Episode 2

*Here’s the latest Copy Editing Conundrum: it comes from an excellent book on graphic design, The Elements of Graphic Design.

Sequencing information should logically and clearly lead from the primary visual to the headline, then to the secondary visual, caption, subhead, and finally to the text. Each of these pieces should be chosen or written as one part of a single continuous message the purpose of which is to reveal to the reader what the article is about and why it is valuable to them.

My conundrum is this: in the second sentence should there be a comma after “message”? I would insert a comma. So copy editors, what would you do?

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*Note: This is by no means a criticism of the book or its contents. As I say, it’s an excellent book.