Sub-editing

(Picture of man in jacket pointing at colleague's screen while woman with phone looks over). One might argue that the term sub-editing is a bit of a throwback to the days of hot metal and Fleet Street. As the publishing industry has progressed and desktop publishing has come to the fore the roles of sub-editor and typesetter have increasingly been merged with those of editor and staff writer. It is often the case that editorial staff may share some of the duties of page layout, sub-editing and proof reading among themselves.

Subbing vs Proof Reading

Well what’s the difference between sub-editing and proof reading? The sub-editor has a wider group of responsibilities than the proof reader. The sub-editor makes sure the stories fit on the page, either cutting if the story is too long or dropping in pull quotes or pictures if it runs short. The sub should be familiar with what proportion of a column or page a particular number of words in a specific font takes up. If they are unsure they can always refer to a pre-prepared column depth chart or drop Latin text into the space on screen and do a word count, but it is quicker to be familiar with the measures. The sub also makes sure that the piece makes sense and flows, and that the language used is appropriate for the target audience.

If the journalist or writer who provided the copy is not around to explain any unclear points or do rewrites it falls to the sub to decide on what to rewrite and what to cut out. If the writer of the original copy is around the sub instructs them on what needs rewriting and how. Traditionally it has also been part of the sub’s role to come up with eyecatching headlines and sympathetic captions. In short, it is the sub-editor’s duty to make sure that the entire text for the article or story is tight, appealing and free from mistakes.

The sub-editor also needs to be aware of the placement of items on a page. Running two headlines side by side in adjacent columns can have unpleasant effects if left unmonitored. Imagine placing a story with the headline ‘Dead Body Found in Abandoned Freezer’ next to ‘Iceland Says Yes to British Meat’. These types of events can lead to distress, angry phonecalls and legal proceedings.

Legal Knowledge

This brings up another point - the sub-editor needs to have some idea of defamation law (particularly libel and slander) and copyright law. The sub must also understand the basics of the Human Rights Act, which has established, for the first time in UK Law, a right to privacy and to freedom of expression. Following its introduction, there has been a recent trend for celebrities to bypass the Press Complaints Commission in favour or going to court.

Quality Control

In absence of the editor, the sub decides the placement of the stories on the page and, as the primary safety engineer and quality controller of the publication, also checks the final proofing marks and instructions have been taken in.

Quality Subs

A colleague of mine once came up with an interesting description of the essential qualities that a sub must have: Balance, Accuracy, Laconism (the ability to make things concise), Legal-sense, Speed. I think that’s about right, above all a sub must have a cool head in the heat of press day.

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[Sub-editing]

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