Why sub-editors are still needed

Sub-editors are still needed despite a cost-cutting move to axe copy-subs at Northcliffe Media. It prompted around 30 immediate posts on the journalism website holdthefrontpage (HTFP) ranging from furious to despondent.

People on HTFP direct much of their anger at Northcliffe’s idea that reporters can take up the sub’s reins and write stories to predetermined lengths directly on the page.

A post by Hard Working Sub was typical: “What is really depressing is the quality of copy we receive from the young reporters who are practically illiterate. Never have subs been more needed and never have they been more undervalued.”

Subs are a must when reporting is poor

The idea that subbing is just about cutting copy to fit is far from reality.  Sub-editors are still needed because they hone rough copy into a coherent, flowing whole. They re-mould it to get the best out of a reporter’s words. Subs maintain a publication’s quality and reduce the threat of legal action by:

  • Rewriting copy so it makes sense
  • Spotting errors before they’re published
  • Making sure text flows properly, reads clearly and makes sense
  • Amending copy without changing the original writer’s style
  • Writing headlines and ensuring they fit the story.

Businesses need sub-editors to catch embarrassing errors

To further answer why sub-editors are still needed, I’ve revisited some of the copy I’ve subbed recently. I’m not a newspaper sub, but these are typical of the horrors I catch in marketing and corporate communications:

  • Potential sub judice
  • Incorrect apostrophe use
  • One reporter who used no apostrophes at all
  • Malapropism
  • Plagiarism
  • Repetition
  • Cliché
  • Wrong use of hyphenation
  • Verbiage

And that’s all from a brief scan of recent work. These errors make the writing look poor and would embarrass the writer. Some mistakes can end in fines or worse. But happily, I caught them before they went further. That’s what subs do.

Sub-editors have always been an easy target for cost-cutting and this is not the first time, nor will it be the last. But it’s almost always an expensive cut too far.

Where is publishing without subs? In court, most likely.

Read my blog on the differences between editing and proofreading.