assignment editor new york

Freelance Assignment Editor

Job Number: R50024561

Brand: Fox News Media

Job Type: Editorial, News, Production

Location Type: Onsite

Experience Level: Experienced Hires

Location: New York, New York

Job Posting Date: April 23, 2024

OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY

Job description.

Fox News is looking for a highly motivated, proactive, Freelance Assignment Editor to join our Assignment Desk at our headquarters in New York City. We are looking for individuals with strong news judgment who will be required to handle multiple breaking news stories in our fast-paced network newsroom environment. The Freelance Assignment Editor will work closely with field producers and line producers, as well as other Fox News units, to integrate coverage throughout all Fox News platforms.

A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Build strong relationships with Assignment Desks at Fox affiliates and other news service partners

Communicate with officials and sources for editorial information

Monitor both traditional & social media for breaking news stories

Identify news videos and soundbites for breaking news stories

Source and clear new media material from various online sources, including social media sites and aggregator sites

Find breaking news stories and identify where to get the latest editorial information

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

A Bachelor’s degree and or relevant work experience 3-5 years of network or major media market newsgathering experience

Strong editorial judgment

A passion for current and breaking events

Familiarity with iNews

Understanding of tapeless workflow in a newsroom

Knowledge of and experience covering national and regional interest breaking news stories, and coordination of field teams

Someone who loves problem-solving

Ability to work flexible hours including weekends and overnights

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law.

At FOX, we foster a culture and environment where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. We are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent across our company. We live in a diverse world, with different ideas and different perspectives that come together to spark new ideas and make great things happen. That means reflecting the diversity of the world around us is critical to our company’s success. We ensure that our viewers, communities and employees feel heard, represented, and celebrated both on screen and off. Click here to learn more about the diverse communities of people behind our brands. 

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Contract Job

Assignment editor.

• Mid (2-5 years) Experience

Job Description

Note: Posting is subject to change so please refer to career site for latest availability (SBJ-G337).

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Company Profile

FOX News Media operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer digital streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International and the newly announced platform FOX Weather. Currently the number one network in all of cable, FNC has also been the most watched television news channel for 20 consecutive years, while FBN currently ranks among the top business channels on cable. Owned by FOX Corporation, FOX News Media reaches 200 million people each month.

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Associate Producer - Assignment Desk Editor

Full Time Job CBS News is looking for an Overnight Weekend Assignment Desk Editor for our New York based National Desk. This Assignment Editor helps facilitate editorial coverage decisions for all shows working directly with the National Editor, Deputy National Editor, Bureau Chiefs and senior producers for CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, Weekend News, CBS Face the Nation, CBS Streaming, CBS Newspath and CBS News Special events to ensure we are aware of national news across the country. As well as confirming details of those stories of interest, gathering news elements, and deploying coverage teams as needed. Responsibilities: • Coordinating all domestic newsgathering for the network and selecting top stories to share companywide during the weekend overnight hours. This includes any breaking news stories worthy of national attention in all 50 states and U.S. territories. • Familiar with newsgathering and up to date on current events. Sharp news judgment and the ability to comb through local and national newspapers in addition to CBS News local affiliates, as well as other online news sources across the country a plus. • Able to quickly collect and disseminate critical information for air, verifying its accuracy while simultaneously getting interviews and video coverage of the news event • Effectively manage multiple priorities including both the editorial and logistical components of a story, often on tight deadline. • Consistent and timely outreach to media contacts and sources during breaking news events. • Candidates should be prepared to conduct their own reporting to confirm details by contacting police/fire departments, emergency services and other agencies via email, cold calls or on social media. • An excellent eye for gathering and clearing newsworthy and/or shocking video on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. • Candidates should also have strong writing skills, as they will compile the ''What's Happening'' planning note which informs the organization of news coverage for the day. • Ability to keep track of stories covered by all news shows to continue monitoring specific threads with the most updated information. • Must be comfortable working alone and can make independent and informed editorial decisions • Will be called upon to make arrangements (including travel) and deploy producers, videographer/photographer/audio crew, etc. as necessary. • Maintain open communication with desk members as well as the National Editor, Deputy National Editor and Bureau Chiefs. • Must be willing to work some holidays based on breaking news. Qualifications • 3 years producing experience in a professional newsroom is preferred. • Able to take ownership of situations and take matters to resolution • Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to listen and receive feedback • The ideal candidate must also possess a strong work ethic and enthusiasm. CBS News and Stations, brings together the power of CBS News, 28 owned television stations in 17 major U.S. markets, the CBS News Streaming Network, CBS News Streaming local platforms, local websites and cbsnews.com, under one umbrella. CBS News and Stations is home to the nation's #1 news program 60 MINUTES, the CBS News Streaming Network, the first 24/7 digital streaming news network, the award-winning broadcasts CBS MORNINGS, CBS SATURDAY MORNING, the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH NORAH O'DONNELL, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, CBS WEEKEND EVENING NEWS, 48 HOURS and FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN. CBS News and Stations provides news and information for the CBS Television Network, CBSNews.com, CBS News Radio and podcasts, Paramount , all digital platforms, and the CBS News Streaming Network, the premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service that is available free to everyone with access to the internet. The CBS News Streaming Network is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations' top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. CBS News' streaming services, across national and local, amassed more than 1.01 billion streams in 2021. Launched in November 2014 as CBSN, the CBS News Streaming Network is available on 30 digital platforms and apps, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount . The service is available live in 91 countries. CBS News and Stations is dedicated to providing the highest quality journalism under standards it pioneered and continues to set in today's digital age. CBS News earns more prestigious journalism awards than any other broadcast news division. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Hiring Salary Range: $60,000.00 - 75,000.00. The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York City, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education. The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, tuition assistance program and PTO or, if applicable, as otherwise dictated by the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement. https://www.paramount.com/careers/benefits Paramount is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) including disability/vet. At Paramount, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, on-screen and off. From the programming and movies we create to employee benefits/programs and social impact outreach initiatives, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. Paramount is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. 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News Assignment Editor Salary in New York, NY

How much does a News Assignment Editor make in New York, NY? The average News Assignment Editor salary in New York, NY is $90,299 as of March 26, 2024, but the salary range typically falls between $79,456 and $102,935 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target. 

