A huge loss in money and assets can cause an increase of taxes on tourists and citizens of South Africa to make up for the losses. Tourists can also be victims of fraud if they are caught by scammers of organised crime, for example: credit card fraud or airline ticket fraud.

The corruptness of Metro Police officers are also creating a negative reputation of South African Law enforcement, and these officers are seen as incompetent, which may not be up to international standards. If corruption flairs during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, International News stations like CNN and BBC will focus on the negative aspects of South Africa, instead of the positive aspects like cultural diversity, fauna and flora, and the history of South Africa.



Setting standards high and creating effective controls to prevent fraud and corruption may lower crime. If, for instance, the Metro Police were trained better, and given a higher salary, officers may not feel the need to ask for bribes. Creating a task team to deal with corrupt officers may also be an effective method of curing the incompetent service that the Metro Police is providing.

10 Points for Article Writing

1- Do not write too much, if an article is too long, people won’t read it.

2- Make sure that the theme of an article is pointed out at the beginning of an article.

3- Don’t use difficult words.

4- Plan the layout of the article.

5- Write a catchy headline.

6- Keep open spaces so the article doesn’t look cluttered.

7- Write sentences straight forward, instead of using metaphors or examples that might confuse the reader.

8- Make sure that the article includes business ideas, so the article is
meaningful to managers and directors.

9- Separate information from instructions to avoid confusion.

10- Make sure that you address the reader and that all facts and responsibilities are clear.

Five Important Points for Report Writing

1 - Use of technical jargon, slang, and/or colloquialisms:

Generally the writing you do in a report will be formal in nature and you will need to avoid using words which are not recognized as being Standard English. Standard English is the form of English most commonly used in print and which is taught in schools. It is also the form of English used for academic writing. Don't feel constrained by having to use formal English, but try and express yourself using words which most people would understand, and which are appropriate to the context. Watch out for regional words and phrases too. This also means having good spelling and grammar. While you won’t be directly marked down for poor spelling, not having any ‘howlers’ means your report will read much more nicely and give a better impression.

2 - Do not clutter:

In all graphical elements of your report it is essential that you avoid clutter, confusion, business and sloppiness. In the main body these issues tend to break the reader’s concentration and cause numerous problems with printing and page breaks. These things interfere with your main goal which is communication. Do this by being careful about where you place labels in graphs, titles in tables, notes appended to either and reference marks or ticks.

3 - Charts are more effective than a wordy description:

Statistical reports should not have great chunks of text, instead the majority of information should be summarised in a table or graph, with a small, pertinent comment underneath to show what the figure demonstrates.


4 - Keep it neat:

When using headings and sub-headings you have to ensure that the same pattern is followed throughout the whole report or proposal. To keep a neat, flowing structure, all graphs and other visual aids should be clearly numbered and labelled; this numbering should be consecutive throughout the text of the report. In general, you want your report to look as neat and uncluttered as possible. A very neat way to do this is the use of footnotes to direct the reader. Using the same font and size for headings and making sure graphs are the same size, also makes a report flow better.


5 - Visual aids make a report more attractive:

Visual aids are eye-catchers. They need to be used appropriately and moderately to be effective. They must always be titled, clearly labelled, and explained. Different types of visual aids emphasize different data relationships, so choosing the right type is very important. Whatever graph, chart, or illustration type is chosen, data must be presented truthfully and accurately. Distorted scales on graphs or misleading emphasis suggest weaknesses in an argument. This will only hurt your credibility. When submitting a proposal, recommendation, or evaluation report, photographs are a good visual aid to use. For example, if you are buying a house, it is easier to compare houses by using photos, the same goes for cars, machinery, etc. When it comes to report writing, one should be aware of using pictures, as it might distract people from the topic.