American Copy Editors Society
Encyclopedia
The American Copy Editors Society, commonly known as ACES, is a professional not-for-profit association for copy editors at U.S. newspaper
s, magazines, Web sites and corporations.
, the group offers:
, who also served as its first president, and Hank Glamann. Its inception followed work of the American Society of Newspaper Editors
and meetings by copy editors in North Carolina and South Carolina. It is currently led by society president Teresa Schmedding of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill. John McIntyre
, formerly of The Sun
in Baltimore, was its second president. Chris Wienandt of the Dallas Morning News was its third president.
It has an executive committee of 15 people, of whom five are officers: the president, vice president for conferences, vice president for membership, secretary and treasurer. Any full member is eligible for elections. It also has an executive director, Rudy Bahr, and an administrator, Carol DeMasters. Membership is $55 a year for full members, and less for students.
In 2008, the board approved changes that allowed copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations full membership with voting rights. As of 2009, the society has roughly 700 members.
, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Pennsylvania State University
.
The society also gives out two awards for copy editing, named after its founders: the Robinson Prize
, which is awarded to the top editor of the year, and the Glamann Award, which honors contributions to the craft.
The ACES national conference features the fundamentals of the craft and a primer for what's to come. Each year, copy desk executives, professionals, students and academics come together for three days of workshops, panel discussions and more. Learn about the origins of the conference. The annual event is a volunteer-run, nonprofit conference. Each year, more than 300 professionals and students attend the conference: copy editors for newspapers, magazines, websites, trade publications, book publishers, nonprofit agencies and corporations, as well as students, journalism professors, consultants and freelancers.
Its 2012 national conference will be April 12-14 in New Orleans. The University of North Carolina will host the 2013 conference. Regional chapters also hold meetings on occasion.
The idea that led to the creation of ACES was nurtured during a series of three conferences about copy editing sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1995 and 1996.
When ACES was chartered in the spring of 1997, the top priority of the society's founders was to conduct their own national gathering, organized by copy editors, for copy editors.
Four months later, the first ACES national conference took place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The participants, who numbered more than 340, felt the euphoria of shared experience, shared problems, shared goals and shared hopes.
More than 5,000 participants have taken advantage of the educational and networking opportunities offered by these sessions.
ACES members receive discounts on registration costs, as do members of the Society for News Design.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, magazines, Web sites and corporations.
, the group offers:
- a headlineHeadlineThe headline is the text at the top of a newspaper article, indicating the nature of the article below it.It is sometimes termed a news hed, a deliberate misspelling that dates from production flow during hot type days, to notify the composing room that a written note from an editor concerned a...
contest - member directories
- a newsletter
- scholarships
- regional chapters
- three-day annual conferences
- a website that links to job listings and a discussion board
Executive committee
ACES was founded in 1997 by Pam RobinsonPam Robinson
Pam Robinson is the co-founder, with Hank Glamann, of the American Copy Editors Society. She was born at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a blue-collar city on Lake Erie, 27 miles west of Cleveland...
, who also served as its first president, and Hank Glamann. Its inception followed work of the American Society of Newspaper Editors
American Society of Newspaper Editors
The American Society of News Editors is a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of media-related foundations and training organizations...
and meetings by copy editors in North Carolina and South Carolina. It is currently led by society president Teresa Schmedding of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill. John McIntyre
John McIntyre (copyeditor)
John E. McIntyre was the assistant managing editor for the copy desk at The Baltimore Sun and a language blogger. He holds degrees in English from Michigan State University and Syracuse University and was a charter member and two-term president of the American Copy Editors Society. McIntyre was...
, formerly of The Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
in Baltimore, was its second president. Chris Wienandt of the Dallas Morning News was its third president.
It has an executive committee of 15 people, of whom five are officers: the president, vice president for conferences, vice president for membership, secretary and treasurer. Any full member is eligible for elections. It also has an executive director, Rudy Bahr, and an administrator, Carol DeMasters. Membership is $55 a year for full members, and less for students.
In 2008, the board approved changes that allowed copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations full membership with voting rights. As of 2009, the society has roughly 700 members.
Chapters and Awards
The group has several chapters: Southeast, Florida, Midwest, Ohio, Texas, Southern California and Northern California, as well as college affiliates at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
The society also gives out two awards for copy editing, named after its founders: the Robinson Prize
Robinson Prize
The Robinson Prize is one of two awards given out by the American Copy Editors Society annually to one copy editor whose work demonstrates exceptional effectiveness.-History:...
, which is awarded to the top editor of the year, and the Glamann Award, which honors contributions to the craft.
Mission statement
ACES' mission statement is as follows: "The American Copy Editors Society is a professional organization dedicated to improving the quality of journalism and the working lives of copy editors. Our main purpose is to educate our members and others in ways to raise the standards of editing and increase the standing of copy editors. We've created a community that's made copy editors more visible and given them a more constructive role in their careers. We hope you'll join us in continuing that effort."Conferences
| Year | Location | Att. |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Chapel HIll, N.C. | 347 |
| 1998 | Portland, Ore. | 400 |
| 1999 | Dallas | 525 |
| 2000 | Baltimore | 425 |
| 2001 | Long Beach, Calif. | 440 |
| 2002 | Louisville, Ky. | 354 |
| 2003 | Chicago | 410 |
| 2004 | Houston | 390 |
| 2005 | Hollywood | 504 |
| 2006 | Cleveland | 420 |
| 2007 | Miami | 368 |
| 2008 | Denver | 297 |
| 2009 | Minneapolis | 256 |
| 2010 | Philadelphia | 331 |
| 2011 | Phoenix | 297 |
The ACES national conference features the fundamentals of the craft and a primer for what's to come. Each year, copy desk executives, professionals, students and academics come together for three days of workshops, panel discussions and more. Learn about the origins of the conference. The annual event is a volunteer-run, nonprofit conference. Each year, more than 300 professionals and students attend the conference: copy editors for newspapers, magazines, websites, trade publications, book publishers, nonprofit agencies and corporations, as well as students, journalism professors, consultants and freelancers.
Its 2012 national conference will be April 12-14 in New Orleans. The University of North Carolina will host the 2013 conference. Regional chapters also hold meetings on occasion.
The idea that led to the creation of ACES was nurtured during a series of three conferences about copy editing sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1995 and 1996.
When ACES was chartered in the spring of 1997, the top priority of the society's founders was to conduct their own national gathering, organized by copy editors, for copy editors.
Four months later, the first ACES national conference took place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The participants, who numbered more than 340, felt the euphoria of shared experience, shared problems, shared goals and shared hopes.
More than 5,000 participants have taken advantage of the educational and networking opportunities offered by these sessions.
ACES members receive discounts on registration costs, as do members of the Society for News Design.