◆ Journalism

What a news editor
really does.

22 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

22evidenced tasks
25,610in the US (2025)
$75,420median pay / year
5systems it runs on
See the 22 tasks ↓Open in the atlasThe full career map →
This is what one task looks like here
Collaborate with directors and producers
Coordinate with directors Kara Patel and producer Miguel Santos to loc…4 sources agree

The shape of the day

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The work, task by task

22 tasks
Hands on the work18
Collaborate with directors and producers+
Coordinate with directors Kara Patel and producer Miguel Santos to lock down story order, confirm needed interviews and standups, and produce a one-page rundown for tonight’s 6pm newscast so camera ops and reporters can prep.
escojdonetwiki4 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Assemble rough cut of footage+
Assemble a rough cut of the day’s package using the select takes from Jenna’s card, place VO and nat sound tracks, mark trims and timecode notes, then export a viewable draft for director review by 3pm.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Work with visual effects artists+
Meet with VFX lead Omar to hand off the rooftop composite: point out the clean plates, note the lighting reference and lens metadata, list two shots that must remain untampered for legal reasons, and agree delivery dates.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Program computerized graphic effects.+
Program the animated lower-third sequence to match the show’s motion style, set keyframe timing to the reporter’s walk-in, embed the correct font and color values, and render a 10-second master for play-out testing.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Work on post-production workflows+
Rework the post-production workflow: list ingest specs, rename conventions, proxy creation steps, and approval gates so editors and the archive team can hit deadlines without losing original camera negatives.
escojdonet3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Collaborate with sound designers and colorists+
Bring the cut for the 6pm package to the sound designers and colorists, flag the two shots with audio hiss and the underexposed interview, agree fixes and a two-hour turnaround so we meet tonight’s broadcast standards.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Refine editing for pacing and continuity+
Run the full hour edit for pacing and continuity, mark three slow-act beats and two jump cuts, propose trims and a tightened VO order, then circulate the notes to the assistant editor by 3pm for implementation.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Sync audio with video accurately+
Sync the raw interview audio to camera footage, correct the drift on the three multi-cam clips, lock picture-to-audio alignment to sample-accurate timing, and hand the synced master to sound for mixing before 5pm.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice3
Keep the record1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
12 tasksAdobe After Effectsprovide the visual effects team a timeline and composition structure they can build the composite within
6 tasksMicrosoft Officedraft the one-page rundown and email it to the team using familiar word and mail workflows
4 tasksAdobe Creative Cloudcombine selected footage and produce a viewable draft using timeline and export tools available in the suite
1 taskAdobe Photoshopprecise tonal control and grain matching for creating both black-and-white and colour presentation frames
1 taskAdobe Premiere Proassemble full versions with embedded title slate and export timed deliverables
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

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ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where a news editor actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $75,420 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $40,280; the top tenth near $148,550
  • 25,610 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025
  • ₹17,329 a month — the median for Plant and machine operators and assemblers, the group this work sits in
  • India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.
read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job10 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register4 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild16 of these tasks WikipediaHow the world describes this work12 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SKSP34Assist with the post-production processnational standard UK NOS SKSJ29Edit audio and video material for journalistic usenational standard

Close to this work

12 nearby
JournalismCopy Editor28 evidenced tasks JournalismFact Checker27 evidenced tasks JournalismBroadcast Producer27 evidenced tasks JournalismSocial Media Editor25 evidenced tasks JournalismFeature Writer22 evidenced tasks JournalismNewsletter Writer22 evidenced tasks JournalismEditorial Writer22 evidenced tasks JournalismPhotojournalist21 evidenced tasks

Questions people actually ask

You’ll start by reviewing assignment notes, scripts, or producer directions and the raw footage. Open projects in Adobe Premiere Pro, check timecodes, and mark frames where shots or sound should begin or end.

Then assemble a rough cut, sync audio with video, and refine pacing and continuity. Meet with directors, colorists, and sound designers to tweak visual effects (After Effects), color grading, and audio. Finish by exporting formats for broadcast or web and preparing files for distribution.

Learn Adobe Premiere Pro for editing, Adobe After Effects for motion graphics and visual effects, and Adobe Photoshop for image work. These are listed in the job tasks and used together in post-production workflows.

Also get comfortable with Microsoft Office for scripts, schedules, and file tracking. Knowing these five systems helps you manage media, verify time codes, and deliver final sequences on tight deadlines.

You’ll hand off a timeline with marked frames and accurate sync points, then collaborate on fixes. Use Premiere Pro sequences or an exported XML/AAF so colorists and sound designers can open the same edit.

Meet to discuss mood, pacing, and shot selection. Sound designers will add or record needed sounds and dialogue fixes; colorists will adjust color and contrast. You keep refining the sequence until the director signs off.

AI can speed tasks like rough-syncing audio, generating transcripts, or suggesting cuts, but it won’t judge editorial choices or legal risks. Use AI to save time on repetitive steps, then manually check every output against the script, time codes, and editorial standards.

Keep source files, metadata, and edit decisions organized in your project files. Never publish AI-generated content without human review for accuracy, copyright of footage, and the station’s editorial guidelines.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 25,610 employed in this occupation. The median annual wage is $75,420; the lowest tenth is $40,280; the top tenth is $148,550. Those are the BLS figures.

Local pay varies with market size, union status, and experience. Expect lower starting pay in small markets and higher in major-city broadcast operations.

A news editor focuses on assembling and refining footage, syncing audio, adding graphics (After Effects), and preparing final formats. You’re responsible for pacing, continuity, and technical prep for distribution.

A producer plans the story, scripts, and coordinates people. A camera operator captures the raw footage. Editors take that footage and create the final sequence, working with directors, sound designers, and colorists.

Practice cleanly syncing audio to video and marking frames accurately; that skill shows up in almost every task here. Accurate syncing saves time for sound designers and prevents rework.

Also build quick proficiency in Premiere Pro and learn to export industry formats with correct timecodes and metadata. Those technical habits keep projects on deadline and make collaboration smoother.