What’s an editor-in-chief’s role?

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An editor-in-chief oversees editorial content and operations in various media, ensuring consistency and meeting publication standards. They delegate some responsibilities but are held accountable for errors and plagiarism. They may also write op-eds and lead with integrity.

An editor-in-chief is responsible for the editorial content and operations of the department generally in the media. Editors-in-Chief can work in mediums such as periodicals, newspapers, online publications, book publishers or television stations. As the only responsible person, your responsibility includes matters related to written facts, language, grammar and punctuation. Video and audio footage, drawings, photos and photos also fall within its domain of responsibility. In some cases, the editor-in-chief, also called the executive editor, may have budgetary responsibilities for her department.

Before publication, the editor-in-chief reviews all content. She needs to verify the facts presented and ensure that the content and style are consistent and meet the publication’s standards. If discrepancies are found, she returns the work for review. Good communication skills are important so that the executive editor can ensure that proper revisions are made and that his or her employee does not take the review request personally.

An editor-in-chief usually delegates some of his professional responsibilities to junior editors or editorial assistants. This lessens your actual workload, but if inconsistencies or errors make it to the final copy, she is formally held accountable, not the employee assigned to the task. She must make judgments every day and decide whether delegating certain jobs is worth the chance of negative repercussions and time-consuming rewrites.

In addition to regularly editing content that has already gone through a series of reviews, an editor-in-chief occasionally needs to discipline or fire an employee for plagiarism or ghostwriting. This, along with a total rejection of substandard work, is often considered the most negative aspect of being an editor-in-chief. Because plagiarism and ghostwriting are scrutinized so seriously, they can irreparably damage the reputation of a company or media publication.

For print publications and online periodicals, the editor-in-chief is sometimes required to write an op-ed or editorial column. This type of writing usually, but not always, expresses a point of view that prompts discussion from readers or the community at large. Topics and views are generally considered the publication’s point of view, sometimes decided by an editorial board. Often, an editorial board is made up of members of the community. Readers are encouraged to respond to editorials through letters and emails.

As the leader of the organization, the editor-in-chief depends on direction. A person in this position is expected to set a good example for the rest of the group. She depends on guiding her team with integrity and delivering it with high journalistic standards.




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