Both the reporter and editor have the same goal, which is to put out the best story. You are trying to serve both the truth and also artful narrative, of telling the story the way people want to read about it. This is an absolute bedrock notion to keep in mind. When someone hands something in, try to find something to praise. The only person who ever thrived on negative praise was Richard Nixon.
Students brighten when they hear that.
It's a pretty neutral phrase for something pretty bad. It could be worse. Writing at newspapers may be rough at times, but it is much tougher at say, a journalism school. Keep that in mind. Maddy puzzled over the word for a long time.