Tag Archives: sub-editing

The Jobless Journalist: Week three – To sub or not to sub?

This is the third post in a series from an anonymous UK-based journalist recently made redundant. To follow the series, you can subscribe to this feed.

You can also read posts by our previous ‘Redundant Journalist’ blogger at this link.

So far I’ve applied for a total of seven jobs (that’s not including the CVs sent to editors on the off-chance they know of something going). Two of these formal job applications have been for subbing roles.

The question is: I am a writer, not a sub-editor – should I even be applying for these jobs?

I do have a year’s sub-editing experience on the magazine I was made redundant from as well as on a couple of nationals, but I have been warned by editors in the past that I should stick to writing if that’s what I want to do.

I’ve always been of the opinion that sub-editing sharpens your writing and being able to write headlines and standfirsts, for example, can only be a bonus.

What is more, I can see from the sub-editing I have done how this could lead to being an editor, which is ultimately what I want to be.

Sub-editing involves being aware of the overall look of the piece – from pictures to pull quotes – as well as having impeccable grammar and spelling.

What is more, the increasing importance of online journalism means a journalist must be a sort of Judge Dredd character: writer, sub-editor and editor, rolled into one.

But the question still remains – should I apply for sub-editing roles? Or does the fact that I’m even asking this question mean I’ll never get anywhere with an application for a sub-editor’s job vacancy?

After all, if I can’t convince myself, then what chance do I have of convincing an interviewer?

CounterValue: FT’s Newsroom 2009 and why CMS tech is holding publishers back

Great post from Telegraph assistant editor Justin Williams on changes to production under the Financial Times’ Newsroom 2009 project and the Tele’s own trials with new sub-editing processes.

But, says Williams:

“What has and continues to hold this up is the technology. Editorial CMS suppliers continue to market products that, although making the process of web publishing easier and faster, still rely upon the buyers maintaining large production departments to manage the print pages.”

Spelling, grammar, style checks, page construction and more should be automated, he argues.

Full post at this link…

FT’s Newsroom 2009 plans – outline and FAQ

An outline of the Financial Times’ ‘Newsroom 2009’ project has been leaked to document-sharing site Scribd by user Garciaripples (hat tip to @shanerichmond). Read the documents in full below or Journalism.co.uk’s digest of the plans:

An FAQ on the plans was also posted:

Roy Greenslade: Response to criticisms of sub-editor comments

Media commentator Roy Greenslade responds to criticisms made of his comments last week, in which he said why the current role of sub-editors is becoming redundant.

“It is just not good enough to say that it’s fine for reporters to upload an ill-written set of facts and that subs should make sense of it. The coming generations of reporters will need to have both reporting and subbing skills,” he writes.

Full post at this link…