Poynter ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing

Distinguish yourself with the industry’s premiere editing certificate, where you’ll learn powerful techniques to help you and your organization achieve greater communications clarity; how to embrace accuracy and verification; ways to perfect your grammar, word use and style; and the skills to make you the kind of editor people are hungry to work with. Get details.

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  • 15h 30m

  • 7 courses

  • Good editors become great ones in our Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing, audited and updated for 2023.

  • In partnership with:

Go at your own pace for a timeline that fits your schedule or your organization’s needs.

Hear from renowned, passionate industry experts on grammar, writing and editing.

Get the latest best practices from the digital world, from SEO headlines to online verification.

Enroll in all courses for $300 $150.00

A $150.00 savings compared to purchasing a la carte.

  • Online

    Language Primer

    One of Poynter’s all-time most popular courses, the Language Primer has been fully updated and…

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    Fundamentals of Editing

    Gain knowledge about the process of editing, and understand the range of skills that give…

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    The Art and Science of Editing

    Is editing an art or is it a science? In this illuminating course, you’ll learn…

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    Clarity is Key: Making Writing Clean and Concise

    This short online course focuses on ways to make communication clearer and more engaging. We’ll…

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    Getting It Right: Accuracy and Verification in the Digital Age

    Get the knowledge and tools necessary to become more accurate in what you publish in…

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  • Online

    Editing Everywhere All At Once: Writing for SEO, Social, Newsletters and More

    Learn how to craft headlines that get noticed by search engines, understand best practices for…

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  • Online

    ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing — Final Assessment

    You’re almost there! By passing this final assessment, you’ll earn your introductory editing certificate from…

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Overview

The ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing is a rigorous seven-part certificate program that ranges from basics on clarity and verification to deep dives that explain how errors get inserted into copy and how to fact-check online content with the latest techniques. Newly revised and updated for 2023, this program draws together knowledge from some of the nation’s leading editors, fact-checkers and academics for a fast-paced experience that will challenge and entertain you on your quest to becoming a world-class editor.

The first of our three-part certification program, this foundational program will have you polishing copy, sussing out misinformation and developing a sparkling rapport with writers in no time.

Schedule

Once you enroll in this certificate program, you can start any time and engage with learning material on your own schedule. There will be seven courses in the certificate to complete. We estimate that it will take 12-15 hours to complete the entire certificate.

Who should enroll

This certificate is designed for editors of all stripes. Regardless of whether you work in legacy news media, a public relations firm, a government communications office or a creative agency, our certificate is designed to help you get your intended message to its appropriate audience clearly, succinctly and accurately. While it was designed with journalists in mind, the course can also help marketers, advertising writers, ad agencies or anyone with a vested interest in communicating in the clearest way possible.

Cost

Tuition for this seven-part certificate program is $150.

ACES members enjoy a discounted rate of $99 — the checkout code is on the ACES website inside the membership portal landing page under “Member Discounts.” Use that code at checkout on the Poynter site.

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at [email protected].

Instructors

  • Merrill Perlman
    Independent writing and editing consultant
    Merrill Perlman spent 25 years at The New York Times in jobs ranging from copy editor to director of copy desks, in charge of all...
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  • Gerri Berendzen
    Lecturer at William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications
    Gerri Berendzen is a lecturer at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. Prior to teaching, Berendzen...
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  • Lisa McLendon
    Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas
    Lisa McLendon runs the Bremner Editing Center at the University of Kansas journalism school, where she also teaches editing and grammar. She has previously worked...
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  • Vanya Tsvetkova
    Former Interactive Learning Designer, MediaWise
    Vanya Tsvetkova develops curricula in various formats to teach fact-checking and media literacy skills to audiences of all ages in the U.S. and abroad. Vanya...
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  • Craig Silverman
    Reporter, ProPublica and editor, Verification Handbook
    Craig Silverman is an award-winning journalist and author and one of the world's leading experts on online disinformation, fake news, and digital investigations. He recently...
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  • Adriana Lacy
    Journalist and freelance audience consultant
    Adriana Lacy is a journalist and freelance audience consultant in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the digital and audience engagement editor at the Nieman Foundation for...
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  • Mary Bishop-Baldwin
    Assistant Editor, Tulsa World
    Mary Bishop-Baldwin has been an editor at the Tulsa (Oklahoma) World since 1995. She previously was an assistant professor of journalism at East Central University...
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  • Roy Peter Clark
    Senior Scholar, Poynter
    Roy Peter Clark is known as America’s writing coach, devoted to creating a nation of writers. A PhD in medieval literature, he is widely considered...
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  • Pamela Hogle
    Freelance writer and editor
    Pamela Hogle is a freelance writer and editor. She holds master’s degrees in journalism and canine studies. Pam has taught editing at USFSP and worked...
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  • Sue Burzynski Bullard
    Sue Burzynski Bullard teaches editing, reporting and multimedia at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty in August 2008 after a year...
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  • Andy Bechtel
    Assistant professor, University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication
    Andy Bechtel is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he teaches editing and newswriting. He...
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  • Mark Allen
    Freelance Editor; Board member of ACES: The Society for Editing
    Mark Allen is an editor by trade and a teacher by passion with 30 years of professional experience working with words (including numbers). After a...
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  • Barbara Allen
    Marketing Communications Lead and Editor
    Barbara Allen is the marketing communications lead and editor at Poynter. Barbara was formerly the director of college programming at Poynter. She spent most of...
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