A Day In The Life Of A Senior Editor National News At Newsweek Magazine
A Senior Editor at Newsweek Magazine's day begins well before the official 9 AM start time, with early morning preparation to ensure awareness of breaking news for the daily meeting; the role involves assigning stories, assisting writers with pitching and sourcing, editing articles and graphics, and proactively monitoring news throughout the day to avoid missing significant events, as Jenni states, "my worst day is if I'm being asked, why did we miss this?".
Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Leadership, News Journalism
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jenni Fink
Senior Editor, National News
Newsweek Magazine
University of Arizona, 2013
N/a
Communications
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. A typical workday starts well before 9 AM with preparation for a morning news meeting, requiring familiarity with current events and strategic planning.
2. A senior editor assigns stories to writers, assists in crafting pitches, and problem-solves to ensure timely and effective article production.
3. The role demands constant awareness of breaking news and proactive identification of important stories to avoid missing significant events. Attention to detail extends to reviewing graphics and data to ensure accuracy and quality.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a senior editor look like?
Technically speaking, my day starts at nine, but my work begins hours before that. I have a morning news meeting, and I need to know what angles on the biggest stories of the day we will pursue for that 9:00 AM meeting.
This means I am usually at my desk by 7:15 or 7:30 AM, getting ready for the day. Then, throughout the day, I am responsible for assigning stories to the writers most capable of tackling them. I also help writers craft their own pitches and look for stories if they are caught up on a source they can't reach.
I think creatively about how we can still make a piece work and who else we can reach out to, and I edit articles. We like to review some of the bigger pieces we are working on to ensure we have the key information. I even review graphics; sometimes, I make charts myself to help with the publishing process.
While helping writers, I must also keep an eye on all the news happening throughout the day in the key topics my team is responsible for. We don't want to miss something huge. My worst day is if I come in and am asked why we missed a story. I want to make sure that never happens.