At a time when magazines are making redundancies left, right and centre, a recent UK court case has highlighted the importance for publishers to hold on to quality sub-editors.
A British High Court ruling saw the British government forking out a $17 million legal bill after it was found liable for the demise of Taylor & Sons Ltd - all due to a typo.
Companies House, part of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, incorrectly recorded that engineering firm Taylor & Sons had gone bust, when in fact it was Taylor & Son Ltd.
Though they amended the mistake three days later, it was already too late - Taylor & Sons Ltd’s suppliers had terminated orders and credit facilities were withdrawn due to the false information given to credit reference agencies. Within two months, the company had gone into liquidation. After a four-year legal battle, the company has come out triumphant.
With ongoing news of Australian publishing houses sending sub-editing jobs to New Zealand, ending contracts with sub-editing companies, and outsourcing sub-editing work - the Taylor & Sons Ltd is a timely reminder that sometimes it pays to pay.
