Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Sub Mission

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  • Deborah,

    So... ummm... there are quite a few typos in this, which I'm guessing is deliberate?

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler,

    Buteven though some of the APN…

    Just getting into the spirit of things…

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    And should it be, “subs bench” or “subs’ bench”?

    ETA: There's quite a few more, but it does seem unsporting to grab all the hidden treasure for oneself.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    So… ummm… there are quite a few typos in this, which I’m guessing is deliberate?

    No. I came in from doing the satellite interview and had to write it very quickly to I could do a radio interview. Just had another editing pass on it. But yeah, it is hard to proof one's own copy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Russell Brown,

    That's just too honest of you, Russell!

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    ETA: There’s quite a few more, but it does seem unsporting to grab all the hidden treasure for oneself.

    I’m grateful for any sharp eyes – it’s been a very busy morning – but you can just DM me on Twitter or something. I think I'll grab some lunch now.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Somewhere someone did daily updates from court in part of the Gaiman/McFarlane suit over the ownership of Spawn characters. My take away message was that this is one of those fields where people say the oddest things in court. And in judgments.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Most Beloved First Citizen, in reply to Deborah,

    ETA: There's quite a few more, but it does seem unsporting to grab all the hidden treasure for oneself.

    Except if you are at a pirate party and you are the biggest.

    Most Beloved First Citizen

    "over there", "over here"… • Since Jun 2012 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    I'm sorry, Russell. I wasn't trying to get at you I know how very hard it is to proof your own work. I really did think it was deliberate, a nice way of showing that a good sub is gold.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Good grief, Posner must have loved that one.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    No worries. I'd been flat out since 6.30am -- finishing a magazine feature, conducting a satellite interview, being interviewed on the radio, and trying to write the blog post -- and I was fading a bit. Wolfing down a curry improved things considerably.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Russell Brown,

    it is hard to proof one's own copy

    Yes! I'm a decent proofreader, something of a surprise to me because my spelling is not great. But for the life of me I can't proof my own writing. My eyes seem to run over the mistakes and my brain just fills in with what I meant to write.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    And on topic. It seems that the problem is one of the corporate entity operating to maximize profit. In this case it is more profitable to out(in) source editing. Or perhaps more accurately treat sub editors as non-creative workhorses who can be packed into an open plan office to churn through their work without distraction by journalists.

    It seems a predictable outcome of corporate ownership of journalism (or journalists). The corporation exists to maximize profit, the journalists exist to discover and disseminate knowledge/news. I can't see it as a good fit.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    My eyes seem to run over the mistakes and my brain just fills in with what I meant to write.

    The trick is to read the text expecting everything to be wrong...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Update: We’ve just also confirmed Rick Neville, COO and Editor-in-Chief, APN NZ Regional Newspapers and acting Head of Content at APN.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • G in J, in reply to Russell Brown,

    it is hard to proof one's own copy

    It is that. A colleague of mine recently recommended Claire Kehrwald Cook's Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing to me, and it has proven useful. Much of it is stuff you already know, but it's nice to have a reminder.

    Osaka • Since Dec 2011 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • merc, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    I read it backwards, true.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Or perhaps more accurately treat sub editors as non-creative workhorses who can be packed into an open plan office to churn through their work without distraction by journalists.

    Subs are journalists, oftentimes with many more years of experience than the reporter. Rarely, the two species can exist peaceably side by side and even intermarry.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    expecting everything to be wrong

    I often read it out loud, it isn't great for my office mate nor for avoiding the mad scientist look, but it does catch some errors.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Hebe,

    Subs are journalists, oftentimes with many more years of experience than the reporter.

    But from the perspective of a corporation managing resource units ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Marcus Turner, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Wolfing down a curry improved things considerably.

    Somewhere, we should preserve and cherish lines like this.

    Since Nov 2006 • 212 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    I'm a pretty good editor, even of my own writing -- but I do have a considerable advantage in that I'm usually not working to a constant short deadline. Most of the time I can leave my stuff sitting around for a week before coming back to it.

    The concomitant disadvantage is that often I have to leave things for a week ... or a year ... in order to do other parts of my job, not least proofing student research writing -- after which, I need at least half a day just to work out WTF I was doing.

    Occasionally, things end up being left far too long. Case in point: I started editing a book 6 years ago which, all going well, will finally make it into print this year.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Hebe,

    Rarely, the two species can exist peaceably side by side and even intermarry.

    As when subbing for the Dom ? :-P Sorry, couldn't resist.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    But from the perspective of a corporation managing resource units

    Infinitely more valuable: subs keep expensive lawsuits away and fill more pages more quickly than a reporter. I'm not making a value judgment but an observation.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to linger,

    ? Sorry don't understand.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

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