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So after tomorrow I will once again be furloughed. I’m glad reporters and photojournalists won’t be furloughed, but I want to talk a little about the role editors play in the newsroom. I’ve already discussed the other furloughed group, producers.
Thread.
Thread.
A lot of people on this website assume I am a reporter. I am not! I in fact never have been. I went from a producer (who frequently wrote) to an editor. You rarely see my byline anymore, but my fingerprints are often all over stories.
Editors do lots of things, and what exactly they do varies based on what they’re good at.
Many people think editors “just” check for grammar and spelling. This is the smallest part of what we do (and one of the things I’m worst at).
Many people think editors “just” check for grammar and spelling. This is the smallest part of what we do (and one of the things I’m worst at).
Editors might spot story ideas and pass them to reporters. Sometimes these are terrible and hopefully reporters tell us so. But sometimes they’re not, because we’re looking at analytics, social, SEO and past stories to figure out what’s next.
Editors might help a reporter take an interesting idea or interview they had and hone it into a story that people want to read. We’re less emotionally involved, so it can sometimes be easier for us to spot the heart of a story and guide a reporter to what matters most.
We might suggest sources, or at least kinds of voices that are needed to add depth and body to a story. We often coordinate with other editors, other sites in our network or our corporate overlords to keep everyone on the same page.
Sometimes we play therapist. We listen. We sympathize. We remove obstacles. We offer resources.
We read stories and poke holes in them. Better for us to than the public to. We read stories and cut the fat — or suggest where bulk is needed. We help with structure, brevity, writing, flow, chronology. We give feedback that maybe, hopefully, helps more than it hurts.
We sometimes kill stories. Or we urge someone not to let that one die. We help journalists prioritize and keep them on track when a thousand news stories beckon.
We read for grammar and spelling and stuff. We also read for things that don’t make sense — a number that seems out of whack, a quote that trails off. And when something wonky or wrong does get published, we own up to it and offer corrections.
Then when a story is published, we watch it. The response. The readership. Did it get read? Did it change the world? What’s next? What did we learn? How can we be better?
Ultimately my most important job is to keep my team happy and productive, as best I can. Some times I can’t do much because of stuff outside my control. Sometimes I screw up because of my own failings.
But we try. And we provide a safety net in many ways.
But we try. And we provide a safety net in many ways.
And that’s what an editor does. Or tries to do, on our best days.
We aren’t the most important people in the room, no. But I think the absence will be noted.
We aren’t the most important people in the room, no. But I think the absence will be noted.
