A really shitty idea

Michael Miner at Chicago Reader reports that the Sun-Times has suggested eliminating some editorial positions and outsource those jobs, maybe to India. Roughly 30 jobs would be cut, all are copy editing and design desk jobs.

Writes Miner: "The Sun-Times Media Group would have to be in terrible shape to consider such an idea. To turn copy over to editors on the other side of the world whose idiomatic English is so different is to guarantee constant aggravation and frustration, not to mention published howlers."

Apparently the paper is in big trouble financially, like every other newspaper in the U.S.

Here's my take: It'll be shit. I'm also a bit annoyed with the usual we-can-make-do-without-copy-editors attitude. Um, no you can't. But try if you want. When your reporters come back with shitty copy and somebody in another country does a shitty job of "editing" it, then hopefully the management here will deal with shitty comments from readers who are tired of shitty shit in their paper.