diff --git a/skimage/io/__init__.py b/skimage/io/__init__.py
index 5fb2602b..350ca202 100644
--- a/skimage/io/__init__.py
+++ b/skimage/io/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-__doc__ = """Utilities to read and write images in various formats.
+"""Utilities to read and write images in various formats.
 
 The following plug-ins are available: