Words go here, if the subs can be bothered

As one of the many experienced sub-editors thrown on the scrap heap last year, I am not surprised. You reap what you sow.

It’s always the subs that take the blame – but the reality is now that they’re all doing the work of two or three people. Good subbing takes time and if you make people rush it, then this is what happens!

Wow. I’m shocked and disappointed that someone who is apparently in the industry clearly has no idea that most sub-editors have now been removed from staff. It’s a cost-cutting – and obviously quality-dropping – measure.

Also, why is it that when errors are made in publications, the sub-editors are the first people blamed, yet we’re never praised for fixing the ridiculous copy that comes across our desks every day from subpar writers?

“And then there’s the team behind the holiday weekend edition of Fairfax Media’s (ital)Australian Financial Review(ital), with their (delete their, insert its) own unique take (insert comma) on page three (insert comma – but whole phrase is irrelevant) of (delete of, insert on) what makes the Gold Coast a retirement mecca (cap M – proper noun).”

So… And then there’s the team behind the holiday weekend edition of Fairfax Media’s Australian Financial Review, with its own unique take on what makes the Gold Coast a retirement Mecca.

Nice try PIGH,

Wrong style book though. Our house style isn’t to italicise masthead titles.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

Nit-picking, Tim.

Shouldn’t ‘subpar’ take a hyphen?

Agree with Sarah F. Why attack our own industry? Those few subs who have hung onto their jobs know how overworked they are. What about a piece on coping under increasing pressure as you take on more and more responsibilities as your co-workers are made redundant? Any subs still left with jobs are covering roles that used to be done by two, three, four staff…

Having been a chief sub for many years, I cry into my 5 p.m. scotch every night at the mistakes that litter the columns of our metro dailies and the lamentable use of English by those who hold themselves out to be journalists.

Pot meet kettle? It’s rare to read a Mumbrella story that doesn’t have a comment below pointing out a glaring typo by the author.
Having a go at the few subs left in the industry is just nasty. Blame management instead.

Six weeks ago I couldnt even spell journalist and now I are one

Makes me wonder where BMW would be today if they laid off all their quality control people.

It’s The Advertiser not The Adelaide Advertiser, you schmuck. So few sentences, so many mistakes! I think you need a sub.

Back in my day (yawn, old fart comment coming up) on a certain afternoon tabloid, every cadet reporter was assigned a sub who went through the young punk’s carbon copies (yes, these stories were actually bashed out on ancient Remington typewriters!) and compared the originals with what actually appeared in the paper. Depending on the sub you scored – grouchy old bugger, or friendly old bugger, they all seemed old – you were shown the error on your ways in no time at.
If you continued to make the same mistakes you were sent to type up the TV programs and if you messed up there – probably the most important part of the paper back then – you were more than likely shown the door. Now anything goes to fill a space, print or digital.
As one old sub once said to me … “son, if Jesus Christ arrived back on this planet tomorrow, I’d except you to tell the story, including quotes and background, in fifteen crisp sentences.” Amen.

He probably said, “I’d expect.”

The mistakes are lamentable, and frequent. I feel for all those shoved-off subs who see the glaring errors everywhere, but all you have to do is go on social media to see the ridiculous way people write and spell every day and no-one says a thing.