TIGHT SPOT

Confessions of a sub-editor

The newspapers look flimsy in a digital world. While many say this, sub-editors who help create them everyday don’t think so. They have a nice world of their own, which they never fail to cherish. But, right now, we want you to be all ears; subs have some confessions to make.

Blocking the bloggers

Do I hate bloggers? Yes, most of the time, especially when they send their online blogs for publishing in the newspaper. Or, when my blogger friends try to tell me that sub-editors’ days are numbered and the future belongs to them; I loathe them.

Going to a highly anticipated event and finding out dozens of bloggers buzzing around is actually off-putting for a sub who is attending it for doing an analytical feature. It’s nearly impossible to get rid of them as event organizers would always look up to them for speedy - and dumb - online coverage.

So, what we do: we never print stories that are available online. We simple discard them. Sorry, bloggers!

Thank you, recorder

Take notes like a journalist. This simile is almost out-dated now because I don’t take notes. I make audio or video recordings on my smartphone, making sure I don’t miss out any detail.

Sometimes, when the event/programme doesn’t make sense, I just doze off (not in a literal sense) and let my smartphone do the strenuous job of listening. It’s not my fault; usually, conference halls are way too cozy for a sleepy person like me.

The fun part comes when you listen to the voice recordings later on. The moment speakers begin saying something important, I hear myself breaking into a hushed conversation with my partner. I also realize how lame I sound. Sometimes, while listening to interviews, I am like why on earth did I ask such a dumb question!

To be on the safe side, we do carry a notepad with us in case our mobiles run out of charge.

Ads and pictures: my best friends

While the readers hate ads, we love them. They come as a blessing; they help generate money, they don’t need editing and occupy lots and lots of space. Pretty useful, huh?

If next time you see extra large pictures in the newspaper don’t think we wanted you to see a bigger and a clearer picture; it was because we had fewer words.

Dealing with nasty contributors

We receive dozens of mails from the contributors asking us when we will publish their article and begging us that we should do it otherwise they wouldn’t get grades. These contributors expect us to be kind. But to be very honest, generosity doesn’t work here! Just think: if you scribble down on the answer script a request to pass you because you were sick and couldn’t prepare well, would the examiner be kind enough to do that? I don’t think so!

A good story speaks for itself, so maintaining quality is important. The time spent on sending hundreds of emails to the editor should be spent on polishing the piece.

Mistake-proofing

There is no limit to proofing and polishing. Every time you run your eyes over the text, you figure out something that needs to be improved. But, once the newspaper is printed I look at it sheepishly trying not to read anything in fear of finding an error.

The sight of a mistake in print form is a nightmare! It feels like the world has been turned upside down; it’s like I have done an irrevocable damage to the reputation of the paper. And, the guilt shrouds me.

After all these dramatic feelings, I redeem myself by calling my mistake my best teacher!

We aren’t fools                 

I have got an incident to share. Recently, I got a contribution - surprisingly, a good one! I was beyond happy because Urdu papers rarely receive them. I forwarded it to my editor, who called me in after a couple of seconds! I was just thinking the editor would be as proud of his contributor as I was and he would ask me to send the contributor a note of encouragement, maybe. Who knew I was thinking wrong.

Upon entering, the Editor said, ‘Know what? The article you have approved of was written by me and published in 2012 in our very own newspaper. ‘

With utter amazement, and of course with courage, I asked, ‘Are you damn sure, Sir?’

He frowned back, ‘A writer can never forget his/her words.’

I insisted on informing the contributor about this heinous act of plagiarism, but the editor just directed me to drop a mail telling the contributor we couldn’t take his/her piece. I did that hoping the contributor would understand. I was wrong again!

The next day, I received a mail from the same contributor - who was outrageously angry! The contributor wrote back in rich Urdu, telling us that by rejecting his/her piece, we were suppressing the voice of young talented wordsmiths. Oh my god! I was completely shocked! How blind people are to their wrong-doings, and how shamelessly they stand by them. I wish I could tell her to stop making a fool out of herself.

Here, I envy subs who handle English stuff, which can be easily cross-checked online; Urdu, in contrast, doesn’t have this advantage. Nevertheless, contributors must know that we work in teams; if something is overlooked by someone, the other identifies it. Our editors are masters of their work; nothing misses their eyes.

Remember, plagiarism is not cool. Think a thousand times before you copy paste!

Litter to the Editor

I know a lot of smart people who never underestimate their letter writing skills. If their English is atrocious or they aren’t able to structure a proper letter, they simply send us pointers assuming that we will somehow decode their message and form a letter. If something makes them uneasy or troubles them in any way, they write to us. No matter how petty the issue is, they don’t hesitate; they write us a million words letter. They tell us that their office chair is the most uncomfortable object in the world and their neighbours are nosy, senseless, and unbearable. I wonder why they don’t write letters on serious stuff, like something on Panama Leaks, China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Judicial reforms, etc. And it’s ridiculous that they would never give up; they would keep sending letters all their life.

Now, the confession is ...oops, did I say litter in the sub-heading instead of letter? Yes, I did say because many a time we receive crappy letters only.

Don’t get intimidated by the language of the published letters and think you can’t pen a letter and get a chance to see your name in print, believe me hardly few send us well-crafted letters. We even get random thoughts and rants written in broken English, and stream-of-conscious type opinions on politics and social issues, which we can’t make sense of at all. Eventually, we rewrite them - only the pieces with ideas! While many letters make their way to the trash folder.

Once, a person wrote to us that we had mistakenly mentioned his name with a letter he hadn’t written. We replied back saying it was not a mistake and it surely was his letter, we just polished it!

If you have penchant for writing letters - not litter - to the editor, don’t give it a second thought, send them over!