In a news organization, a managing editor is in charge of all editorial activities. He or she serves as the second-in-command in such an organization because he or she is one of the highest-ranking members. A person in this position usually reports to the editor-in-chief, who is also known as the executive editor, chief editor, or simply the editor.
In most cases, a managing editor oversees a team of staff writers or reporters who are in charge of producing news stories, as well as researchers or research assistants who assist with fact-checking the stories. The person in this position also supervises the work of interns, who are hired by the news organization on a temporary basis to gain experience in the field of journalism with the possibility of securing a permanent full-time position at the end of their internship. This editor also supervises freelance writers who are not full-time salaried employees but still contribute news content.
Every article written by the writers is usually reviewed by a managing editor. He or she can demand that material be added to or subtracted from the piece, that corrections be made, or that the story be killed, which means that the piece is rejected and never published by the news organization. He or she also assesses the significance of a story, which influences where it appears in a publication or on a news broadcast.
The managing editor reports to the editor-in-chief at all times, who is ultimately responsible for news decisions. Newspapers and magazines are frequently associated with managing editors. They are also found overseeing teams at 24-hour cable news networks, or at the very least supervising traditional network newscasts.
A bachelor’s degree in journalism, political science, history, or any of the other liberal arts fields is typically required of a managing editor. Some may hold master’s degrees, which enhances their knowledge and earnings potential. In most cases, aspiring journalists work as interns for a local or state publication or broadcasting company, or as writers and editors for their college newspapers. This is valuable experience for journalists who hope to advance to the position of editor in the future.
The field of journalism has been shrinking. This is owing to a decline in print journalism as it tries to adapt to a free news-driven society powered by the Internet, as well as a drop in advertising revenue. Regardless of the changes in journalism, managing editors as supervisors of news reporting should always be in demand and needed.