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News Assignment Editor Salary in popular cities: Buffalo ,  Rochester ,  Yonkers

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The Assignment Editor 2.0: More Collaboration, Newer Tools

Back in the late 1990s and early ’00s, when Cater Lee was a reporter for the likes of KNBC and KCAL in Los Angeles, the assignment desk was centrally located in the newsroom. Its editor likely spent extensive time across their day scrolling through police scanners, reading press releases and fielding tipster calls to identify news stories. From it emerged a dictation of Lee’s day.

Purveyors of the newsroom’s assignment desk today, however, are typically less head coach and more quarterback, fronting colorful offenses filled with audibles, option plays and other collaborative trickery that’s designed to always push the ball forward. In other words, story dispersal in a newsroom has increasingly become a team effort, with reporters and producers having more of a say in what makes it to broadcast. Digital technology has also chipped away at the relevance of many dinosaur-era tools assignment editors used to rely on so heavily.

But as the job changes, assignment editors remain a dedicated folk, dug into the frontlines of journalism’s war with mis- and disinformation, while doing their best to help generate broadcasts with wider-reaching community impact. Always, they’re relegated to behind-the-scenes grunt work, and rarely do they get their due.

Julie Wolfe

The capable assignment editor, she observes, will “know all the information”: facts to support a package’s viability, sources that a reporter can contact to round it out, and whether a story is worth any airtime to begin with.

A presence like that in a newsroom matches the significance of an engine in a car, as one assignment editor puts it. Wolfe says assignment editors are like “orchestral conductors,” while additional metaphors that float through interviews stem from human biology. One editor calls the assignment desk the newsroom’s brain; others liken the role’s import to that of the heart or central nervous system, for it’s the assignment editor who pumps data to the farthest reaches of the newsroom, which of course now stretches well beyond the walls of an office building.

Social’s Key Role

Along with an innate sense of what makes for a quality newscast, to effectively manage the assignment desk, editors need top-flight organizational and communication skills, just as they have for decades. These days, familiarity with the social media universe is of equal consequence.

“Twitter’s huge,” he says. “When it comes to breaking news, often we’ll see it on Twitter now before we hear it on police scanners, which is just incredible.”

Darren Whitehead, digital desk lead at another Tegna NBC affiliate, KUSA Denver, says Colorado police scanners are encrypted, but monitoring Twitter helps him pick up the slack.

“Most of the ways that the police departments and fire departments are communicating with us is they’re putting out [updates] on social media, and usually it’s not immediate, it’s well after something has happened,” Whitehead says. “We get calls from people in the community being, like, ‘What the hell is going on down the block from me?’ Then we have to call [the responsible agency], and then they tweet out to everyone — without calling us back — all the information.”

Assignment editors set up Tweet Deck channels, or Social News Desk dashboards, where they follow various government agencies, other news sources like the Associated Press and additional relevant accounts where prospective stories may pop up. Dataminr alerts help inform assignment editors, too; neighborhood-focused Reddit forums and community-based apps like Nextdoor can sometimes supply story ideas as well.

Then, there are community-related Facebook groups, which one assignment editor says she joins using a public profile associated with their news team position. Another longtime story assigner says she taps younger newsroom colleagues to examine Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms they might be more comfortable navigating through.

Scrutiny’s Imperative

Like in the past with press releases — though assignment editors still lift stories from those on occasion — they can’t take what’s written online at face value. The same can be said for what citizen tipsters tell the assignment editor over the phone or in emails, as well as what public information officers say.

“People ask me what the hell I do, and I always tell them, ‘Well, the assignment desk is usually ‘first response,’” Whitehead says. “You gotta sift through the bullshit.”

While they may have always prioritized backing up facts, with sources, data and other means, assignment editors in 2022 say there is an added emphasis on getting story facts unquestionably correct.

Jamila Elder

“There are some stations that report solely off of what they hear on the scanners. We are not that station,” says Jamila Elder, assignment editor at WRAL, Capitol Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate in Raleigh, N.C. “You dig deep, you reach out to your contacts and you wait until you get [your information] confirmed, even though your competition station may be reporting it. As an assignment editor that’s very frustrating because we’re very competitive; you want to get the information and you want to get it first, [but] we would rather wait and get it right, than to report it first and get it wrong.”

Experience Matters

In many cases, as one assignment editor puts it, newsies “fall into” their positions at the assignment desk. The experience they bring with them, often as a reporter or anchor, serves them well in the role.

WXIN-WTTV Indianapolis assignment desk personnel (l-r): Adam Bartels, Ruthanne Gordon, Tim O’Brien and Sabrina Adams. (Greg Wilkerson photo)

Prior to Ruthanne Gordon becoming senior planning manager for Nexstar’s WXIN (Fox)-WTTV (CBS) Indianapolis, she was an assignment editor for 33 years. Before that, she was a reporter and anchor for more than five years, bringing with her to the assignment desk an assortment of connections from her front-of-the-camera days that she continues to call upon. Her phone book has only ballooned bigger throughout her 45 years in news.

“I have quite a Rolodex,” Gordon says, “I think that’s what they wanted when I came to this position as senior planning manager.” Cops she first met doing stand-ups, she says, “are now the commanders here in town, so I’ve kept those cell numbers, and that’s where I have an advantage.”

Working as a journalist before manning the assignment desk also helps cultivate that vital instinct of what makes for a compelling newscast. However, the assignment desk is also a prime location for industry newbies to break in and learn — a lot — on the fly.

