Subediting task
from Journalism Workbook, B Hennessy & F W Hodgson, 1995, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann
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Go to file > save as and save this file to a disk or on to the hard drive. Close Internet Explorer and open Word, and open this file in Word. Read the article before attempting the three tasks below (print the article out if you find it difficult to read on-screen). You can get a word count by highlighting the text in the article and going to tools > word count in Word. Remember that this would only be part of a subeditor's job - depending on the size of the newspaper, they would also be involved in proofreading pages and laying out pages using desktop publishing software. |
Task 1 Sub the report down to 500 words for the evening paper.
Task 2 Write a double column headline of approximately 17 characters on each line.
Task 3 Write a two-line caption for a single-column mug shot of the dead youth.
A reporter files the following story a 3pm about an inquest. It is just in time to make the late afternoon edition of the evening paper:
THE BROTHER of a youth who was found dead near his crashed machine in Long Lane, New Town in the early hours said at the inquest at New Town today that 18-year-old Thomas Jackson 'worshipped speed'.
'He remarked to me during breakfast a few days before the accident that riding his motorcycle fast gave him a "buzz" ', James Jackson, aged 27, who lived with his brother at 42 Kimbolton St, Old Town, told the Coronor, Mr J W Wilson. 'He seemed to worship speed.'
Jackson's body was found by a constable who had parked his patrol car to watch the behaviour of two dogs at the roadside.
'The dogs kept rushing up and down the grassy bank near a gap in the hedge at a slight bend in the road. I proceeded down to the spot on foot and found the deceased's body lying just inside the field a few yards away from the bike,' Pc Charles Peel said in evidence. 'There was no sign of injury. The deceased did not smell of alchohol.'
The officer added that it had been raining and the roads were still wet. There were no skid marks.
Dennis Potts, aged 17, of Beer St, Old Town, said he and Jackson had spent the evening together at the Golden Dragon Coffee Bar in New Town where they had chatted to some girls. Jackson had a row with one of the girls and left on his own about 11.30pm.
'He offered me a lift but I declined. He seemed a bit upset,' said Potts. 'I think he wanted to give the girl, who he fancied a bit, a ride on his pillion and she made some sort of joke about his bike.'
Questioned by the Coroner, Potts said from his experience Jackson was a good rider and did not normally take risks. 'He did say to me on one occasion that he would like to find somewhere where he could "open up" his bike, but I think this was just a dream,' Potts added.
Jane Wibbly, aged 16, of Cardigan Road, New Town, said she saw Jackson, whom she knew slightly, riding past her towards Long Lane some time before midnight. 'He seemed to be having trouble with his lights,' she told the Coroner. 'His bike was wobbling about a bit. Then he increased speed and went out of sight.' She turned into her own road and did not see him again.
The Coroner said a post-mortem examination had shown that Jackson had died from a broken neck. It was clear from the evidence that the youth had crashed his motorcycle while riding home in wet conditions from the Golden Dragon Coffee Bar. While it was possible to conjecture why this happened, the precise cause of his parting from his machine at the point he did would probably never be known.
The problem with his lights could have been a contributory factor although, when examined, they were found to be serviceable and the machine to be in reasonable condition apart from slight damage caused by the crash. The slippery surface could have been a cause, or his attention could have been distracted while negotiating the bend.
'I am certain from the evidence,' said the Coroner, 'that no one else was involved in this tragic circumstance.'
He returned a verdict on Jackson of 'accidental death'.