Chief Sub-editor assigns and allocates works to various sub­editors working under him and also coordinates and supervises their work.

The Makeup Sub-Editor:

The makeup sub-editor has to possess the vision of an artist, as he has to adjust different types of printing and spacing in such a way that it gives an attractive appearance to the printed matter. The traits of an artist, a technician and a craftsman have to be combined in him.

While planning the lay-out he has to give due considera­tion to the importance of the news. For example, important news items have to be printed on the front page and also adjusted at a prominent place in it. He has to decide the size of photographs and illustrated matter and allots them space at an appropriate place, taking into consideration the get-up of the newspaper as a whole.

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The Sub-Editor:

A Sub-Editor is a presenter of news and reports. He has a lawyer’s analytical approach and quick-mindedness which enable him to understand a story quickly and come to the core of the matter.

He has to glean important points from the mass of material sent by the news reporters and condense them, giving a shape in a logical and interesting way.

He has to give suitable head-lines and where necessary, revise and condense the material to suit the available space. This is rather a difficult task which requires skill, flair for writing and mastery over the language. More often than not, a sub-editor has to deal with the reports of different reporters.

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In such cases, he has to get the main points from all the reports and then present them in a logical and interesting narrative. All these things have got to be done in time in order to reach the press before it is too late. Sub-editors often specialise in a particular field, such as foreign news, sports, films, commerce, etc.

His working hours are more regular than those of a reporter. He knows beforehand when he has to report for duty and when he is going to have free time. His working hours are more or less like those of any other office worker with the only difference that he has to work in different shifts, starting roughly from 10 A.M. and ending upto 2-3 in the small hours of the morning ; if he is working for an evening edition, his work my start at 7 A.M.