FUNCTIONS OF A CHIEF SUB EDITOR IN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING

INTRODUCTION

Editing is the most challenging fact of journalism. A good editors needs

creative skills, command over the language, ideas to improve the copy, and correct
judgment about how much importance should be given for a particular news item

EDITOR
Editor is a special post for a journalist.

1. A person who edits a copy of a story is called an editor.

2. An editor supervises the reporters and improves his reports for publication.
3. An editor also plans about what to report, how to cover and the relative
importance to be given to each story.
4. Every newspaper will have a set of editors, like reporters. All editors are not of
the same category.
5. In a newspaper, the top post is that of a Chief Editor.
6. Modern newspapers have editors for every section.
7. The sports editor looks after sports news.
8. The feature editor looks after the features section.
9. Picture editors are in charge of photographers.
10. Like that business editors look after business news etc.
SUB-EDITOR
1. Sub-editor is a person who collects reports from reporters and
prepares the report to publish or broadcast.
2. He also corrects and checks articles in a newspaper before they are
printed.
3. A big newspaper or magazine would employ several
news/feature/sports editors assign work and edit a reporter/writers
material for accuracy, content, grammar, and style.
QUALITIES OF A SUB-EDITOR

It is customary to describe desired qualities of a sub-editor separately. To be

a good sub-editor one’s must be an all-rounder.

NEWS SENSE
1. News sense is the basic quality of newsmen. News sense is essential
for a sub-editor.
 2. He has to have news sense or nose for news to distinguish news from
non-news.
3. He is the first reader of a reporter’s copy and if the reporter has made
a mistake he has to correct it.

CLARITY
1. A sub-editor should have clarity of mind and expression.
2. A person who is confused himself cannot tell a story to others.
3. Only clarity of mind is not enough unless it is accompanied by clarity
of expression.
4. Without clarity of expression clarity of mind has no meaning.
5. He has every right to make life miserable for a reporter who is not
clear and does not write in simple language.
ALERTNESS
1. A sub-editor should always be alert while dealing with his subjects.
2. Many major news breaks in the past were possible because of
alertness of reporters.
3. A sub-editor has to be alert while working on news-desk.
4. Lack of alertness of a sub-editor can be seen by readers in the
morning for he will be leaving or introducing mistakes for everybody
to see.
SPEED
1. A person who cannot work fast cannot be good sub-editor.
2. A sub-editor has to work with speed.
3. He cannot sit with a copy for long.
4. He has to do swiftly whatever is required of him for a lot more copy is
waiting for him.
5. He should think fast, decide fast and write or type fast for he has to
meet deadlines or may have to go to another assignment.
CURIOSITY
1. Sub-editors should have an insatiable curiosity.
2. This characteristic will keep on improving a sub-editor for with every
passing day a curious subeditor will have a better background to do
his job the next day.
3. Reporters and sub-editors should read as much as possible to
constantly improve their awareness level.
BI-FOCAL MINDED
1. Sub-editor must be a bi-focal mind.
2. By bi-focal mind we mean that a person observe a fact in two ways
one from very close and other far from sight.
 3. It means that the sub-editor should have the ability to catch any
mistake in a story.
Skepticism
1. It is another necessary quality which a subeditor should cultivate.
2. He should not take anything for granted.
3. He should have an unwavering posture of doubt until faced with
undeniable proof.
4. Reporters should be more vigilant for many forces constantly try to
use them, and through them their paper.
5. Many people try to plant on reporters a wrong story for their own
ends.
6. Sub-editors should also be careful for some clever politicians, public
relations men and product advertisers keep on trying to take them for
a ride.
7. They should not fail to check even reporters, copy for such foul play.
OBJECTIVITY
1. Sub-editor should aim at objectivity while dealing with a story.
2. They should not allow their personal bias or ideas to creep into a
story.
3. They should not take sides but try to cover all the different viewpoints
to achieve balance in the story.
ACCURACY
1. A sub-editor should strive for accuracy.
2. He should check and re-check his facts till he is satisfied that he has
them accurate. The role of a sub-editor is to check for accuracy.
3. It is particularly important when background is involved.
4. In the case of dates and names the reporter may rely on his memory
but the sub-editor must check them from reference material available
in the newspaper office.
PUNCTUALITY
1. It is a good habit. It is always better to be punctual and then wait than
reach late and ask others—a rival may misinform you or hide some
important information.
2. At the desk too punctuality pays. If a sub-editor is punctual he will be
treated with respect by his co-workers.
3. If he is late he will irritate them and spoil the working atmosphere.
VAST KNOWLEDGE
1. All other things being equal reporters need additional qualities to deal
effectively with all sorts of people they meet in the field.
 2. Sub-editors should have better command over language as they
improve what reporters write.
3. The sub-editors should keep up-date information and vast knowledge
about home and abroad.
4. Keep up to date with sector issues, by reading related publications.
Adapt all these skills for a publication’s website.
CREDIBILITY
1. A report should be credible. Before writing or editing, the sub-editor
should crosscheck the facts and figures.
2. Mistakes can creep in when work is done in haste.
3. It is always better to revise the copy before sending to publish or
broadcast.
IMAGINATION
1. This basic mental faculty helps reporters in writing better stories that
retain the reader’s interest.
2. For a sub-editor this creative faculty is very useful as he can add
sparkle to somebody else copy and make it lively.
3. Besides, imaginative headlines attract the reader and improve the
quality of a newspaper.
TACTFULNESS
1. A sub-editor should be tactful.
2. He should have the ability to handle sensitive people and situations
gracefully without causing hurt or angry feelings.
3. He should be considerate of others and should be careful not to
embarrass, upset or offend them.
4. He should have an understanding of human behavior and emotions.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
1. One can achieve a degree of proficiency in sub-editing or reporting by
systematic effort and self-control.
2.In this sense self- discipline suggests dedication and firm
commitment.
3. It helps in journalism as in any other field.
CALMNESS
1. Sub-editors often work in trying circumstances.
2. They have to remain calm and composed in most exciting and tragic
circumstances.
3. Reporters and sub-editors are human beings.
4. They have emotions but they have to stifle them in the face of
disturbing influences—they have to develop resistance to excitability.
 5. Sub-editors should develop a temperament to work under pressure of
deadlines.
FEARLESSNESS AND FRANKNESS
1.These qualities help sub-editor in asking unpleasant questions and
taking risks to find out truth.
2. Nobody gives a story on a platter.
3. He will have to probe, question, authenticate and exercise his power
of deduction to write a good story.
DILIGENCE
1.Sub-editors should be diligent.
2.They have to make extremely fine distinctions while writing or editing
copy a sub-editor should insist on perfection and should lose his job for he can
make or impair the newspaper.
3. These qualities are basically qualities of good and efficient human
beings.
4.Good and efficient human being makes good and efficient sub-
editors and reporters.
INTEGRITY

1.It is a virtue in itself and implies undeviating honesty and strict

adherence to a stern code of ethics.
2.This human quality is important for journalists.

It is more important for reporters for they are more exposed to temptation as
compared to sub-editors