Emojis aren’t as offensive to editors as you’d think – in fact, they enhance language

It’s easy to dismiss emojis as useless affronts to the written word, but they often reveal more about the people using them than traditional keyboards can

Sub-editors have long held a reputation for being slightly awkward pedants. Sticklers for stuffy language rules that belong in an antiquated era banished by the relentless speed of 24 hour news. There is some truth in that stereotype, but a conversation at a dinner party got me thinking about how important it is for The Independent to adapt and embrace new forms of communication.

I was asked whether I thought emojis were damaging language. And the truth is, I don’t. I use them regularly in private conversation. They can enhance the meaning of words and even convey body language when the written form can’t express what you want to say.