Almost Quote by Jennifer Lee
“People often think that reporters write their own headlines. In fact, they almost never do. The people who do write headlines are the copy editors who are the front and last lines of quality-checking in a newspaper before it goes to print.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New York Times Editorial Process, 2018
Headlines are typically crafted by copy editors, not reporters, serving as the final quality check before publication.
In simple terms: Copy editors write headlines.
Respect editorial roles.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- newspaper
- media
- publishing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does editorial oversight improve news credibility?
- What challenges do copy editors face?
Reporters may feel undervalued if their headlines are overwritten.