Sub-editing is all about making sure nothing gets between the reader and the facts

Journalists are under tremendous pressure in the era of 24 hour news and we’re all human – it’s our job to pre-empt issues, and issue changes. Language is, after all, evolving at all times

The better we are at our jobs, the less you’ll know we exist. And some of us like it that way, or so goes the cliche. Not for the glory hunters is the life of professional pedantry that comes with being a sub-editor.

Often when I tell people my job title, they’ll say: “Wow! You’re beneath the editor?” I have to break it to them, it’s a little less glamorous – spellchecking, fact checking, headlines, deadlines, picture captions and preventing the odd lawsuit – but these are vital functions.