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Sub-edit and lay out news stories for print publication
Level
6
Credits
40
Purpose
This unit standard is for people who are employed in news media outlets and
who are required to sub-edit and lay out news stories for publication in
newspapers, magazines, or periodicals.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: select news stories and
identify key issues to be sub-edited, produce briefs and gather information;
sub-edit news stories for publication; write headlines for the sub-edited news
stories; source, assemble and process images and captions to accompany
news stories; and lay out news stories for print publication.
Subfield
Journalism
Domain
Applied Journalism
Status
Registered
Status date
17 April 2009
Date version published
17 April 2009
Planned review date
31 December 2013
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Competenz
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0002
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
1
Evidence presented for award of credit must be in accordance with the required
standards for applied journalism, found in the current editions of: Statement of
Principles (Wellington: New Zealand Press Council, 2006) available at
http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/principles.html – for print journalism.
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2
Industry texts:
Burrows, John, and Cheer, Ursula, Media Law in New Zealand, (South Melbourne:
Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 2005);
Lee, Allan, and Treadwell, Greg, Newspaper Editing and Design: a guide to
production journalism, (Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson Prentice Hall, 1st edition
2009);
Tully, Jim (ed), Intro: A Beginner's Guide to Professional News Journalism
(Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 4th
edition, 2008).
3
This unit standard has been designed for learning and assessment in the workplace.
For assessment against this unit standard candidates will submit a portfolio
containing:
 three feature stories they have sub-edited and laid out;
 three headlines they have written for the sub-edited stories;
 three news page layouts for the sub-edited stories.
4
The sub-edited stories, headlines and page layouts used for assessment against this
unit standard will have been completed within timeframes set by the news media
outlet and will have been published in a newspaper, magazine or periodical.
5
Definitions
the appropriate person refers to the person within the news media outlet who
ensures that stories meet the industry standards. This person may include the check
sub-editor, senior sub-editor, chief sub-editor, news editor, or editor;
a brief describes the main purpose of the proposed story and contains the reasons
for the story being sub-edited. Approval for the brief will be given by the appropriate
person in accordance with industry standards;
images refer to photographs, diagrams, info-graphics, audio or visual requirements;
industry standards refer to the required standards for applied journalism and the
industry texts and sources cited in the special notes as well as documented policies
and procedures set down by the workplace;
news stories are timely and succinct accounts of unfolding events of public interest,
usually unfolding within any 24-hour timeframe and may include but are not limited to
hard news, breaking news, news packages, news profiles, human interest, sports,
business, special interest;
a news package may include the main story, a subsidiary story, a fact box, Question
& Answers (Q&As);
publication refers to publication in newspapers, magazines or periodicals, depending
on the activities of the news media outlet.
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Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Select news stories, identify key issues to be sub-edited, produce briefs, and gather
information, in accordance with industry standards.
Performance criteria
1.1
News stories for sub-editing are selected and key issues are identified.
Range
evidence is required for three news stories, each identifying four
key issues that require sub-editing;
key issues may include but are not limited to – media law, ethical
considerations, accuracy of content, style, tone of content.
1.2
A brief is produced for each story, and approval for each brief is obtained from
the appropriate person.
1.3
Information for sub-editing the news stories is gathered and recorded to meet
the requirements of the approved briefs.
Range
may include but is not limited to – documented facts; packages
(graphics, breakouts, vox pops);
context/background information about people referred to in news
stories – full name, age, gender, occupation, honorific, marital
status;
statistical and numerical information.
Element 2
Sub-edit news stories for publication in accordance with industry standards and following
the approved briefs.
Range
evidence is required for each key issue identified in element 1.
Performance criteria
2.1
News stories are sub-edited following the guidelines in the industry text.
2.2
Opinion and controversial facts are clearly identified and attributed.
2.3
Feedback on the draft sub-editing is sought from the appropriate person/s,
before publication deadline and all information relating to the changes made is
recorded and stored.
2.4
Sub-edited news stories are revised to incorporate the changes required from
the feedback.
2.5
Final edited versions of the news stories meet the requirements of the approved
briefs.
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Element 3
Write headlines for the sub-edited news stories in accordance with industry standards and
following the approved briefs.
Range
evidence is required for one headline for each story sub-edited in element 2.
Performance criteria
3.1
Headlines are written ensuring that type size and weight are appropriate to the
length of the story and fit the prescribed space for the page layouts.
3.2
Headlines are clear, accurate and in keeping with the stories.
3.3
Headlines reflect the thrust and substance of the stories and meet the
requirements of media law and ethical issues as set out in the industry texts.
3.4
Feedback on the draft headlines is sought from the appropriate person/s, before
publication deadline. All information associated with the writing of the headlines
is recorded and stored.
3.5
The sub-edited headlines are revised to incorporate the changes required from
feedback.
Element 4
Source, assemble and process images and captions to accompany the news stories.
Performance criteria
4.1
Images are planned, sourced and assembled in accordance with design
requirements and industry standards.
4.2
Images are examined for their appropriateness to the stories, and processed to
meet the requirements of the approved briefs.
Range
may include but is not limited to – legal and ethical standards,
accuracy, cropping image manipulation, suitability for
reproduction.
4.3
Feedback on the proposed images is sought from the appropriate person/s.
4.4
Captions identifying images for the stories are checked and edited in
accordance with design requirements and industry standards.
4.5
Assembled images and captions are accurate and appropriate for the stories.
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Element 5
Lay out news stories in accordance with industry standards and following the approved
briefs.
Range
evidence is required for one layout for each story sub-edited in element 2.
Performance criteria
5.1
News stories are laid out and graded according to their importance and rating in
relation to other stories.
Range
full page layout treatment, half page treatment, quarter page
treatment, the layout of news packages.
5.2
Elements required for news packages are assembled.
5.3
A draft layout for each story is produced. The layouts demonstrate that all
stories, headlines and images selected for the layout fit the prescribed space.
5.4
The draft layouts link the images/graphics to the appropriate stories.
5.5
The draft layouts avoid clashes with competing opposite news stories and
advertisements on the same page.
5.6
The draft layouts are in accordance with typographical conventions as set out in
the industry texts.
5.7
Feedback on the draft layouts is sought from the appropriate person/s before
publication deadline and all information is recorded and stored.
5.8
The draft layouts are revised to incorporate the changes required from the
feedback.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
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Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Competenz info@competenz.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the
content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016