A sub-editor is a newsroom’s final line of defence, transforming raw copy into accurate, engaging, and professional journalism.
This guide outlines the core skills and responsibilities you need to master to excel on the editing desk. The checklist below is based on the article The sub-editor: roles, skills, and responsibilities by Ruhina Ferdous. We suggest you read Ruhina’s article before applying the checklist below.
10-point checklist for aspiring sub-editors
- [ ] Maintain house policy: Always align every story with your media organisation’s internal rules, ethical codes, and editorial stance. Never pass copy that could cause legal trouble or defamation.
- [ ] Apply news sense: Evaluate incoming reports instantly to decide what is genuinely newsworthy, where it should be placed, and how much space it deserves.
- [ ] Develop layout and design awareness: Create a clear mental blueprint for how a story will look on the page or screen, deciding on lead positions and visual hierarchy.
- [ ] Master language and grammar: Spot awkward phrasing, eliminate passive voice, and trim long, wordy drafts into tight, objective, and neutral journalistic prose.
- [ ] Guard the house stylebook: Learn and apply your outlet’s specific rules on spelling, punctuation, and usage, using industry benchmarks like the BBC or Guardian style guides.
- [ ] Maintain a sceptical mind: Treat every draft with deep suspicion. Never blindly trust a reporter’s copy; assume that an error is hiding in the one paragraph you fail to check.
- [ ] Filter out bias: Use your analytical skills to verify facts, names, and dates, whilst removing hidden opinions, social biases, or one-sided narratives from the text.
- [ ] Build vast general knowledge: Stay updated on politics, law, history, and international relations to confidently edit stories across a wide range of complex subjects.
- [ ] Make swift, accurate decisions: Balance the extreme time pressures of the newsroom—especially in digital setups operating in seconds—without ever compromising on accuracy.
- [ ] Master digital and multimedia tools: Craft honest, SEO-friendly headlines that include key search words without resorting to click-bait, and use digital tools to verify images and spot deepfakes.
Summary
Sub-editors are far more than proofreaders; they are the architects of editorial integrity. From the fast-paced news desk to long-form feature departments and special yearly editions, sub-editors ensure that copy is accurate, factual, fair, and clear. In the modern digital landscape, this role requires a blend of traditional language mastery and technical skills like SEO and multimedia verification. Ultimately, a strong editing desk protects a publication’s reputation, proving the old newsroom saying: “reporters write the paper, but sub-editors make it.”
