CHARLESTON, W.Va -- WHEN someone asks what I do, I usually have to explain, because most people have only a vague idea of what a copy editor does.

Copy editors are not only grammarians; we are the gatekeepers of the media. We dispatch the news.

A devotion to news is at the heart of being a journalist, and being a journalist is at the heart of being a copy editor.

As our managing editor, Patty Tompkins, said about a year ago, "The copy desk is the last line of defense before stories and headlines get onto the printed page and the Web site. Copy editors are expected to be sure all published copy uses correct grammar and punctuation, as well as Associated Press and Gazette style."

Copy editors not only edit copy, write headlines and paginate pages. There's more to it. We strive to make writing clear, correct, concise, comprehensible and consistent -- the five Cs, it's been called.

We have to have a passion for news, a strong visual sense and the ability to get work done quickly on deadline. We lay out local and wire pages, and copyedit The Charleston Gazette, thegazz -- the Gazette's weekly arts and entertainment section -- and post stories to the Gazette online.

We know Microsoft Word, Quark, Adobe Photoshop. We learn those fairly quickly. Being well-read, having good critical-thinking skills, a command of the language, broad general knowledge of current events and the world -- those take a long time.

Some other preferred qualities: Versatility. Good work attitude. Willingness to collaborate across the newsroom and learn new skills. Fresh eyes. Deadline performance and the ability to get the work done in one hour instead of two. Knowledge of current events. Willingness to take responsibility for finding solutions to workplace issues and for improving the quality of your work.

We work in a large, open room, so we must be able to concentrate amid many distractions -- reporters interviewing over the phone, telephones ringing, the sounds of people typing.

We must have good interpersonal skills, despite sometimes stressful conditions, because we interact with each other and with the public, both in person and over the telephone.

CHARLESTON, W.Va -- WHEN someone asks what I do, I usually have to explain, because most people have only a vague idea of what a copy editor does.

Copy editors are not only grammarians; we are the gatekeepers of the media. We dispatch the news.

A devotion to news is at the heart of being a journalist, and being a journalist is at the heart of being a copy editor.

As our managing editor, Patty Tompkins, said about a year ago, "The copy desk is the last line of defense before stories and headlines get onto the printed page and the Web site. Copy editors are expected to be sure all published copy uses correct grammar and punctuation, as well as Associated Press and Gazette style."

Copy editors not only edit copy, write headlines and paginate pages. There's more to it. We strive to make writing clear, correct, concise, comprehensible and consistent -- the five Cs, it's been called.

We have to have a passion for news, a strong visual sense and the ability to get work done quickly on deadline. We lay out local and wire pages, and copyedit The Charleston Gazette, thegazz -- the Gazette's weekly arts and entertainment section -- and post stories to the Gazette online.

We know Microsoft Word, Quark, Adobe Photoshop. We learn those fairly quickly. Being well-read, having good critical-thinking skills, a command of the language, broad general knowledge of current events and the world -- those take a long time.

Some other preferred qualities: Versatility. Good work attitude. Willingness to collaborate across the newsroom and learn new skills. Fresh eyes. Deadline performance and the ability to get the work done in one hour instead of two. Knowledge of current events. Willingness to take responsibility for finding solutions to workplace issues and for improving the quality of your work.

We work in a large, open room, so we must be able to concentrate amid many distractions -- reporters interviewing over the phone, telephones ringing, the sounds of people typing.

We must have good interpersonal skills, despite sometimes stressful conditions, because we interact with each other and with the public, both in person and over the telephone.

Good copy editors encounter many musts. You must have a broad education and previous experience. Don't have those? Go get some. You must be creative and must pay attention to detail. You must have flexibility, curiosity and, above all, common sense.

I got my first newspaper job by answering a want ad that appeared in The Parkersburg News during the Christmas holidays in 1969. My brother Dana spotted the ad and told me about it. Working at the paper seemed way beyond my reach, but I was hopeful.

The editor at the time was Jim Young, a graduate of the University of North Carolina. He said he picked my letter out of more than 100 responses he received, and in 1970, while I was still studying English in college, I also started to work in a newsroom that had no air conditioning, lots of cigarette smoke and a row of clickety-clackety wire machines with bells on them that rang for the urgent stories. All the typewriters were manual except for one electric. The grandfatherly city editor had that one. He was the most technologically advanced person in the room. He probably bought the typewriter himself. They paid me $35 a week, which was a month's rent. But I digress.

There's no smoke anymore, and we have air conditioning. Most if not all of us have college degrees, some more than one. We are a newsroom merging into more Web-centric multimedia storytelling, and our online presence is growing. We are also devoted to keeping the printed Gazette strong and vibrant.

I remember Gazette editor Don Marsh writing a column about looking for copy editors many years ago. Good copy editors are always in demand and are hard to find.

The work is difficult and the pay is not spectacular, but putting out the paper and updating wvgazette.com give us a lot of satisfaction.

Do you think I should have put this item in the classifieds? Think again. If you're reading this, you might be the kind of person I'm looking for. News junkies might read the op-ed page.

You see, I really am looking for a copy editor. If you think you have what we want, give me a call.

Burkhammer is the Gazette's news editor. Reach him at vicburkham...@wvgazette.com or call 348-5184.