Not part of news desk. Sports has its own copy desk. Design is done on a separate desk. The universal desk has its own senior editor and is not subordinate to any other desk. All copy is edited by someone on an originating desk before it comes to the copy desk.
Most copy editors are there by background.
Some are reporters who went there during the merger because they had nowhere else to go. We have five titled positions, all filled by internal promotions. We have ample opportunity for slotting, makeup editor and other added responsibilities. With few exceptions the desk consists of career copy editors. We often lose copy editors to promotions within the paper.