Syllabus: Subediting & Design

Lesson 1 What is a Subeditor?

The subeditor's precise role, the subbing process and what is meant by 'house style' and 'newspaper English'. The importance of correct grammar, spelling and punctuation; how to transform lacklustre prose into concise, vigorous language - and check all the facts in the process.

Lesson 2 Working with Words

Learning the importance of accuracy, balance and consistency. Developing a keen 'news sense', and understanding how to structure an effective news story by identifying the strongest angle and intro.

Lesson 3 Copy Editing

How to identify and eliminate wasteful words and avoid using inverted sentences, jargon, clichés and slang. Knowing how to use proof-correction marks; editing and cutting copy against the clock.

Learning when the law restricts what you can write and how to avoid costly legal action. The buck stops where? The dangers of libel and other pitfalls; qualified privilege and unintentional defamation; criminal libel; and the need for fairness and accuracy. Fair comment, malice and slander are explained, along with the risks and implications of mistaken identity.

How to write lively, accurate and appropriate headlines that fit the space available. Exploring the differences in approach on news, sport and features pages: the role of headlines in selling stories to the readers. The need for originality and the pitfalls involved in puns and wordplay; the role of straplines, subheads and taglines. How to recognise stories that call for 'special treatment'.

Learning how to convey a variety of messages through the use of type: the factors which decide an editor's approach to design and layout. Getting to grips with some basic design principles; how different techniques are used to achieve specific effects.

The rights enjoyed by the Press and how these relate to those of the private citizen. What is meant by contempt of court; how to recognise situations or stories in which there is a danger of potential contempt. Learning about reporting restrictions, and the particular dangers relating to the coverage of the youth courts and sexual offences. The role and relevance of the Official Secrets Act.

How to handle and process copy for publication. What options are open for approving, correcting, cutting, changing or 'spiking' stories. A variety of practical subediting tasks help to reinforce the importance of correct spelling, punctuation and grammar, along with ways of tackling some of the taste and ethics issues faced by the subeditor.

Planning a publication from scratch: the steps involved in formulating a clear working brief. How to draw up a flat plan and use it to plan content. Drawing up a design brief; the principles behind modular page design. Selecting typefaces appropriate to the character of the publication you are planning.

Exploring the means of achieving maximum impact from page layouts; using rules, borders, anchors, hampers and sidebars. How to crop and size pictures and how to incorporate a variety of other design elements: raised and drop capitals, tints, reversals, boxes and borders, in creating complex news and features pages.

Another hands-on opportunity to put your new skills to the test, this time focussing on headline-writing and page design tasks, consolidating and revising the skills you have learned to date.

This final lesson gives you the vital preparation required to launch your subediting careers, whether on a full-time or part-time basis. Detailed revision notes provide an opportunity to tie up any loose ends in your training, with business-like advice aimed at pursuing a professional approach to future subediting assignments.