Copy Editing Pilot FAQ
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, January 19, 2016 11:02 AM
The Copy Editing Pilot test begins with the 2016 District Meet. I have received many questions regarding the new pilot contest. Hopefully, this FAQ will be helpful.
1. At what level will the Copy Editing Contest be available? It will be available only at the district level because it is a pilot. An invitational meet can choose to write a test and offer a contest, but the UIL office will not write invitational material.
2. Who can offer the contest at district? Any district may offer the contest. It is up to the District Executive Committee.
3. Will the Copy Editing Contest material be included in district materials? Yes. The contest and key will be in all district packets — both week one and week two.
4. Where does Copy Editing fit into the conflict pattern? It doesn’t because it’s only a pilot. We suggest you run the contest after the Headline Writing Contest. If the Legislative Council approves it to be a full contest, then we will shorten Headline Writing to 30 minutes.
5. How long is the contest? It is a 15-minute test.
6. Can students use stylebooks and dictionaries in the contest? At this point, no. The test is only 15-minutes long so students do not have time to use those resources.
7. Who grades the contest? We suggest you use the judges who judged your other four contests. The judging should not take a long time. A key is provided.
8. What if we have an idea to improve the contest? Please send all feedback to Jeanne Acton at jacton@uiltexas.org. At this point, the contest rules are not set in stone. It’s a fluid contest. We can make changes to better fit the needs of students and improve the contest.
9. What does the test look like? Here is a link to the sample test: http://www.uiltexas.org/journalism/uil-contests.
10. What can my students do to prepare for the test? Here is a link to resources: https://www.uiltexas.org/files/academics/journalism/copyediting_pilotfinal.pdf.
If you have any other questions, please email Jeanne Acton at jacton@uiltexas.org or call at 512.232.4924.