Assignment Editor Responsibilities

Assignment editor responsibilities define the work nature and responsibilities of the individuals working for a radio station, television channel or a newspaper. Assignment editors are the decision makers in the content selection for any of the media stated above. They also assign the reporters with a particular story or event and also prioritize news to attract more audiences.

Assignment editors go through the press releases and other sources of news and accordingly decide what news must go in the media channel that their organization follows. On a given day, there are dozens of events or mishaps that may be occurring around the city and the assignment editor has to prioritize which event needs to be covered and when it must appear on the media.

Assignment editor responsibilities are to answer the telephone calls from various sources, authenticate the news tips, follow up with different authorities such as local police department and schedule the coverage and broadcast of news or printing the news in case he works for a newspaper. While working with a news channel or a radio station, the assignment editors are assigned with additional responsibilities as they need to cover and broadcast the news before it gets obsolete.

The details of assignment editor responsibilities include the following tasks that are assigned on a day-to-day basis:

Key Responsibilities of Assignment Editor

• Communicate with public and authorities: Assignment editor can either answer the calls or make calls to different sources which provide information on the different events at a given region or city. The assignment editor has to assign a specific reporter or a team of reporters and other crew depending up on the importance of event and the different aspects of the event that need to be covered to bring out a complete picture.

• Prioritize news according to relevance and importance: Depending upon the importance of an event and its importance to the public, the assignment editor prioritizes the coverage and broadcasting of the story. For example, if there is a large fire factory where thousands of laborers are employed, then an assignment editor must concentrate on that story and set up live broadcast to provide accurate details of the event to the audiences.

• Make new contacts: Assignment editor is not expected to work with a limited number of sources. He makes new contacts with different PR agencies and other local and national authorities so that no critical story is missed.

• Schedule interviews and broadcasts: An assignment editor sometimes communicates with the interviewees and schedules important interviews. He also schedules the broadcasting of stories according to the availability of satellite time.

• Write stories: Sometimes an assignment editor receives the updates from the reporters and he writes the stories at the agency or newsroom to ensure timely broadcast or print of an urgent story.

• Edit and finalize content: The assignment editor goes through the footage and other details of the event and edits the content to make the story precise. He also has to delete any sensitive information and comments to avoid any controversy that it may cause.

Skills of an Assignment Editor

An ability to decide the worthiness of news is the basic requirement to work as an assignment editor. An assignment editor is expected to be strong in communication and management. He must also possess technical knowledge of various equipments used in the broadcast industry and also how to operate them. Assignment editors must be able to think on their feet and stay alert in order to cover the most recent events.

Becoming an Assignment Editor

Most of the news agencies and stations accept individuals with a bachelor's or associate degree in journalism, English literature, mass communication or media production. Previous experience of working with a news organization is of great help to understand the functioning of a news organization.

Assignment editor responsibilities are critical for the success of a news organization as they provide the organization with the most important news stories that attract more audiences.

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