Sub-editing is all about making sure nothing gets between the reader and the facts

Journalists are under tremendous pressure in the era of 24 hour news and we’re all human – it’s our job to pre-empt issues, and issue changes. Language is, after all, evolving at all times

The better we are at our jobs, the less you’ll know we exist. And some of us like it that way, or so goes the cliche. Not for the glory hunters is the life of professional pedantry that comes with being a sub-editor.

Often when I tell people my job title, they’ll say: “Wow! You’re beneath the editor?” I have to break it to them, it’s a little less glamorous – spellchecking, fact checking, headlines, deadlines, picture captions and preventing the odd lawsuit – but these are vital functions.

One of the most important aspects is our role as style police – but we won’t call you out on your fashion choices. Publications adopt a house style to ensure consistency. There’s plenty of debate about how certain words or figures should be expressed and house style is the set of rules which governs this.

Today is Thursday 15 November, not Thursday November 15th. Do we give weight to offices of state by writing them with capital letters? No. Is the controversy around antisemitism or anti-Semitism? The former. The list is endless and hyphens are the bane of our lives.

These things may seem of little consequence but a lack of consistency can be jarring. It can introduce ambiguity when what we strive for is clarity. Our job is rooted in language and making sure we say what we mean and this applies to everything from frontline news to lifestyle pieces.

We wouldn’t want to provoke the ire of a chef by giving the recipe for a “Chestnut mushroom and shallot pie” when “Chestnut, mushroom and shallot pie” is the dish in question. When tragic events occur we must be especially careful; recently we narrowly avoided reporting that “shooting victims’ families” helped each other – changing it to “the families of shooting victims” prevented this insensitive and problematic reading.

Journalists are under tremendous pressure in the era of 24 hour news and we’re all human. In days gone by there was, shall we say, a little more tension between sub-editors and reporters.

Nothing demonstrates this dynamic better than a memorable, funny and very open online spat between Giles Coren and the sub-editors of The Times (if I’d said “the times” there, without capital letters and italics, I’d be talking about the halcyon days of 2008).

Digital communication at Indy Towers has facilitated a more collaborative approach. Style problems and solutions zip across our messaging system all day, allowing us to pre-empt issues, and issue changes – language is, after all, evolving at all times.

It’s unlikely our readers would desert us over a stray Oxford comma, but taking these steps should ensure nothing gets between you and the facts when you read the news. Adding clever headlines and other furniture should make reading our coverage and features a seamless experience.

We know a headline that to us seems like a gift from the gods might elicit a mild response at best from the reader. We don’t mind – it would be much more noticeable if we got it wrong.

Yours,

Jo Turner

Sub-editor