“You gotta pay your dues by working the weekends,” Elder says. “That was where I learned the most because you don’t have a lot of managers, so you have to make those on-the-spot decisions. So, I was able to make those mistakes on that weekend shift, but I was also able to learn from those mistakes and learn how to make good news decisions.”

“This is a great way of starting and learning,” Gordon says of the assignment desk gig. Calling it a way to “fast-track” those new to the industry, she adds: “You can jump off of this and go produce a show [or] jump in a truck and go do an interview.”

Kendra Gilbert, senior assignment editor at KING, had no experience in a TV newsroom before hopping into the assignment desk chair at a station in her home market of Fresno, Calif. Fresh out of college, she struggled to find work in print journalism, her focus of study in school. But that degree still meant she could sniff out a good story and, combining that sense with strong organizational and communication skills, she was confident she could fill the seat just fine.

Kendra Gilbert

She’s held an assignment editor position at one West Coast station or another for nine years running. She says to excel in the role one has to be comfortable working in “a fast-paced environment,” and have the ability to “turn on a dime” and “focus on one thing and switch to another.”

Collaboration Grows

Elder statesman Gordon says of the assignment editor job demands: “It keeps me young.” Both she and the more youthful Gilbert say the position has also become more collaborative in recent years.

“We do sort of have that gatekeeper role,” Gilbert says. Still, she continues, “there’s always this two-way exchange of information between the desk and the reporters.”

Assignment editors consider reporter strengths, areas of interest and experience when deciding in whose hands a story will be entrusted. But they also field pitches from reporters and engage in broad conversations about the day’s items of interest with various members of the team.

“Nobody runs on their own in here; we have a tight-knit group [and] we back each other up,” Gordon says of the group at her Nexstar stations. “If we have spot news … we all jump in, and that’s the key to a really good assignment desk. You give and take, and you have that flexibility that at the end of the day, we’ve covered it, we’ve got it, we’ve got angles that nobody else has thought of.”

Not only does the team effort behind story assignment potentially add layers and depth to an eventual package, but it reinforces the integrity of the news it delivers across an entire broadcast, day in, day out.

In the constant struggle to identify mis- and disinformation, while also presenting stories in appropriate context, “that is where a collective, collaborative culture of a newsroom saves you,” KING’s Wolfe says. “If you are, as a team, having editorial checks, conversations, diverse viewpoints, bringing different people in, then you can catch those things and catch yourself and find the right story.

“That’s why I think having a diverse newsroom is so key, because different people are going to see different things and think about different questions and weigh that story against their own experience …. Whether it’s a big newsroom or a small newsroom, getting people together to talk about stories is just really, really important.” she says.

Decentralized Approach

One would be hard-pressed to find a more profound example of the increasingly collaborative nature the assignment editor’s job has assumed over the past handful of years than the organizational structure at Lee’s Southern California Spectrum News channel.

In an effort to cover the market’s five counties, across a sprawling megalopolis, her channel employs an assignment editor manager and four individual assignment editors, each of whom are primarily stationed in different parts of the region: north, south, east and west. They report to the station’s office in El Segundo once per week on a rotating basis, but otherwise they’re out in the field, working closely with reporters as they scour for stories and continually develop relationships with sources.

Lee says the more decentralized arrangement allows for her newsroom to be less “reactive” — as others have been historically — and more “proactive,” engaging in “enterprise storytelling.”

“Of course, we still react, because there’s breaking news,” Lee says, “but when there is real enterprise storytelling, you’re working in advance, working your sources and your community and really becoming experts on the ground, and it’s been an amazing collaboration.

“That’s what has gotten lost, is the idea that, really, journalists should have their ears on the ground, they should be developing beats and sources, and they should be working with assignment editors — story planners — to figure out the best way to tell those stories together,” she says. “It’s been a really exciting team approach to newsgathering.”

Seeking Deeper Impact

Whether they’ve been part of an experiment in cutting-edge structural invention or traditionally clock into the newsroom and sit at a stationary desk throughout their shift, assignment editors bear the brunt of the responsibility to shuttle broadcasts away from coverage of police blotter-discovered stories, such as shootings, robberies, and fires. Today’s consumers are craving more from their TV news, and stories with farther-reaching impact have to be sought out by those tasked with assigning them to reporters.

“We definitely are trying to be mindful of stories that are affecting more people in our community,” says WRAL’s Elder. “Gone are the days of ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’ That was old school.”

Still, it’s not entirely true that crime and property destruction should completely be dismissed. “When it comes to your family’s safety, the safety of your business, being able to walk down the sidewalk in your city, that is super-relevant to our viewers,” Wolfe says. “The idea that crime is not relevant is the wrong approach. The right approach is: How do we add information and context? How do we stand for truth and hold people accountable? What does the data tell us about that crime? That’s where the impactful stories are.”

Weighing all these factors in choosing stories, maintaining a constantly updated contact database with identifying tags, ensuring that reports are factually concrete and so many other responsibilities, the assignment editor job is certainly not for everybody. But those who do it well can honorably take tremendous pride in their work, which, if nothing else, is undeniably relentless.

“You should never be bored on the assignment desk,” KING’s Gilbert says. “It’s not a place where you can complete one task and then kick back and say, ‘I’ve done it for the day.’ You should always be busy.”

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Corrie Harding says:

March 8, 2022 at 9:11 am

Great write up. I would add one piece of perspective on the ‘parts of the body’ metaphor. In my experience, the Assignment Desk can be the hands reaching out in the dark, or the ears listening for the important ‘sounds’ or the ‘eyes’ looking toward the horizon. All in addition to being part of ‘the brain.’ Ruthanne nailed it. The key is that a video based, broadcast/digital newsroom must have a desk, producers, reporters, and managers that act in a symbiotic relationship. Each must be able to quickly shift based on the news department’s overall vision, and always support each other.

