sub editors | The hardest aspect of journalism is editing. A competent editor should possess artistic abilities, linguistic control, copywriting ideas, and the ability to correctly assess the relative value of each news item. The report’s copy has been enhanced by the subeditor, making it simpler to read and comprehend. Print journalism’s subeditor is all about quality control. Whether you work in print, online, or broadcast media will affect the role. It states that the subeditor creates the story and the reporter writes the paper. 

EDITOR

A journalist’s unique position is editor. An editor is a person who edits a copy of a story. Editors oversee reporters and polish their work before it is published. An editor also arranges the stories they will cover, what to report, and how much weight to give each one. Similar to reporters, every newspaper will have a staff of editors. Not every editor belongs to the same group. The Chief Editor position is the most important one in a newspaper. ( sub editors)

These days, editors oversee each area of newspapers. Sports news is handled by the sports editor. The features area is managed by the feature editor. Photographers report to picture editors. In a similar manner, business editors handle business news, etc. 

SUB-EDITOR

A sub-editor is someone who gathers reporter reports and gets them ready for publication or broadcast. In addition, he proofreads and edits newspaper stories before they are published. Many news, feature, and sports editors would be employed by a large newspaper or magazine to allocate work and edit reporter and writer material for correctness, content, grammar, and style. ( sub editors )

QUALITIES OF A SUB-EDITOR

It is common practice to list specific requirements for a subeditor separately. Being an excellent all-arounder is essential for subeditors. The following is a list of the characteristics a subeditor needs to have:

NEWS SENSE

A newsman’s fundamental skill is news sense. It requires news awareness to be a sub-editor. To tell news from non-news, he needs to have a news sense, or nose for news. As the initial reviewer of a reporter’s copy, he bears the responsibility of rectifying any errors committed by the reporter.

In a poorly crafted text, the most significant plot point could be tucked away in the fourth paragraph. The subeditor’s nose will have to do the searching for news before it appears in the first paragraph. He must be able to weigh different news values, choose where to start his tale, and make sure he doesn’t overlook any crucial information. ( sub editors )

CLARITY

A subeditor needs to be able to communicate clearly. It is impossible for someone who is confused to instruct others. If clarity of expression is not also there, mental clarity alone is insufficient. Clarity of intellect is meaningless without clarity of speech. The subeditor serves as the judge of copy clarity; a skilled subeditor will never let a copy pass him unless the meaning is abundantly evident. He is quite entitled to ruin the life of a reporter who lacks clarity and writes incoherently. ( sub editors )

ALERTNESS 

A subeditor should never lose focus when working with their subjects. Reporters’ attentiveness in the past has made many significant news stories feasible. Newsrooms are not invaded by spies; instead, reporters detect them in the air and follow them. A subeditor who works at a news desk needs to be attentive. Readers will notice a subeditor’s lack of attentiveness in the morning since he will be leaving or adding mistakes for everyone to see. ( sub editors )

SPEED 

Someone who is slow at work is not a competent subeditor. A subeditor needs to be quick in their work. He can’t spend much time reading a copy. He needs to complete everything quickly because there are many more copies waiting for him. He must make decisions quickly, compose quickly, and type quickly in order to meet deadlines and possibly move on to another task. At the news desk, a slow subeditor is viewed with disdain and is considered a curse. There are outcasts in the workforce. ( sub editors )

CURIOSITY

Subeditors ought to be naturally curious. This quality will continue to enhance a subeditor since an inquisitive subeditor will have a stronger foundation to perform his duties the next day with each day that goes by. It is recommended that reporters and subeditors read as much as they can to maintain a high level of awareness. 

BI-FOCAL MINDED

A subeditor needs to have two foci. When someone has a bi-focal mind, they may view a reality from two different perspectives: up close and far away. This implies that the subeditor ought to be able to identify any errors in a story.

He refers to a very near mistake when he takes a copy of a story and follows the obvious mistakes first. The phrase “Chapy Nobabgonj is the capital of mango in Bangladesh” is wrong; “Chapai Nawabgonj” is the correct spelling.

“The largest mangoes hut sits in Shivganj district” is the second error. In this case, Shivganj is a sub-district of Chapai Nawabgonj rather than a district. Subeditors ought to be capable of handling errors of this nature. Broadly speaking, this ( sub editors )

SKEPTICISM

It is an additional essential trait that a subeditor needs to develop. Nothing should be taken for granted by him. He ought to maintain a constant state of skepticism until confronted with irrefutable evidence. Reporters need to be on the lookout for multiple forces that are always trying to take advantage of them and their paper. Many attempt to spread false information to reporters to benefit themselves. Subeditors should exercise caution as well, as there are astute politicians, public relations specialists, and product advertisers who will stop at nothing to con them. They ought to make sure that even reporters are checked for such unethical behavior. ( sub editors ) 

OBJECTIVITY

Subeditors should strive for impartiality when handling a story. They ought to refrain from letting their own prejudices or opinions seep into a narrative. To ensure that the story is balanced, they should attempt to cover all the many points of view without taking sides. 

