“Who’s the expert around here anyway?”A linguistic-ethnographic investigation into

the role of sub-editing at a broadsheet newspaper

Astrid Vandendaele (Ghent University) & Prof. dr. Ellen Van Praet (Ghent University)

September 29, 2013 – Queen Mary’s College, London

Who is responsible?

Who is responsible?

Who is the expert around here anyway?

Accuracy Research

• Charnley 1936; Maier 2005; Meyer, 2004; Fox et al 2009; Baerns 1999; Breiden 2002; Porlezza et al 2012; Bleyenberg 2013

• Factual errors cited: ‘misquotations’ & ‘inaccurate headlines’

• 1 in 3 articles contains a mistake• Error rates in newspapers: on the rise

Who is responsible?

Porlezza et al (2012)Reasons for error, listed by sources:

• Lack of understanding• Deadline pressure• Insufficient research• Confusing events• Reporter didn’t ask enough questions• Pressure to get a scoop• Reporter didn’t ask right questions• Reporter laziness• Source provided misinformation

Journalists versus Sub-editors

• “the forgotten stepchildren of the newsroom” (Vane 1997)

• “a semi-ghost to assist the inarticulate and illiterate” and

• “The unsung heroes who make the words of journalists look good”

(AJR 2001)

• “While important, reporters are not the key people. Subs are.” (Quinn 2001)

• “The relationship between reporters and subbers has always been tense. In most offices a kind of demilitarized zone exists between the two areas. (…).” (McKane 2006)

Who is the expert around here anyway?

“The newsroom is like a football team: the journalists are the strikers: when they shoot, they score, but when they miss a goal they will get beaten up by the crowds. The sub-editors are like the defenders: they can only get it wrong…” (GM_T_03.12)

“Actually, a sub-editor can but make mistakes.”(TVM_DM/DS_03.12)

 

Divide/Distance

1.Hierarchy

2.Time

3.Space

Enhanced Tension

PhD

• Focus on the sub-editor - linguistic-ethnographic pov

• Participant observation at Flemish and Dutch broadsheet

• Data: field notes, audio-recordings (storyboard meetings, semi-structured interviews with sub-editors and journalists), email correspondence, computer screen shots, articles in different stages pre and post-sub-editor

The sub-editor who is good at his job is “perhaps the nearest thing to what might be described as the complete journalist” (Newspaper Subediting Bible, 1982)

Towards a more complete definition of sub-editing process & the sub-editor as a genuine ‘newspaperman’ (Gieber 1964)

Towards a better understanding of newsmaking practice, and the news itself

Research Question

How does this layered construction of expertise take shape,

and what is the sub-editors part in it?

Data

• The editorial

• Pilot phase: limited corpus of 10 editorials

• Fieldwork (spring/summer of 2013): internal archive & Mediargus

Universiteit Gent – September 2007

Short bio

Short bio

QuoteQuote

Picture

Picture

BylineByline

Contact detailsContact details

Research Question

How does this layered construction of expertise take shape,

and what is the sub-editors part in it?

Order of interventions in editorial

1) layout editor

2) journalist

3) sub-editor

4) journalist

5) sub-editor

6) layout editor

Order of interventions in headline piece

1) journalist

2) ‘Chef Nieuws’ – Current Affairs

3) Layout editor

4) sub-editor

5) layout editor

Differences

• (Editorial: one voice less -> pro forma)

1)Editorial: senior sub-editor => consistently the case for the entire pilot corpus

2)Editorial: different process => layout–driven

Concluding Remarks

• the editorial: sub-editor’s part is rather insubstantial: his expertise was expressed in terms of language, typography and quote• ‘backbench journalists’ actually take a back seat•The task of the journalist is different: he takes on part of subber’s expertise, i.e.

text is made to measure adds headline himself (and quote, 7 out of 10) makes sure the right fonts are being used

Concluding Remarks

• Journalist of the future: several skill sets, among which those of the sub-editor

•Are sub-editors the journalists of the future?

Thank you very much!

Astrid.Vandendaele@UGent.be Ellen.VanPraet@UGent.be