LeCouteur says:

June 13, 2022 at 9:24 am

I never knew how to write beautifully when I needed it, I spent Sleepless nights to write At least a more or less beautiful text, but as a result, I began to turn to similar writing services and my life became much easier and the texts are much better, because on such services the text professionals write, you just have to learn the text

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Career Spotlight: Assignment Editor

By NBCU Academy

What does an assignment editor do? A longtime assignment manager for NBC4 Washington shares how his team covers breaking news.

At the heart of every newsroom is an assignment desk, where assignment editors figure out what news stories to cover around the clock. They make constant phone calls, listen to police radios and sift through emails to get news tips and background information from officials and the public. They contribute to editorial meetings with reporters, editors and producers. But breaking news can rewrite coverage plans at any point of the day.  

Charlie Bragale, an assignment manager who has worked at WRC-TV in Washington since 1988, has seen many changes in technology , but his assignment desk has always been crucial to newsgathering. He calls his assignment editors “off-air reporters,” talking to sources and conveying updates to news crews and production staff.  

“I compare the assignment editor to a flight controller. I’m trying to land five 747s, a couple of A380s and a couple 737s in a blinding rainstorm,” Bragale said. “100% of my day is talking on the phone, networking with people, trying to get people to talk to me and check in.” 

Bragale talks about the work of an assignment editor in the video above and shares more remarks below.  

What are some tips to being a good assignment editor?

Be curious, be a risk taker and instinctively know what you’re doing right. You see something, go chase after it. We don’t run away from bad news or good news — we run towards everything. 

Success is collaborating with everybody.  We’re just a cog in the wheels of what we do every day. Collaboration is key.  

Your workspace is surrounded by walkie-talkies tuned in to a bunch of police and emergency medical scanners. Isn’t it confusing to listen to all that at once?

Don’t be intimidated by this. This is just white noise. Just listen for keywords, the intensity in the voice, the impact of the event. 

What are some memorable stories you worked on?

I covered a guy who pulled out an AR-15 and shot up the front of the White House [in October 1994] — that was a [Saturday] afternoon, we were running AFC football.  

The phone rings, a guy with a heavy accent says, “Do you speak Portuguese?” And I was like, “Yes, I’m from Brazil.” A Brazilian tourist, videotaping the White House with his family, captured the moment that guy shot at the White House. Back then, we had no cellphones, so I sent a courier to pick him up and look at the video. One of my colleagues ran over, grabbed the video and took it downstairs. They broke into AFC football to show the guy shooting the White House — that’s how important it was.  

[On 9/11,] we knew about the planes that struck the World Trade Center. But then I heard a plane hit the Pentagon. I heard that officer, the chill in his voice — we knew it was [a related attack]. We were ready, directing people everywhere, because we knew Washington.

You’ve worked at the same assignment desk for 36 years. What keeps you going?

This is gonna sound mushy, but I grew up here in Washington, two blocks from the TV station. As a child riding my bike through this park, past Channel 4 to the Catholic school on Massachusetts Avenue, I would always tell my brothers, “One day, I’m going to work at that place.” To represent the community and work at this incredible organization, in my job which I love, is an honor. 

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What Does an Assignment Editor Do?

Learn About the Salary, Required Skills, & More

The Balance / Ellen Lindner

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• Assignment Editor Duties & Responsibilities

Assignment Editor Salary

• Education, Training, & Certification
• Assignment Editor Skills & Competencies

Job Outlook

Work environment, work schedule, comparing similar jobs.

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An assignment editor works at the assignment desk, which is the nerve center of any newsroom. This is where newsroom staff members monitor multiple sources for breaking news, including police and fire scanners. When possible news arises, the assignment editor works with reporters, photographers, producers, and other staff members to assign and develop story ideas.

Small companies sometimes have one assignment editor who is responsible for organizing the assignment desk to operate around the clock. In larger newsrooms, there may be a team of assignment editors that take turns staffing the desk.

Assignment Editor Duties & Responsibilities

The job generally requires the ability to perform the following duties:

• Monitor multiple sources for possible news stories
• Develop and propose a daily news coverage plan
• Lead newsroom staff meetings to review possible stories and assignments
• Help choose which journalists, photographers, and other staff members are assigned to cover stories
• Stay on top of all stories to ensure they're developing as planned and determine which ones are not coming together
• Be the main point of communication between reporters, production teams, and executive staff on developing stories

It's up to the assignment editor to assign people to investigate and report on news stories. The assignment editor's day is sometimes spent shifting people and equipment around so that as many stories get covered as possible, with an eye out on how to handle breaking news coverage at any moment.

When working in television, an assignment editor may also work with the tv producer to decide which crews will take live trucks or a helicopter to broadcast live during a newscast. Also, a TV news anchor who is reviewing scripts just before airtime will often turn to the assignment editor to confirm facts.

An assignment editor's salary can vary depending on location, experience, and employer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers salary data for the broader editor category, but it doesn't offer separate data on the assignment editor subcategory:

• Median Annual Salary: $59,480 
• Top 10% Annual Salary: $114,460 
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: $30,830  

Education, Training, & Certification

Most assignment editors have the same types of degrees as other editors and journalists in a newsroom.

• Education: Most employers prefer candidates that have at least a bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or English. 
• Experience: This is often key to getting this type of job, because experience is key to building a list of contacts and learning how to operate smoothly. Employers usually prefer candidates with a background in the type of media in which they specialize, whether it's television, digital, or print news.
• Training: Most training happens on the job. Aspiring assignment editors may want to find an internship position at a newsroom assignment desk.

