What subs in NZ won't do

A document headed "Further information about proposed editorial production arrangements" sent to already devastated Fairfax staff yesterday included two points that scream ignorance about the role and value of subs in large newsrooms such as ours at the Newcastle Herald, and underline why this proposal is even worse that the outsourcing of subbing of metro copy (SMH, Age) to Pagemasters.
* Editorial production means page design, page layout and copy subediting (not so bad in itself, but hold that thought, is that all editorial production involves?).
* The tasks that are proposed to be done by Faifax Editorial Services employees in New Zealand relate to the processing and presentation of content. This includes checking completed stories for sense and spelling, writing headlines and designing pages.
In Sydney and Melbourne, I believe, page editors (there are still some subs there) control the look of their pages, and proof them at the end, before print. In between, they send emails to Pagemasters staff to correct the errors they find in subbed stories.
In Newcastle, subs (well, there won't be any, so let's call them editors) will hand over all of that responsibility to Kiwis.
I can understand why Allan Browne thinks the "processing and presentation of content" is the core job of a sub, but I don't believe Greg Hywood can share those views. He has worked in large newsrooms; he knows ours well, and has praised it on many occasions.
This is what it seems subs will not do under the proposed scheme to outsource jobs to NZ:
* Check facts.
* Check names.
* Raise and follow up legal concerns with reporters/editors/lawyers.
* Rewrite for style and rhythm.
* Employ local knowledge about ongoing stories and personalities that require nuanced handling.
* Write a headline different to yesterday's, the day before's and last week's on an ongoing story.
* Rewrite stories to change emphasis, update, combine stories from writers and wires.
* Identify a story that has already run elsewhere.
* Taste wires for latest developments.
* Change pages quickly to accommodate late-breaking local news.
* Work with writers as mentors to improve their copy.
* Work as a team of subs to improve processes and systems to ensure errors are not repeated.
* Sit in on editorial meetings (especially in features), offer ideas, contacts, and write stories.
* Fill in for writers when they are ill or on leave.
* Liaise with writers on finished pages, sections and magazines to ensure accuracy, authenticity and integrity in publishing.
* Come up with new ideas for sections/magazines.
* Keep eyes and ears open for stories for the paper, provide leads, contacts, maybe even write them.
* Offer alternative points of view on the selection and placement of photos and stories to ensure valuable debate occurs and decisions are tested prior to print.
* Work with artists (yes remember artists?) to achieve the best design possible given the resources available.
* Develop skills in decision-making and big-picture thinking that will enable them to become section heads, deputies and editors.
I'm sure there are more. Please feel free to add them.
To Allan Browne I say: subbing is not like screwing tops on bottles before they are put in boxes for delivery.
To Greg Hywood I say: you already know that.