The art of news
Posted February 22nd, 2010 by debritz
In The Australian, Mark Day writes affectionately about journalist and jazzman Dick Hughes, with whom I had the great pleasure of working at Sydney's Daily Mirror in the 1980s. Day quotes Hughes on the often misunderstood and misrepresented art of newspaper subediting:
"When I sub I am fastidious about making clear what is meant. I try to put myself into the position of the reader; to make the reader an equal who can understand exactly what we're talking about. I like to concentrate on the who, what where and why, and get rid of contrivances. We should be simple and succinct. I believe in colloquial, instantly understandable English. We should tell our stories straight; tell them naturally."
Dick's advice on subbing: "Four letters good, three letters best. Eschew Latinisms. Active voice wherever possible. Talk neither up nor down to the reader. Tell it as though you were talking to someone in the pub."
Exactly Brett. The art of news, cannot be learned in a ten week course, like TPD Media's new subsidiary, Media Potential is suggesting.
It takes a journalism degree, and lots of hard work, before you truly succeed...
Hard graft and learn from your mistakes. That's the way to be a decent sub.