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Who is a Editor?
People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news ~ A. J. Liebling
In career as editor, individuals decide on which news story should appear on top of which is of lesser importance to readers considering present-day circumstances. You might have read newspapers, magazines and tabloids. But, have you ever thought about who proofreads the copy for factual and grammatical errors? An editor is a senior professional working in a media industry responsible for checking facts, figures and language of the copy provided by copywriters, reporters and stringers before finalising it for publishing. Students should pursue Bachelor of Mass Media, MA in Journalism and Mass Communication to become an editor. In this article, we will discuss the details about an editor career such as how to become an editor, how to get a job as an editor, what do editors do, online editor jobs, editor jobs in India.
Editor in a Nutshell
An editor is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also the news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor makes it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers.
Quick Facts for Editor
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Industry
Media
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Suitable for
Male, Female, Others
A career as an Editor in print media is suitable for everyone regardless of gender identity. It is a desk-based role that demands proficiency in news writing making it a worthy piece of information for readers. An editor is responsible for the content published in a magazine, tabloid or newspaper.
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Any special needs
Yes
A career as an editor in print media is suitable for candidates with special needs or difficulties in moving or travelling solo. The career demands an understanding of language with a sense of sarcasm and humour to make headlines crispy and develop a worthy piece of information keeping it short and simple from the rough draft.
Table of Contents for Editor
What is the role of Editor?
An editor is a senior management role in the content-based industry. He oversees the content and style of the content to be published. An editor is accountable for everything that is published in the newspaper, magazines or tabloids including the positions of the elements beside stories. An editor is responsible for assigning ideas of new stories to be covered. He or she read the content submissions, proofreads them and verifies facts. In the editor career, they finalise the stories for submission for publication.
Assigning Stories
An editor is responsible for assigning stories to writers, content writers, journalists or reporters to research, take interviews and bring a story with correct facts for submission.
Review Submission
An editor is accountable for reviewing the stories or copies provided by writers, content writers, copywriters, journalists or reporters. He or she ensures the quality of the story meets the publication standards.
Editing Content
An editor is responsible for providing direction to writers to revise the content of the article or manuscript. At this level, only the storyline is concerned without giving a second thought to grammar and style.
Proof Reading
An editor proofreads the copy before sending it for final submission. He or she removes grammatical errors and checks the tone of the language including facts and figures. He or she ensures the final copy matches the style of the publication.
Types of a Editor
There are various types of editors depending on the beat in which they are proficient. We have provided below some of the major types of editors working in print media.
Sports Editor: A sports editor possess a good knowledge of various sports, rules and regulations and the common terms used in it. A sports editor is responsible for editing the copies for the sports section of the newspaper, tabloid or related publication of similar interest.
Business Editor: A business editor stays up to date with the latest developments in the field of economics such as the stock market, fluctuations in prices of crude oil, gold and other materials that affect the economy.
Entertainment Editor: An entertainment editor edits the copy that is based on the latest developments or events in the entertainment industry which includes upcoming films, events, celebrities’ marriages and their personal life gossips.
Political Editor: A political editor is one of the reputable job offered in the news industry. He or she keeps an eye on politicians to stay up to date on political matters. A political editor edits the copy that has information on major political events such as new bills, elections, rallies and other things.
What is the workplace/work environment of Editor like?
An Editor usually works in an office environment. In bigger organisations, he or she has provided with separate cabins to work with the least disturbance. An editor may conduct a meeting on daily basis with copywriters, content writers and reporters to provide guidelines on the quality of copy and what stories should be picked and given priority. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor working in the print industry usually requires to work under strict deadlines therefore they are required to work overtime. Those who work on a freelance basis may have a more flexible schedule.
Does Editor require travelling?
Not Likely
A print editor does not require travelling on a daily basis. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor may often require to travel to attend important conferences organised by the editors guild or related associations.
Employment Shifts
Full Time, Work From Home
Yes, a career as editor (print) involves working on a fixed schedule. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor may work from early morning to late evenings or from mid noon to midnight. It depends on the functioning of the organisations. Editors working for magazines or tabloids usually work in day shift. While an editor working for newspaper publications requires to work till late at night to ensure every important story has been nicely edited without any error and sent for publication.
Employment Nature
Contractual, Permanent
Individuals who opt for a career as an editor usually work on a full-time basis for print publications such as newspapers, tabloids and magazines. Several editors may find work on a freelance or contractual basis to edit and proofread content.
Work Place
Office, Work From Home
A career as editor (print) is a desk-based job role. He or she least requires to move to other places or travel.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
The headquarters of print media publications are usually located in urban and semi-urban areas. Rural areas are least likely to provide good opportunities for editors. Delhi and Bengaluru provide exciting salary perks with numerous opportunities. The pay is slightly lesser in Pune, Chennai and Mumbai than the national average.
