The sub-editor also called Assistant editor can be defined as a person usually a journalist in a newsroom whose job is to review news story, revise the writing, check all the text and correct mistakes before final publication. The sub editor is described as "the mid wife of the story" and "unsung hero of a newspaper".
The sub editor identify the main points on a story and shape them logically. He/she check aspects such as accuracy, spellings, grammar, clarity and ensuring that the final copy match the publication's house style. He/she oversee the story, control the content, turn information into attention-grapping and make sure that the article is making sense and more readable. He/she also adjust length of the story by removing unnecessary parts, finding suitable headlines, planning page lay out to make sure that the story fits on the space available, selecting and writing caption for pictures, correcting any misspellings, check and recheck facts, correcting grammar errors and remove irrelevant information that might be defamatory by nature.
The sub editor plays a vital role in a newsroom by ensuring that accountability, responsibility and professionalism is considered. He/she check whether the adequate lead was given by a reporter by answering reader's questions (5 Ws and H). He/she liaise with reporters, journalists and editors to clarify facts and details of a story, for instance if the sub editor is not sure about what the reporter has wrote, he/she can ask the write to elaborate more. The sub editor process all stories, obey to copy right laws, verify facts by ensuring that the reporter gave correct names, age, number, tittle of a person and make sure that the news are based on facts and reported in a fair, balanced and unbiased manner. He/she scan through each an every single line of copy to make sure that the tone, style and layout of a final copy read better and match the publication's house style and it suits the target market.
Sub editor add value to the report. He/she have to select the right types of news, editing story and rewrite stories. The sub editor arrange information in order and delete irrelevant content or improper materials such as libellous statements, instance of editorializing, speculation and those that defy ethics and good taste. He/she correct errors of grammar, spellings of names, places, numbers, phrases, and house style so that they are not printed wrongly. Sub editor also check errors in style and structure such as punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, organising paragraphs, and coherence. He/she delete, jargon, superfluous, technical terms, complex and difficult words, unfamiliar quotes and eliminate redundant words and phrases.
The headline is the window to the story. Thus, the sub editor have to find a suitable headlines that capture the essence of the story. The headline have to be short, simple and straight to the point and it must captivate the readers' attention. A good sub editor have to be creative and being able to write an accurate, strong , clear, original, active, correct, immediate, interesting headline that will help a reader to easily get fact and it should attract the reader to want to read the whole article/story.
The sub editor have to make sure that the headline fits at the space available and it must tell a story. He/she also write stand firsts or brief introduction which sum up the whole story. The sub editor revise and condense the material to suit the space available. He/she rewrite or edit text, cut words and expand the story material as necessary to ensure that the story fits a particular word counts.
Apart from verifying facts and writing headlines, the sub editor also shorten sentences (rewrite sentences into a short form), tighten paragraphs, expanding or shortening the whole article when necessary to adjust the space designated by the editor or layout artist.
He/she also assess the length to the right size according to the space available at which a story have to be published. Apart from trimming the article size, the sub editor also plan and design and lay out of pages using different desktop publishing software to bring out the perfect layout and attractive copy. He/she also make sure that the right article/story appears at the correct place on each page of the publication and the story fits correctly on page. A sub editor ensure that picture used are correct and is appearing at a correct article/story. He/she also write picture caption that capture the essence of the image. The sub editor crop, enhance and size photos to utilize image effectively and dynamically. He/she have to move around the photo on the page to ensure that the picture fits at an appropriate space.
The quality and style of a good publication can be determined by the job well done by the sub editor. A good sub editor have to be intelligent, strong, creative and being able work quickly and provide accurate information to meet the deadlines. A good sub editor need to know media laws, must have a keen eye for details and be able to compile stories together with speed and style. A sub editor need to be well-read and should have reasonable amount of knowledge about current affairs, besides having excellent command of the language.
He or must know their audience, know copyright laws, know the house style, be creative, be able to respect the writer's work, being to add value to the overall look of the publication. I always remember the sub editor's major roles when I think of these 6 Cs namely Correcting, Cutting, Checking, Clarifying, Condensing and Creating. The sub editor edit copy written by reporters, remove unnecessary and irrelevant information, check if the copy read well ensuring that fact gathered are correct and the story appear at a correct page, rewriting or expanding articles when necessary, seek out potential libels and remove them, fit copy into lay out, writing headlines, stand firsts and photo caption.
A good sub editor is an intelligent reader, tactful and sensitive critic. There is a say that says " any fool can write, it needs a heaven born genius to edit". I personally believe that if we have well trainee sub editors there will be no bias in any publication and this will promote and maintain good reputation for most of media houses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harcup,T. (2014). A dictionary of journalism, (1st ed.).Oxford university press, page
Hicks, W & Holmes, H. (2002). Sub-editing and production for journalists: print, digital and social. USA & Canada: Routledge, page 2.
Quinn,S. (2001). Digital subediting and Design: Focal press, page 16-18.
Gupta, V, S. (2003). Handbook for reporting and communication skills: Handbook for journalism and media, page 34-37.
Lee, A. (2005). Open school of journalism: Subediting. Http://www.open schoolofjournalism.com/
N,a. (2018). Positive journalism, Published June, 2018. Http://Assam journalism.wordpress//2018/06//we-are-in-love-with-schottish-islanders-rebuilding-a-community/
