An assignment editor chooses which stories or events will be covered, as well as who will cover them. She could work for a news organization, a television station, or a radio station. Reporters, writers, photographers, and videographers are among the people to whom she assigns stories or features for coverage.
This editor is in charge of breaking news on a local, regional, national, or international scale. She is frequently required to use her judgment in determining which topics deserve the most attention. She usually double-checks the sources and facts before assigning a story for coverage.
An assignment editor’s sources are usually diverse. She frequently receives breaking news alerts from emergency services agencies, community leaders, and politicians. Local residents also contact the media on a regular basis with leads and ideas for feature stories. Assignment editors frequently use news and press releases to generate ideas for publication or broadcast.
Her assignments are usually based on the expertise of reporters and writers who have covered specific subjects or geographic areas before. Local human interest stories, local, regional, or global politics, crime and corruption, and business and economics are all common specialty areas. One or two reporters from smaller stations or newspapers may cover all topics. If the news is about a major event, more than one reporter is usually assigned to cover it from various angles and perspectives.
When a newsworthy event, such as an election campaign or a disaster recovery effort, is ongoing, the assignment editor is frequently called upon to plan and implement a series that could last several days or weeks. She is generally expected to go over each segment for proper progression and to double-check that all of the facts are up to date and correct. If the story includes sensitive quotes, her job usually requires her to double-check the source and context to ensure there is no slander or libel.
A person in this position is frequently in charge of supervising and reviewing the work of her staff’s writers and reporters. She may also make changes to their work to improve its clarity and substance. In some cases, an assignment editor will also write or report on a particular topic.
To apply for this job, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent. It is strongly recommended that you have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or writing. For those interested in pursuing a career in assignment editing, a background in news writing, editing, or reporting is often considered a plus.