Appreciation post: a retired copy editor in Savannah showed me how to check a headline in 30 seconds

Spencer Gonzalez · 2026-10-25T06:10:04.676134+00:00

Last month I was at a coffee shop on Broughton Street and got to talking with a retired copy editor who spent 25 years at a paper there. I showed her a big front-page story I had been sharing around, and she pointed out the headline said one thing while the second paragraph quietly said the opposite. She said the trick is to read paragraph three first, because that is where reporters put the part the editor couldn't fit up top. Now I read to paragraph three before I share anything, and it has saved me twice this week alone. What is your go-to spot in a story to find the catch?

Vivisector

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Appreciation post: a retired copy editor in Savannah showed me how to check a headline in 30 seconds | Behind the Headlines - Vivisector