David Montgomery raised hackles last month when he forecast the end of the "twilight world" of sub-editing. The former Mirror Group boss, who is rapidly buying up newspapers in continental Europe as chief executive of Mecom, predicted: "Journalists can be freed from humdrum roles and the sub-editing culture can break down." Back benches across the land creaked in fury. But Monty gained an unlikely advocate in Patsy Chapman, editor of the News of the World from 1989 to 1994. She wrote to Press Gazette's Grey Cardigan column to offer Monty some heartfelt support. The letter was never published but has been seen by Monkey:
Dear Grey,
I agree with Derek Montgummery that sub-editer's are a thing of the passed. Definatley. They are not neccesary. No-one cares about spelling or aposttrafees or grammer now. And he should know because he used to work in the Twiglet world himself. I went to his adress and checked with the neighbour's to find out more about him. As well as running the Mekons, he is a part-time sergeon (a leading Ulcer man) and he is Irish so he must be a Catholic. He started his business after winning the lottery or robbing a bank but it doesn't matter because he's easy-going and would never Sue for liable. (his PR man told me that so it must be true. And anyway, theyve got copy approvel).
Sub editer's are sinnical and keep asking awkwerd questions about previous convictions or how people pled in court an stuff, and ages and ocupations and even weather stuff is true. Whatever. They go back to the olden days before my time when Rupert Maxwell fell off his boat in Australia and was born again in America. The newspaper sales were very high then so it just ment more trees were chopped down which is well out of order. As a media student I agree with Derek that regional wage's are abizmal. I cant afford a dictionery or Cockfords, or an atliss or handsards. But I am a Wikipeadophile.
yours sincerly, patsy chapman, former Twiglet and ex-editriss of the News of the Werld.
P.S (What does P.S mean by the way? Is it anything to do with PMS?) I hope this letter fits the space that the production supervisor made on the page otherwi
