What Is an Assignment Editor and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

An assignment editor develops news stories and assigns journalists to cover breaking news. In this career, your duties include working with a writer, photographer, or reporter to cover all necessary aspects of a news story. Your responsibilities may be slightly different depending on where you work. Assignment editors can work in radio, television, or the newspaper industry. You may also find employment with websites that report the news. Especially in TV, an assignment editor needs to coordinate quickly between reporters, producers, and photojournalists to cover stories at a moment’s notice.

The qualifications that you need to work as an assignment editor include a degree in journalism or a related subject. Some employers prefer applicants with a degree in journalism, but they may also value job experience as an editor, producer, or reporter. If you want to work in television, you can choose to study communications or broadcasting. During school or after obtaining your degree, you may wish to develop your skills by getting an internship in a newsroom to gain job experience.