The Editor is at the apex of the editorial setup of any publishing house. He is the man responsible for selecting and preparing language, images and determining the final content of a text especially of a newspaper, a magazine or a journal or a website in the present context. He reviews and checks the contents of a document before publication to assure its quality, authenticity and accuracy. Working in various capacities like a copy editor, Editor in Chief, associate editor or a member of an editorial advisory board of a specific journal he performs various functions like editing stories and deciding which one to publish and at which place of the publication.
Thus if you want to do an editor’s job and be successful you should prepare yourself for the job by being well learned and trained in the areas required to be an efficient editor. To achieve this much you should follow the path required and follow the process of some formal training after availing the necessary qualification and to attain well-required experience to be fit in the job.
Editor Eligibility
There are no specific eligibility conditions (in the form of age, qualification etc) required for becoming an editor, however, a diploma or degree in mass communication/ journalism along with a firm grip on the language especially English or definitely make your entry easy into the field. Otherwise, it is only the work done by you that matter.
Editor Required Skills
- Editors should be hard work, patience, dedication and ability to coordinates the activities of his entire team.
- They should have critical thinking such as using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- They should have knowledge of the film industry and movie production; knowledge of editing equipment and a willingness to keep up with changes in that technology.
- They should have the ability to work alone on detailed and sometimes tedious work; problem-solving skills to make film sequences work well or to work with the available footage.
Although anyone who has the instinct of journalism can become an Editor. But to have full hold on the area of work and to get some kind of acknowledgement of one’s work one should have a minimum amount of formal education of the field he is working in. So we can say that desirable qualification and process for becoming a successful Editor is as follows:
Educational Qualification
- Pass in Senior Secondary Examination (10+2) or equivalent recognized examination in any stream.
- Graduation in any stream is the most preferred qualification for joining courses to be a journalist
Step 1
After doing 10+2 class one has to join a diploma course offered by many universities. Aspirants can take admission on the bases of marks in the qualifying exams or by clearing the entrance tests taken by some universities/institutions.
Graduates of any stream can opt for a Post-graduate Degree or Diploma in Journalism or Mass Communication. Admission to these courses is given by way of common entrances test taken by the various university and independent institutions.
Step 2
In these courses, candidates are given thorough knowledge in different writing styles in reporting - news, features, reviews etc. General knowledge is also imparted on paragraphing, writing an introduction for a lead story or an anchor, script writing for radio or television. Students are also prepared for the rough road of actual news hunting in these courses.
After successful completion of the course, students are required to undergo internship with a newspaper or television house to have firsthand knowledge of real reporting scenes. This training is compulsory and now forms an important part of the practical training. This gives you a fair idea of the real reporting scene.
Step 3
After completing the required course and imparting himself with the necessary practical training students can join the filed in any of the following ways
- Join a Newspaper House.
- Joining a News Agency
- Joining Government Sector in Indian Information Service or the different State Government information services,
In a newspaper house, fresh pass-outs usually join as trainees at the news desk or the editing desk. After a couple of years, they get promoted to either reporting duties or to the post of sub-editors.
Editor Job Description
The role of an editor is to review the work of a team of writers and suggest changes according to conventions regarding grammar, writing style, and punctuation. Editors also ensure that all written works are consistent in quality and tone, and are consistent with the publication’s imagination and mission. He is the man on the driver’s seat of any kind of publication process. On his shoulders lies the responsibility of presenting the work of his entire team in the most acceptable manner.
Editor Job Prospects
Though challenging, editing as a career path is diverse and can lead to a very rewarding career for those who enjoy working with various forms of written communication in different aspects of mass media. Some of the diverse fields in which they can contribute their services as editors are:
Book Editors: Their job is to read manuscripts and decide whether the work should or should not be bought and then sold to the public. Besides this, an editor’s job entails cultivating relationships with authors. Book editors are ultimately looking to discover new talent and publish their work and then continue working with them as they build a bigger audience. They decide which manuscripts are worthy of becoming published books, and then they turn those manuscripts into masterpieces.
Book editor generally fall into two categories: Copy Editors and Acquisitions Editors.
- Copy Editor: Copyeditors edit an author's manuscript. These are the people who correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Acquisitions Editor: Acquisitions involves buying books for a publishing house. These are the people who deal with literary agents and authors. They read proposals and sample chapters. They make offers to publish manuscripts that they think are written well and will sell well. They work with authors throughout the writing process to ensure that the book stays on track and on time.
Newspaper Editors: These editor overseeing what stories are placed on what pages of the newspaper and when. Other opportunities in editing for newspapers include associate editors and assistant editors.
Web Editors: Relatively new area of work compared to book editing and newspaper editing. The Web Editors must pay close attention to search engine optimization (SEO) and screen readability. For example, web editors stress shorter paragraphs and information displayed in “chunks.” Web editors can find editing positions in many places including television stations and online media companies.
Editor Career Prospects
- Reporter/journalist /Trainee at the news desk
- Sub - Editor
- Editor
- Editor-in-Chief.
Editor Salary
On an average one can earn anything between Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 per month along with other benefits after joining a newspaper house however it depends upon various newspaper house and capabilities of the Editors.
Working for a news agency is slightly different because of the tougher deadlines. The ABC of news agency reporting seeks accuracy, brevity and clarity. Agencies like Press Trust of India (PTI) and United News of India (UNI) are 24 hours open without any holidays throughout the year.
Editor Salary in a News Agency
On an average one can earn anything between Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000 per month along with other benefits after joining a news agency, however, there is no upper limit of the income in news agency one can earn as.