ACCURACY

Accuracy is what a subeditor should aim for. He should double- and triple-check his facts until he is confident they are correct. A subeditor’s responsibility is to ensure accuracy. Especially when the background is involved, it is crucial. The subeditor must verify dates and names from reference materials available in the newspaper office, even though the reporter may rely on his recollection in certain situations. The golden rule of journalism is to leave anything out when there is any doubt. Saying nothing is preferable to saying something incorrectly. ( sub editors )

PUNCTUALITY

It’s a wise practice. Being early and then waiting is always preferable to arriving late and asking others since a competitor might mislead you or withhold some crucial information. Timeliness also pays at the desk. Coworkers will regard a subeditor with respect if he arrives on time. He will annoy them and ruin the work environment if he is late. In addition, he could have to deal with the backlog of copy that he needs to finish before the deadline. 

VAST KNOWLEDGE

If everything else is equal, reporters require extra traits in order to interact with the variety of people they encounter on the job. Subeditors should be more proficient in language as they enhance the writing of reporters. Having a thoughtful outlook on the future is beneficial for journalists in general. They can identify people and processes that will be significant in the future thanks to the quality. The subeditors should maintain current data and a wide understanding of both domestic and foreign affairs. Read periodicals connected to the industry to stay informed about current issues. Make all these adjustments for a publication’s online platform. ( sub editors )

CREDIBILITY

A report ought to be reliable. The sub-editor should double-check the facts and data before writing or modifying. Hastily completed work can lead to mistakes. Editing the copy before submitting it for publication or broadcasting is usually preferable. The story ought to be revised if it can be made better.

IMAGINATION

This fundamental mental ability aids journalists in crafting more engaging stories that hold readers’ attention. This creative ability is highly helpful for a subeditor because it allows him to liven up and give shine to other people’s copy. Additionally, creative headlines draw readers in and elevate a newspaper’s quality.

TACTFULNESS

A subeditor needs to have tact. He need to be able to deal tactfully with delicate individuals and circumstances without inciting resentment or damaged feelings. He needs to be mindful of other people and take care not to humiliate, annoy, or offend them. He needs to be aware of the emotions and behaviors of persons. This will assist him in making the kinds of contacts that are crucial for writing and obtaining news.

SELF-DISCIPLINE

It is possible to become somewhat proficient at reporting or subediting with methodical work and self-control. Self-discipline in this context denotes assiduity and unwavering determination.

Like any other field, journalism benefits from it. 

CALMNESS 

Subeditors frequently operate under difficult conditions. Even in the most dramatic and sad situations, they must maintain their composure. When writing or editing a story, they frequently need to maintain composure, refrain from hysterical movements or words, and use the proper mental and physical energy. Subeditors and reporters are also people. They have feelings, but they have to control them when confronted with upsetting stimuli; they have to become less excitable. Subeditors should cultivate a disposition that allows them to perform well under time constraints. If they are working behind the clock, they shouldn’t lose their composure because a calm mind produces speedier work.

FEARLESSNESS AND FRANKNESS

These attributes enable the subeditor to pose uncomfortable queries and take calculated chances in order to learn the truth. No one serves a narrative to you. To write a good story, he will need to investigate, challenge, validate, and use his deductive reasoning skills.

DILIGENCE

Subeditors need to work hard. They must exercise great care and attention in their work, be attentive, committed to the task at hand, and exercise cautious caution. When drafting or editing text, they must draw incredibly fine lines. A subeditor who doesn’t meet this standard should be fired because he has the power to improve or destroy the newspaper. These characteristics are essentially those of decent and effective people. Subeditors and reporters are made up of good and efficient human beings.

INTEGRITY

It denotes unwavering honesty and rigorous commitment to a stringent code of ethics and is a virtue in and of itself. This aspect of humanity is essential for journalists. Reporters need to take extra care since they are more likely to succumb to temptation than subeditors.

FUNCTIONS OF A SUB-EDITOR

Subediting is the process of fixing errors in an article while maintaining efficiency standards. Subediting is a demanding profession that requires constant attention to detail in a fast-paced work environment, just like other journalism occupations. Subeditors have jobs by online, regional, and national journals, magazines, and newspapers. The following is a list of the tasks that subeditors must complete:

Almost all of the subeditors’ functions are included in the following three general functions which subeditors carried out. 

COPY EDIT AND DEVELOPMENT

Subeditors proofread content written by reporters or feature writers for spelling and grammar issues before developing the narrative. It is the reporter’s responsibility to compose the story with all the details and numbers as soon as feasible. They might not have the time to refine the phrase in their haste. Therefore, a subeditor’s first responsibility is to ensure that the report is error-free and written in clear English. Errors in spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and factual accuracy are all possible. The subeditor must double verify a section of the report with the reporter if he finds any part to be unclear, inaccurate, or questionable. Edit news releases and reports.