Assignment Editor Skills & Competencies

To be successful in this role, you’ll generally need the following skills and qualities: 

• Editorial judgment: Assignment editors need to be able to quickly decide whether a story is newsworthy. And although they aren't usually writing the stories themselves, they need to know all of the components of a good news story to guide reporters on coverage.
• Interpersonal skills: Successful assignment editors form relationships with many contacts that can help bring a story together. For example, someone in this role at a local TV news station may have all the county sheriffs' home telephone numbers on speed-dial and be on a first-name basis with the current and previous mayors.
• Organizational skills: An assignment editor must be able to organize the logistics and track the details of several stories at a time and keep everything on schedule.
• Communication skills: An assignment editor must skillfully communicate with all of the staff involved in making news stories come together, including reporters, photographers, production teams, and executive staff.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in this field will grow 6 percent through 2026, which is slightly slower than the overall employment growth of 7 percent for all occupations in the country. The BLS it doesn't offer separate data on the assignment editor subcategory.

Most of this job is done in an office working under several tight deadlines at once. Those who thrive on pressure and get an adrenaline rush when something unexpected happens may be best suited for this occupation.

An assignment editor usually arrives in the newsroom earlier than the other managers to get a handle on what's happening that day to brief the newsroom. Most assignment editors work full time, and many work long hours, which include evenings and weekends.

People who are interested in becoming assignment editors may also consider other careers with these median salaries: 

• Writers and authors: $61,820
• Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts: $40,910
• Desktop publishers: $42,350

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2017

How to Get the Job

Build a Contact List

Making a list of contacts is the best place to start for a budding assignment editor. That involves making personal connections with people so that you can turn to them when you need information.

Join a Professional Association

The American Media Institute offers  a list of professional associations you can join. Which one you choose may depend on your specialty or medium (websites or television, for instance). This will help you build your contact list and stay up to date on the latest tools and techniques in the industry.

Search job sites that specialize in media careers, such as MediaBistro and iHire Broadcasting .

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New york city’s steady decline is cuomo’s fault and more: letters to the editor — april 28, 2024.

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Mealy apple

Chutzpah? Effrontery? Gall? Temerity? Melissa DeRosa’s article is all of these and more ( “State budget bites Apple,” April 22).

Although she rightly condemns everyone from Gov. Hochul to Mayor Adams to the state Assembly, she conveniently omits condemnation of her old boss, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

From Cuomo signing the sanctuary-state law and the catastrophic no-bail and other criminal-justice reforms to his deadly policies on nursing-home patients, Cuomo should have been in jail years ago.

If DeRosa wants to point fingers for the causes of New York’s current “Third World Nation” status, she should look to Cuomo, or perhaps locate a mirror.

James McCaffrey, Yonkers

Ticking clock

The Senate has addressed a serious problem in passing a potential ban on TikTok ( “Ban vote ticks off TikTok,” April 22).

The only short-sighted thinking here is that they didn’t include the rest of the social media web devoted to bullying, baiting and believing the unbelievable. Cat videos don’t balance the scales.

It is odd that something which has so much potential for positive use is misused by a small but vocal group that might be better if they left their dingy basements and headed out into the sun for a walk.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

Vagrancy laws

On April 22, our Supreme Court was asked if homeless people can be ticketed or if ticketing is a “cruel and unusual” punishment under the Eighth Amendment ( “No Right to Rough,” April 24).

In an article about the Oregon case, it was stated that “on any given night, more than 650,000 people in the United States are experiencing homelessness, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Imagine how many could be helped if the billions of dollars spent by the government on combatting global warming or aid for migrants were used to house the homeless.

David F. Lipton, Toms River, NJ

Think of the kids

Contrary to Naomi Schaefer Riley’s belief, we take our responsibility to protect children very seriously ( “How New York’s Child Services system is failing city kids,” April 21),.

Reports alleging child maltreatment go to the state; ACS staff respond to every report accepted, quickly conducting a safety assessment. And nearly 5,000 investigations last year involved parental substance misuse that may impact a child.

We continue to invest in our workforce; we’ve even increased the number of former NYPD detectives working as investigative consultants.

We also take racial disparity very seriously, getting families the help they need upfront. Last quarter, families engaging with supportive services grew 30%.

We reject the narrow notion that we cannot protect children and address racial disparity at the same time; children and families deserve both and our staff work hard every day toward those ends.

Jess Dannhauser, Commissioner of the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Manhattan

The people’s radio

The fact that NPR is funded with taxpayer money is a disgrace ( “Left counter punch,” April 25).

Its new CEO, Katherine Maher, is an arrogant elitist who truly believes that freedom of speech is something to be suppressed. NPR is nothing more than Democratic propaganda.

Robert DiNardo, Farmingdale

Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to [email protected]. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.

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What’s Next for Harvey Weinstein After His New York Rape Conviction Was Overturned?

By Nancy Dillon

Nancy Dillon

When New York’s top court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s Manhattan-based sex crimes conviction in a surprise move Thursday, questions about Weinstein’s reversal of fortune and what comes next for the disgraced movie mogul started to multiply.

Will there be a new trial in New York? Could Weinstein be released on bail while that question plays out? Is Weinstein’s subsequent conviction in California in jeopardy now too?

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg quickly signaled Thursday that the office hoped to put Weinstein back in front of a jury. “We will do everything in our power to retry this case and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” the spokesperson said. One of the two victims in the original trial, Miriam “Mimi” Haley, said Friday she would consider testifying again.

“It was re-traumatizing and grueling and exhausting and all the things,” she said of her testimony during the initial trial. “I definitely don’t want to go through that again, but for the sake of, you know, keeping going and doing the right thing – and because it is what happened – I would consider it.”

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In a dissent to the appellate court’s divided 4-3 decision, Judge Anthony Cannataro wrote that the three additional “bad acts” witnesses, known in New York as Molineux witnesses, were necessary to show Weinstein’s pattern of “manipulation and intimidation” and rebut his claim the encounters were consensual.

