Newspaper editor to broadcast news editor
A newspaper editor already meets 70% of what the broadcast news editor role asks for. The move turns on 2 required skills not yet in the profile.
37.1/ 100
1 How much of what a broadcast news editor is expected to do is already part of a newspaper editor’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the broadcast news editor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A broadcast news editor role treats 17 of its required skills as things a newspaper editor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply organisational techniques
- build contacts to maintain news flow
- check stories
- consult information sources
- copyright legislation
- create editorial board
What stands in the way is 2 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 26 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A broadcast news editor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a newspaper editor background worth leading with.
- already held create editorial board communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held check stories information skills
- already held digital journalism social sciences, journalism and information
- already held write headlines communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held build contacts to maintain news flow communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists assisting and caring
All 26 carried skills, including the 17 the broadcast news editor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 21 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn multimedia systems required
- optional, not held audiovisual equipment optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held digital compositing optional
- optional, not held intellectual property regime of digital content optional
- optional, not held motion graphics optional
- optional, not held photography optional
- still to learn work closely with news teams required
- optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
- optional, not held edit recorded sound optional
- optional, not held perform video editing optional
- optional, not held put uncut recordings into computer optional
- optional, not held synchronise sound with images optional
- optional, not held develop digital content optional
- optional, not held use presentation software optional
- optional, not held newsletter analysis optional
- optional, not held media and information literacy optional
- optional, not held create rough cut optional
- optional, not held audio editing software optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 2 entries a broadcast news editor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 26 skills that carry over
- already held apply organisational techniques skill
- already held build contacts to maintain news flow skill
- already held check stories skill
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held create editorial board skill
- already held develop professional network skill
- already held digital journalism knowledge
- already held editorial standards knowledge
- already held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists skill
- already held follow the news skill
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held manage staff skill
- already held meet deadlines skill
- already held participate in editorial meetings skill
- already held press law knowledge
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held adapt to changing situations skill
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held check correctness of information skill
- already held create online news content skill
- already held graphic design knowledge
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held proofread text skill
- already held write headlines skill
- already held write to a deadline skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held monitor broadcast programming optional
- optional, not held cut raw footage digitally optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held newsletter analysis optional
- optional, not held audiovisual equipment optional
- optional, not held create rough cut optional
- optional, not held cut raw footage digitally optional
- optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
- optional, not held edit recorded sound optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held media and information literacy optional
- optional, not held monitor broadcast programming optional
- optional, not held perform video editing optional
- optional, not held put uncut recordings into computer optional
- optional, not held synchronise sound with images optional
- optional, not held audio editing software optional
- optional, not held develop digital content optional
- optional, not held digital compositing optional
- optional, not held intellectual property regime of digital content optional
- optional, not held motion graphics optional
- optional, not held photography optional
- optional, not held use presentation software optional
17 held skills the broadcast news editor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role adapt to type of media skill
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role ask questions at events skill
- not needed by the target role desktop publishing knowledge
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role ensure consistency of published articles skill
- not needed by the target role follow newspaper house style skill
- not needed by the target role interview people skill
- not needed by the target role interview techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform image editing skill
- not needed by the target role respect cultural preferences skill
- not needed by the target role use specific writing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
- not needed by the target role write captions skill
- not needed by the target role writing techniques knowledge
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn multimedia systems required
- optional, not held newsletter analysis optional
- optional, not held audiovisual equipment optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held media and information literacy optional
- optional, not held audio editing software optional
- optional, not held digital compositing optional
- optional, not held intellectual property regime of digital content optional
- optional, not held motion graphics optional
- optional, not held photography optional
Common questions about this move
Can a newspaper editor become a broadcast news editor?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A newspaper editor already covers 70% of what a broadcast news editor is expected to do: 26 skills carry over, 17 of which the broadcast news editor role treats as required.
What skills does a newspaper editor need to become a broadcast news editor?
2 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by arts and humanities. The single most important is work closely with news teams.
How hard is the move from newspaper editor to broadcast news editor?
Its learning distance is 37.1 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.