WRITE A HEADLINE

The subeditor’s next task is to select a catchy headline for the article and craft one that either cleverly or humorously sums up the content. The headline ought to capture the essence of the narrative and be succinct, eye-catching, and snappy. The reader should be enticed to stop and read the entire story by the headline.

A subeditor should be aware of the amount of space allotted for the story—one, two, three, etc.—while crafting the title. That column should accommodate the headline. The headline should be written with the story’s tone in mind. A hard story with a sarcastic headline will seem strange. In a similar vein, a harsh headline will kill the humor in a work. The headline ought to

FOLLOW IN HOUSE POLICY

Sub-editors are in charge of checking that newspaper and magazine articles conform to house guidelines for style on their content, accuracy, layout, and design fashion. Each media outlet has its own set of ethics and rules. The media company has its own objectives and upholds its own policies. All media adheres to their own set of policies regarding news, advertisements, and page makeup. They followed their own set of rules. Thus, the subeditor ought to adhere to and carry out internal policies.

The following are some noteworthy tasks that subeditors accomplish in the absence of these three roles:- 

PAGE MAKEUP/LAYOUT OF PAGES 

Page makeup and layout are artistic endeavors. Although every newspaper contains eight columns on each page, their layouts vary. Newspaper fonts and typefaces are also separate from from paper to paper. Each subeditor must become familiar with the typefaces used in the publication as well as the chosen layout scheme. Page making is the process that gets the newspaper page ready.

It was formerly done on dummy pages by subeditors. These days, they perform it on a computer screen.

Placing the image in the proper location on the page is another aspect of photo editing. It’s incorporated into the page design. Only the most significant news images typically make it onto the first page. This must have shown him that

USE PICTURE PHOTOGRAPH OR GRAPH

It is now the subeditor’s responsibility to determine if photos can be included with the news article. Images and graphs can improve a report’s look. In the media, photography is essential. Photography is necessary to provide any news source—newspaper, newsweekly, news channel, or news portal—its visual impact, effect, and authenticity. A well-chosen image is considered to convey a thousand words. There are moments when a single image catches the essence of a situation or event. 

WRITE CAPTION

You check for the caption beneath a photo you see in the newspaper. The wording beneath a picture is referred to as the caption or catchphrase. The subeditor’s responsibility is to compose the right caption for photographs that photographers submit. composing picture descriptions, cropping images, and selecting the ideal place to use them. A well-written caption can enhance the image’s impact. 

CONDENSATION

A task that falls to the subeditor is condensation. Long-form reports are typically filed by reporters. The availability of space in the newspaper will only be known to the subeditor. The subeditor’s task is to rewrite or edit the narrative to make it more concise if the correspondent’s entire piece cannot fit in the allotted space. It is absolutely better to use one word to replace several words if possible.

RE-WRITE NEWS STORY 

Material that is rewritten must follow the house style of the targeted publication, flow or read more smoothly. ensuring that a story adheres to a word count by adding or removing information as necessary. Verifying information and tales to make sure they respect copyright regulations, are truthful, and don’t violate the publication’s policies or violate any libel. Plan to make sure the right stories appear on each page in the right places while adhering to a page. The subeditor should fix a reporter’s copy if he discovers any errors. He should rewrite the story if he feels that it needs more development or information added.

VALUE ADDED 

The subeditor’s next assignment is to add value to the report. If additional background information is needed, he must get it from the library and enhance the narrative. For instance, if a subeditor receives a report about a train accident that results in ten deaths, they might enhance the article by gathering details about other significant train accidents that have occurred previously.

GIVE A BYLINE 

Giving the story credit or a byline is another crucial choice an editor must make. Typically, bylines are not provided for specific stories. However, in order for a reporter to receive credit for an exclusive piece, it should include their name or byline. The news editor decides whether to give a reporter a byline for a certain story. However, a subeditor handling the article can always recommend to the news editor that the piece be given a byline.

PROOFREADING

Giving the story credit or a byline is another crucial choice an editor must make. Typically, bylines are not provided for specific stories. However, in order for a reporter to receive credit for an exclusive piece, it should include their name or byline. The news editor decides whether to give a reporter a byline for a certain story. However, a subeditor handling the article can always recommend to the news editor that the piece be given a byline.

TRANSLATE THE STORY

A crucial task for a subeditor is to translate a copy. A subeditor’s ability to translate news stories is an important responsibility. The news media gathers material for publications or broadcasts from a wide range of news organizations, institutions, and sources worldwide. Typically, this kind of material is written in English. In addition to this press note, news releases are nearly exclusively published in English. These kinds of materials need to be translated by the subeditor for the benefit of the readers. 

CONCLUSION 

The process of editing entails reading, revising, adding value, polishing, improving, and making a report better for publishing. Editing involves condensation. In addition, the editor determines if graphs, pictures, or other visuals should be added with the report.

Sub-editors are journalists or designers who are in charge of checking that newspaper and magazine articles follow house style and are accurate, well-organized, and visually appealing. We can now state that the subeditors are accountable to the house for carrying out certain tasks. Subeditors should also develop certain traits that will help them succeed in the cutthroat media industry.