If Bragg’s office moves to retry Weinstein, Haley’s testimony would be crucial. His conviction on the first-degree count related to Haley accounted for 20 years in his 23-year sentence. “I commend Mimi on her courage and willingness to keep standing up for the truth,” her lawyer, Gloria Allred, said Thursday. Allred said she and her clients, which include several other Weinstein survivors, “will continue to fight for justice for victims both in criminal and civil cases until there is a fair trial not just for the accused but also for those who allege that they are victims of sexual predators.” At a press conference held with Haley on Friday, Allred called on New York legislators to pass a law that would more clearly define the rights of victims of sex crimes in particular to introduce evidence of an alleged assailant’s prior bad acts.

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Weinstein, meanwhile, is appealing his California conviction as well with his brief due to be filed with the state’s 2nd Appellate District next month. His Los Angeles trial lawyer, Mark Werksman, tells Rolling Stone that the New York opinion released Thursday shows Weinstein’s California conviction is vulnerable too.

“The California conviction suffers from the same fatal flaw and unfairness as the New York case, which is that the jury was allowed to hear about too many uncharged and uncorroborated allegations, and consequently, Harvey was denied a fair trial,” Werksman says. 

But Chernyshova’s attorney, David Ring, disagrees. “We feel highly, highly confident that California is going to upheld the criminal conviction against Harvey Weinstein and that he’ll serve his 16-year sentence in California. The New York trial was markedly different,” Ring tells Rolling Stone . “New York has different laws than California does. California has a specific evidence code that allows other victims of sexual assault to testify in criminal cases. New York does not have that particular statute.” And the Los Angeles County judge on the trial “kept a very tight reign” on what was allowed, he said.

In the case of Weinstein’s California trial, prosecutors initially sought to include so-called “propensity” evidence from 16 women who levied allegations against the disgraced movie mogul beyond the underlying charges in the California case. This group included actors Daryl Hannah and Rose McGowan. Judge Lisa B. Lench ruled that prosecutors could bring in only six , and that number was whittled down further at trial.

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“Today’s decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence,” Wigdor, who represents eight Weinstein victims, including two of the Molineux witnesses at the New York criminal trial, said in a statement Thursday. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.” 

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Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Agent Removed From Harris’s Detail After ‘Distressing’ Behavior

The Secret Service agent was removed during an incident on Monday morning shortly before Vice President Kamala Harris left for a campaign event in Wisconsin.

By Hamed Aleaziz and Jazmine Ulloa

A U.S. Secret Service agent was removed from Vice President Kamala Harris’s security detail this week after the officer “began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing,” an agency spokesman said on Thursday.

The incident happened Monday morning at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, shortly before Ms. Harris left for a campaign event in Wisconsin. A New York Times reporter who was among the media members traveling with Ms. Harris heard medical personnel trying to calm a person down at the scene. The incident was earlier reported by The Washington Examiner .

“At approximately 9 a.m. April 22, a U.S. Secret Service special agent supporting the vice president’s departure from Joint Base Andrews began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing,” the Secret Service spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement.

“The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned,” Mr. Guglielmi said. He added that Ms. Harris was at the Naval Observatory in Washington, where the vice president lives, during the incident and that “there was no impact on her departure from Joint Base Andrews.”

Secret Service officials did not provide any further information on the incident, saying only that it was a “medical matter.”

Hamed Aleaziz covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy. More about Hamed Aleaziz

Jazmine Ulloa is a national politics reporter for The Times, covering the 2024 presidential campaign. She is based in Washington. More about Jazmine Ulloa

A Comprehensive Guide to News Assignment Editor Careers

• Published: November 26, 2023
• By: Yellowbrick

In the fast-paced world of journalism, news assignment editors play a crucial role in ensuring that stories are covered efficiently and effectively. These professionals are responsible for coordinating and assigning reporters to various news stories, managing deadlines, and ensuring that newsrooms run smoothly. If you have a passion for news and a knack for organization, a career as a news assignment editor may be the perfect fit for you. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of news assignment editor jobs, including the skills required, the responsibilities involved, and the steps you can take to land your dream job in this exciting field.

1. What is a News Assignment Editor?

A news assignment editor is a key player in the newsroom who is responsible for determining which news stories will be covered and assigning reporters to cover them. They work closely with reporters, photographers, and other newsroom staff to ensure that news stories are covered accurately and efficiently. News assignment editors also play a crucial role in managing deadlines and ensuring that news stories are delivered on time.

2. Skills Required for News Assignment Editor Jobs

To excel as a news assignment editor, certain skills are essential. These skills include:

• Strong Organizational Skills: News assignment editors must be highly organized individuals who can juggle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously. They need to keep track of various news stories, assign reporters to cover them, and ensure that deadlines are met.
• Excellent Communication Skills: Effective communication is key in the news industry. News assignment editors must be able to clearly convey instructions and expectations to reporters and other newsroom staff. They must also be skilled at building relationships and networking with various sources and contacts.
• News Judgment: News assignment editors need to have a keen sense of news judgment and be able to identify which stories are newsworthy. They must be able to assess the importance and impact of different news stories and assign reporters accordingly.
• Problem-Solving Abilities: In a fast-paced news environment, problems and challenges are bound to arise. News assignment editors must be quick thinkers who can come up with solutions on the spot. They need to be able to handle unexpected situations and make decisions under pressure.
• Knowledge of News Industry: A deep understanding of the news industry is crucial for news assignment editors. They must stay up-to-date with current events, news trends, and industry developments. This knowledge helps them make informed decisions and assign reporters to stories that align with the news organization’s goals and values.