Time Pressure
Likely
Yes, an editor requires to perform duties under frequent time pressure. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor have to conduct meetings, assign stories, prioritise stories to be published on the front page and also finalise articles for an editorial section for providing a value-based opinion to reflect the editor’s understanding and ideologies.
Overtime Details
An editor usually requires to work till late nights to ensure successful submissions of the important stories and providing sufficient space for all the essential reports, dropping stories of least importance for the next day’s edition. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor have to approve the layout and positioning of the stories, images and cartoons to be published.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 35 Hours
Usually, the work hours of an editor in a newspaper publication are stretched. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor worked till late at night to ensure successful submission of all the important news stories for the next day edition.
How to become a Editor?
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Editor?
You must be wondering that how to become an editor? So, in this section, we will be answering the most commonly asked question that how to become an editor. In order to make a career as editor, one must possess some skills. Some skills required by an editor are mentioned below:
Creativity: An editor must possess proficiency in creative writing. He must to able to write crisp headlines and storylines giving it a sense of humour and sarcasm. You may get great examples of creativity in headlines in the copy of ‘The Hindu.’
Language Skills: An editor must be proficient in the language. He must have a strong vocabulary to improve the quality of the copy by replacing ordinary words with more effective or strong words that suit the situation or the description of the story.
Attention to detail: An editor must be detail-oriented. He or she must possess knowledge of a piece of information that he or she is reviewing. An editor is responsible for fact-checking to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness.
Interpersonal Skills: An editor has to go through numerous copies a day. He or she must possess interpersonal management skills to avoid any blunder. It becomes crucial to reach out to each copywriter in case of any doubts about the copy.
Popular Online Arts And Crafts Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Editor?
We have provided the below certification courses for aspiring editors to upgrade their skills and knowledge to edit the copies for publications.
Internship Availability
Internship plays a crucial role in the initial years of career development. Several journalism colleges make it mandatory for students to undergo an internship during the semester break. An internship in the print house provides you with the knowledge and understanding of the functioning of the print media such as news organisations, publishing houses. It provides an opportunity to get familiar with the AP stylesheet, drafting content and proofreading it for final submission.
Career Path Progression for Editor
There are numerous editorial positions that you may acquire while progressing in the print media industry. You may check the descriptions of the editorial role with varying job titles and know the career hierarchy of the editor.
Copy Editor: In order to become an editor, one must possess the characteristics of a good copywriter. A copy editor is someone who refines the copy and polishes its language. He or she cross-checks all the necessary facts, information and all other elements.
Sub Editor: A sub-editor is also known as a copy editor. He or she is responsible for improving the quality of copy by fact-checking it and removing redundancies and grammatical errors.
Associate Editor: An associate editor is supporting a managerial role. He or she is responsible for working under an editor for a specific section such as technology, business or other beats.
Senior Editor: A senior-editor possesses a command over the language. He or she is responsible for writing and proofreading articles to ensure accuracy, consistency and quality. A senior editor creates ideas for content and oversees writing assignments.
Deputy Editor: A deputy editor is someone who is responsible for the entire publication in the absence of the editor-in-chief. He or she reports to the editor-in-chief and functions as his or her other hand.
Editor-in-Chief: An editor-in-chief is accountable for the overall publication and its supplements. He or she manages other editors and inspects the quality of their work. An editor-in-chief is in charge of a range of titles produced by a particular publisher.
What is the job outlook for Editor?
There is an abundance of opportunities for editor jobs in India as it is one of the booming industries. There was a time when the print industry struggled and numerous employees were laid off due to affected circulation in COVID-19 times when worldwide lockdown happened. But, the bad times are gone now. The print industry has started functioning and its circulation has again reached its peak numbers as it used to be. There are people who still rely on information provided by the print medium as it is most trustable as compared to other media platforms. Individuals can find numerous opportunities in publishing houses and news organisations based on the publication of newspapers, magazines and tabloids. Several organisations publish weekly, fortnightly newspapers, magazines and tabloids. There are more than 100,000 language newspapers are registered with the registrar of language-specific lists. The pay offered to editors depends on the circulation of the publications.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Editor
Que. What is the minimum required degree to become an editor?
Ans.A bachelor’s degree in any discipline related to journalism, economics, social sciences, literature is the minimum educationals requirements to become an editor.
Que. What is the average salary of an editor in India?
Ans.The average salary offered to the editor ranges Rs. 400,763 per annum in India, according to payscale.com.
Que. What are the top colleges of editor?
Ans.We have provided below the top journalism editors in India.
Que. What are the other requirements to become an editor?
Ans.An experience of up to 15 years in the print industry is required to opt for a senior management position such as Editor or Deputy Editor.
Que. What are the top employing companies for an editor?
Ans.Hindustan Times, The Times of India. The Indian Express and The Hindu are the top employing print media publications for Editor.
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Fact 1
Udant Martand was the first Hindi newspaper published in India
Fact 2
Hickey’ Gazette was the first newspaper published in India in English
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On average twenty-four billion newspapers are published each year around the world
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Mexico had a working printing press in 1534
