Describe desired qualities of a sub-editor

1. News sense
News sense is the basic quality of newsmen. News sense is essential for a sub-editor. He has to have news sense or nose for news to distinguish news from non-news. He is the first reader of a reporter’s copy and if the reporter has made a mistake he has to correct it. A bad copy may have the most important element of the story buried in the fourth paragraph. It will be left to the sub-editor’s nose for news to bring that to the first paragraph. He should be able to
compare various news values and decide where to begin his story and should not miss important details.
2. Clarity
A sub-editor should have clarity of mind and expression. A person who is confused himself cannot tell a story to others. Only clarity of mind is not enough unless it is accompanied by clarity of expression. Without clarity of expression clarity of mind has no meaning. Sub- editor is the judge of clarity of the copy a good subeditor will never allow a copy escape him unless the meaning is crystal clear.
3. Alertness
A sub-editor should always be alert while dealing with his subjects. Many major news breaks in the past were possible because of alertness of reporters. Scoops don’t walk into newspaper offices alert reporters catch them in air and pursue. A sub-editor has to be alert while working on news-desk.
4. Speed
A person who cannot work fast cannot be a good sub-editor. A sub-editor has to work with speed. He cannot sit with a copy for long. He has to do swiftly whatever is required of him for a lot more copy is waiting for him. 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.
5. Curiosity
Sub-editors should have an insatiable curiosity. 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. Reporters and sub-editors should read as much as possible to constantly improve their awareness level.
6. Bi-focal minded
Sub-editor must be a bi-focal mind. By bi-focal mind we mean that a person observe a fact in two ways one from very close and other far from sight. It means that the sub-editor should have the ability to catch any mistake in a story. When he take a copy of a story firstly he follow the visible mistakes, this is called very near mistake. For example, ‘Nairobyis the capital city of Kenya’ here contain spelling mistake, the correct spelling is ‘Nairobi’.
The second mistake is ‘The largest mangoes hut sits in Kisumu district’. Here Kisumu is not a district, it is a County. The sub-editors should ability to face this type of mistake. In general sense this is called bi-focal mind.
7. Scepticism
It is another necessary quality which a subeditor should cultivate. He should not take anything for granted. He should have an unwavering posture of doubt until faced with undeniable proof. Reporters should be more vigilant for many forces constantly try to use them, and through them their paper. Many people try to plant on reporters a wrong story for their own ends. 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. They should not fail to
check even reporters, copy for such foul play.
8. Objectivity
Sub-editor should aim at objectivity while dealing with a story. They should not allow their personal bias or ideas to creep into a story. They should not take sides but try to cover all the different viewpoints to achieve balance in the story.
9. Accuracy
A sub-editor should strive for accuracy. 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. It is particularly important when background is involved. 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. When there is a doubt he should leave it out—this is the golden rule of journalism. It is better not to say a thing than to say it wrong.
10. Punctuality
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. At the desk too punctuality pays. If a sub-editor is punctual he will be treated with respect by his co-workers. If he is late he will irritate them and spoil the working atmosphere. Besides he may have to face the problem of backlog of copy which he will have to clear under the pressure of deadline.
11. Vast knowledge
All other things being equal reporters need additional qualities to deal effectively with all sorts of people they meet in the field. Sub-editors should have better command over language as they improve what reporters write. An intelligent envisioning of the future helps newsmen in general. The quality helps them in identifying processes and people who will be important
in future. The sub-editors should keep up-date information and vast knowledge about home and abroad. Keep up to date with sector issues, by reading related publications. Adapt all these skills for a publication’s website.
12. Credibility
A report should be credible. Before writing or editing, the sub-editor should crosscheck the facts and figures. Mistakes can creep in when work is done in haste. It is always better to revise the copy before sending to publish or broadcast. If the story can be improved, it should be rewritten.
13. Imagination
This basic mental faculty helps reporters in writing better stories that retain the reader’s interest. For a sub-editor this creative faculty is very useful as he can add sparkle to somebody else’s copy and make it lively. Besides, imaginative headlines attract the reader and improve the quality of a newspaper.
14. Tactfulness
A sub-editor should be tactful. He should have the ability to handle sensitive people and situations gracefully without causing hurt or angry feelings. He should be considerate of others and should be careful not to embarrass, upset or offend them. He should have an understanding of human behavior and emotions. This will help him in developing contacts that are so essential for news gathering & writing.
15. Self-discipline
One can achieve a degree of proficiency in sub-editing or reporting by systematic effort and self-control. In this sense self- discipline suggests dedication and firm commitment. It helps in journalism as in any other field.
16. Calmness
Sub-editors often work in trying circumstances. They have to remain calm and composed in most exciting and tragic circumstances. In many situations they have to be calm— devoid of hysterical actions or utterances and apply appropriate mental and physical effort to write or edit the story. Reporters and sub-editors are human beings. They have emotions but they have to stifle them in the face of disturbing influences—they have to develop resistance to excitability. Sub-editors should develop a temperament to work under pressure of deadlines.
They should not lose their cool if they are behind the clock for calm mind can work faster.
17. Fearlessness and frankness
These qualities help sub-editor in asking unpleasant questions and taking risks to find out truth. Nobody gives a story on a platter. He will have to probe, question, authenticate and exercise his power of deduction to write a good story.
18. Diligence
Sub-editors should be diligent. Their jobs require painstaking exertion of intense care and effort, alertness and dedication to the task and wary watchfulness. 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. These qualities are basically qualities of good and efficient human beings. Good and efficient human being makes good and efficient sub-editors and reporters.
19. Integrity
It is a virtue in itself and implies undeviating honesty and strict adherence to a stern code of ethics. 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.

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NatalieR answered the question on June 15, 2022 at 12:47