3. Responsibilities of a News Assignment Editor

News assignment editors have a wide range of responsibilities that contribute to the smooth functioning of a newsroom. Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Story Assignment: News assignment editors are responsible for determining which news stories will be covered by the news organization. They assess the importance and relevance of different stories and assign reporters accordingly.
• Deadline Management: Meeting deadlines is crucial in the news industry. News assignment editors play a crucial role in ensuring that reporters deliver their stories on time. They must effectively manage deadlines and communicate expectations to reporters.
• Coordination with Reporters: News assignment editors work closely with reporters, providing them with assignments, guidance, and support. They must ensure that reporters have all the necessary information and resources to cover their assigned stories.
• Communication with Other Newsroom Staff: News assignment editors are the bridge between reporters and other newsroom staff. They must effectively communicate with photographers, videographers, editors, and other team members to ensure that all aspects of a news story are covered.
• Newsroom Collaboration: News assignment editors collaborate with other newsroom staff to ensure the smooth functioning of the news organization. They work closely with editors, producers, and news directors to align coverage with the organization’s goals and objectives.
• Breaking News Coverage: In the event of breaking news, news assignment editors must be able to quickly mobilize resources and assign reporters to cover the story. They must be able to make quick decisions and adapt to changing circumstances.

4. How to Become a News Assignment Editor

If you aspire to become a news assignment editor, here are some steps you can take to kickstart your career:

• Pursue a Journalism Degree: While a journalism degree is not always required, it can provide you with a solid foundation in news reporting and journalism ethics. Consider pursuing a degree in journalism, media studies, or a related field.
• Gain Experience: Internships and entry-level positions in news organizations can provide valuable hands-on experience and help you develop the skills necessary for a career as a news assignment editor. Look for opportunities to work in newsrooms and gain exposure to newsroom operations.
• Hone Your Skills: Aspiring news assignment editors should focus on developing the skills required for the role. Work on improving your organizational skills, communication abilities, and news judgment. Seek feedback from mentors and supervisors to identify areas for improvement.
• Network: Networking is crucial in the news industry. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and connect with journalists and newsroom professionals. Building relationships can open doors to job opportunities and help you stay informed about industry developments.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with current events and news trends. Read newspapers, follow news websites, and engage with news content across various platforms. A deep understanding of the news industry will make you a more effective news assignment editor.
• Further Education: Consider pursuing advanced education or specialized training in journalism or a related field. This can help you stand out from the competition and enhance your knowledge and skills.

Key Takeaways:

• News assignment editors play a crucial role in coordinating and assigning reporters to cover news stories, managing deadlines, and ensuring the smooth functioning of newsrooms.
• Skills required for news assignment editor jobs include strong organizational skills, excellent communication abilities, news judgment, problem-solving abilities, and knowledge of the news industry.
• Responsibilities of news assignment editors include story assignment, deadline management, coordination with reporters and other newsroom staff, newsroom collaboration, and breaking news coverage.
• To become a news assignment editor, consider pursuing a journalism degree, gaining experience through internships and entry-level positions, honing your skills, networking, staying informed about current events and news trends, and considering further education or specialized training.

Consider taking the “NYU | Modern Journalism” online course and certificate program offered by Yellowbrick to further develop your skills and knowledge in the field of journalism. This comprehensive program can provide you with valuable insights and practical experience to excel as a news assignment editor. Take the next step towards your dream career and enroll in the “NYU | Modern Journalism” course today.

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How tabloid headlines, fake news and an Australian editor have become the story at Donald Trump's trial

There's something deeply meta about a bunch of journalists sitting in court bashing out detailed notes on the behind-the-scenes workings of chequebook journalism.

Most of us not in that world know money changes hands – but $US10,000 ($15,306) without any questions being asked?

David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media (AMI), said that's how much leeway he gave the editors of his publications when he was boss.

If any "source" was asking for more for some salacious piece of celebrity news, it had to be okayed by him.

The revelation is certainly going to make me feel less bad next time I have to tell my editors I didn't manage to secure an interview with a key player in some huge story.

And it's just one of the many lessons given to jurors about the dark arts of tabloid journalism during Donald Trump's criminal trial.

Dubious headlines

The first week of evidence has centred on what was going on at Pecker's National Enquirer – a gossip rag which was sold at supermarket check-outs, specialising in celebrity scuttlebutt, true crime drama and chequebook scoops.

Before the 2016 election, it added another specialty: pumping up Trump, and tearing down anyone who threatened his path to the presidency.

Some of this was traditional tabloid campaigning — promoting Trump through headlines like how he'd be the "Healthiest Individual Ever Elected", and smearing rivals like "Bungling Surgeon Ben Carson" (accused of leaving a sponge in a patient's brain) and "Pervy Ted Cruz" (who was supposedly caught cheating with five mistresses).

Those dubious headlines were displayed in the courtroom this week – evidence, prosecutors argued, of the unusual relationship between Trump and the tabloid.

At the time — after Cruz suggested Trump was behind the five-mistresses story — Trump issued a statement that said: "I have nothing to do with the National Enquirer." And AMI told CNN "no-one influences" its reporting other than its reporters and editors.

But during his week in the witness stand, Pecker laid out a secret deal he made in 2015 with Trump and Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, that ceded extraordinary control over what went to print.

Bearing witness

It's fascinating to have a front-row seat in the first criminal trial of a US president, and a surreal insight into what it's like being in the proximity of a very, very important person.

There's a long wait and several security checks before you get into the courtroom, and once you're there, it's frequently locked down.

That means no-one is able to go in or out because the former president is on the move nearby.

Eating and drinking anything but water is strictly forbidden, and toilet breaks are infrequent and tightly controlled.

People desperately raise their hands like kids in a classroom to ask if they may use the toilet. Reporters scoff food in the line for the bathroom during breaks, because there's no time to both eat and relieve yourself.

"A bunch of us have been eating PB&Js [peanut butter and jam sandwiches] in the restroom because they won't let us eat in the hallways," I hear a male reporter confide to a colleague in the line to get into the court.

