Editor’s note: As part of a media transparency initiative, on Aug. 20, 2018, The Collegian spent the first day of publishing of the year telling our readers about us. You can read more about the people behind our publication in the Editor’s Blog.

The Collegian’s copy desk serves an important behind-the-scenes role in student media.

The desk ensures that each article is accurate, ethically written and understandable for readers each time the paper is opened.

The last set of eyes to look at each story before publishing, the copy desk is expected to catch errors which previous editors have not and make certain that each story is as detailed and consistent as possible. Ultimately, the copy desk must make decisions to change, keep or pull an article based on our knowledge of Associated Press writing style and the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics.

This year, the copy desk has grown since it was eliminated in 2016. The desk currently has two regular copy editors, led by the night editor and the copy chief.

Now, the copy desk is focusing on standardizing the editing process and building cohesion between it and other desks. The desk also strives to increase the quality of our work and reduce errors in published articles.

While admittedly not the most glamorous of jobs, the copy desk occupies a special place in The Collegian’s daily production process.

As the final “line of defense” against grammatical and stylistic mistakes, the copy desk maintains a constant presence in the newsroom: Copy editors are present from 6:00 p.m. until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday, reading and editing stories for the next day’s issue. Copy editors are incredibly proud of their work, knowing they help deliver the best of the entire Collegian.

Collegian Night Editor Gabriel Go and Copy Chief Emily Myler can be reached at copy@collegian.com.