It's in that line I run into Lachlan Cartwright, an Australian reporter for whom the word "meta" probably doesn't go far enough.

He worked for Pecker as executive editor at the National Enquirer at the time. He now characterises the paper as a "criminal enterprise".

He's gone public about its inner workings  — the front-page headlines Pecker would come up with that reporters would have to write stories to match, the photos of Hillary Clinton doctored to make her look terminally ill, and the now infamous "catch and kill" scheme that protected Trump from bad press.

Under the deal Pecker said he made with Trump and Cohen, Pecker would "catch" negative stories by buying the exclusive rights, and "kill" them by making sure they never got to print.

A key player in the scheme, according to Pecker's testimony and other evidence (as well as Cartwright's whistleblower accounts), was another Australian editor — Dylan Howard.

The former Channel Seven reporter was no stranger to controversy — he parted ways with Seven in 2008, shortly after reporting on unnamed AFL players' stolen private medical records.

The records, which revealed drug use, were said to have been found in a gutter by a member of the public, who sold them to Seven.

Victoria Police investigated, and two people pleaded guilty to "theft by finding". Howard was not charged.

Secret payments

Many of the "catch-and-kill" practices at the National Enquirer have been public knowledge for years, and they were most extensively detailed in journalist Ronan Farrow's 2019 book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.

Howard criticised the book — which also detailed his work helping filmmaker Harvey Weinstein cover up stories — as "false and defamatory", and threatened Farrow and the book's publisher with legal action.

"I don't know what Ronan Farrow's smoking," Howard told a podcast after the book's release.

"I am not aware of any story about the president that has not been published," he added.

But Pecker, who was Howard's boss at the Enquirer, said Howard played a key role in buying former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal's story about an alleged months-long affair with Trump.

Howard spoke to McDougal and assessed her claims to be true before Pecker agreed to pay her $US150,000 for the story, and bury it. (Trump says the story is false.)

Pecker also said it was Howard who called him on a Saturday night in October 2016 and told him porn star Stormy Daniels was shopping her story about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump (which he denies).

"Woman wants 120k. Has offers from Mail and GMA [Good Morning America]," Howard said in a message to Pecker the next day. "I know the denials were made in the past – but this story is true."

This time, Pecker was reluctant to pay.

"I said we already paid $30,000 to the doorman, we already paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal," Pecker told the court. "I am not a bank."

Pecker instead advised Cohen to pay Daniels for the story and "take it off the market", which he ultimately did.

Howard later said in a text message, according to prosecutors: "At least if he wins, I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud."

Howard has returned to Australia and is unlikely to give evidence in the trial. The court has been told he has a spinal condition and cannot travel overseas. His lawyer, John Harris, said New York court rules meant witnesses in the case could not give evidence remotely.

Mr Harris told the ABC: "Dylan Howard has always fully cooperated with government inquiries regarding his former employer's relationship with Donald Trump, and the actions he was directed to do. But for Mr Howard’s inability to travel, he would have again, voluntarily, answered questions."

'We would embellish a little'

This week's evidence included more stunning claims about the control Trump's lawyer had over the Enquirer's content.

Pecker told the court Cohen would call him and request a negative article on a political rival. "He would send me information about Ted Cruz or about Ben Carson or Marco Rubio, and that was the basis of our story, and then we would embellish it a little," Pecker said.

He often provided Cohen with drafts of stories, so he could provide feedback.

The defence argues any dealings between Trump, Cohen and Pecker were nothing sinister. Questioned by Trump's lawyer Emil Bove on Friday, Pecker agreed the term "catch and kill" was not used during their 2015 meeting, nor was any "financial dimension" discussed.

Beyond the stories it "killed", there's no way of measuring how helpful the Enquirer ultimately was to Trump's campaign. Pecker told the court the relationship — which saw Trump give him inside information about The Apprentice and tip him off about events and parties he should attend — was "mutually beneficial".

Put simply, Trump stories boosted sales of the Enquirer, and Trump benefited from the publicity.

These days, the tabloid's readership is a small fraction of the millions it once was.

But Todd Belt, an expert in mass media and public opinion at George Washington University, says that's not necessarily the measure of its influence.

"As the National Enquirer has become less important as a publication, it still plays an important role in terms of what we call 'pack journalism' here in the United States," he said.

"It sets an agenda – it puts certain people front and centre in the public discourse, and then other publications will run after the same story."

Much of this evidence is secondary to the central felony allegations. The prosecution is trying to make the case that Trump not only paid hush money, but covered it up in a way that effectively amounts to election fraud.

Crucial to their case is the payment Cohen made to Stormy Daniels after the Enquirer refused to, and Trump's knowledge and intentions relating to that payment. Trump's lawyers have argued it was personal and unrelated to his election campaign, but prosecutors argue it was campaign expenditure that shouldn't have been covered up.

Trial continues

Unless something unexpected happens, Trump will spend another month or more attending court.

All heads turn when he enters and exits the courtroom.

For a man of his age, he appears in the flesh imposing and strong, almost menacing, as he slowly makes his way to and from the defence bench.

Pecker's testimony takes us back to a time when he ruled in this town – a reality TV star, a tycoon who lived in a Midtown high-rise named after him.

The former publisher said he discussed with Trump the idea of him running for president.

A National Enquirer poll found 80 per cent of readers backed the idea of a Trump run.

Trump, he said, cited the poll when asked soon after about his intentions.

Was the tabloid king egging on the reality TV star in the hope of further boosting ratings?

Interest in his then-friend, he said, "skyrocketed" after he announced his campaign.

Trump has long been estranged from the city where he made his name and built his fortune. 

As he sits day after day in a bleak Manhattan courtroom, I wonder if he ever wishes the results of that tabloid poll had come back differently.

Additional reporting: Brad Ryan

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