What editors do

What does a newspaper editor do?

The answer depends on the newspaper. Although not a hard-and-fast rule, usually the larger the organization the more editors.

A very small newspaper may have one editor who does everything. I am reminded of one Peter Principle corollary, which said that a manager reaches a point where he decides to hire an assistant manager. In turn this assistant also decides to have an assistant. And so on, until there are so many assistants, each of whom sporting a euphemized title to mask the reality that he is an assistant to the assistant to the assistant's assistant.

I tend to exaggerate, because a newspaper is a daily operation and it becomes necessary to delegate, at least share, the editorial functions, if the organization can afford it.

Editors functions can range from policy-making (strategic) to wordsmithing (tactical). That's easy. One is for the chief editor (whom the French call the redacteur en chef) and the other for the copy (or sub) editor.

It's the in-between thing that can vary from paper to paper, regardless of what journalism books will say. Hiring and firing. Fielding and trafficking. Validating, double-checking, verifying. Evaluating (for legal risks, for example). There was once a newspaper that had a line-up of Associate Editors who never really did the work associate editors in other newspapers did.

Editing is a management function, just as some business corporations will have many layers of managers (assistant manager, senior manager, general manager) or vice presidents (junior VP, assistant VP, junior assistant VP, senior VP, senior assistant VP, executive VP, senior executive VP), newspapers can have various editors. Or some other title.

The '80s gave us new, sometimes diluted, titles like CEO, CFO, CIO, so that one company can have up to three chief officers. One more (like Chief Administrative Officer) and you get a hydra-corporation. Managers can get creative with titles when they are idle and threatened, or simply need to justify their accoutrements.

So far, newspaper editors have resisted the temptation of giving themselves dandy titles. I have plenty of respect for the newspaper whose top deskman is called, simply, the Editor.

Here are descriptions of what editors do at various Metro Manila newspapers as told by newspaper employees to the 2008 Intprin class.

Editor in Chief

• Bulgar - Has the final responsibility for operations and policies. Has the final say on the content of the newspaper.
• Malaya - oversees the layout of each page
• Journal - In charge of editorial policy. Goes over all articles and has the final say for all three tabloids namely Tonight, People’s Journal and Taliba. Conducts meetings to decide on banner stories. "I’m in charge of all. Parang traffic policeman ako. I make sure that the situation is clear, walang traffic jam, that everything goes smoothly."
• Manila Standard Today has a Chairman of the Editorial Board. Handles Page One. Decides which stories to publish.
• People's Balita - overall management of the publication. Approves content.
• Philippine Daily Inquirer - checks stories for accuracy, clarity, grammar and style
• Philippine Star - approves headline (page one) stories
• Pilipino Star Ngayon - Selects stories and decides which goes to the front page. Checks source credibility, factual accuracy, logic and timeliness.
• Remate's top editor is the Vice President for Publications. Formulates policy.
  

Executive Editor

• Malaya - helps in the editing process. Holds advisory functions with the publisher and editor-in-chief. Closes the opinion editorial page and the overseas page. Handles page one.
• Philippine Daily Inquirer - Editor in chief's "right hand man"
  
• Philippine Star - alternates with the chief editor in "closing" page one
  

Managing Editor

• Abante - the editor-in-chief, the executive editor, and the managing editor all in one. Has two assistant managing editors, one for the morning paper, another for Tonite.
• Bulgar - in charge of the newsroom and internal operations of the paper. Manages the staff. Behind-the-scenes.
• Malaya - handles the trafficking of reporters on the field. Shares delegated tasks with the news editor. Prepares a summary of each story.
• Manila Standard Today - Has administrative control over staff.
  
• Philippine Star - manages the affairs of the daily output
• Remate - Supervises operations
  
• Sun.Star - manages editorial staff
• Tanod - Handles editorial operations.
  
• Tumbok - the top editor for this paper which does not have an editor in chief
  

Associate Editor

• Philippine Daily Inquirer - reviews stories that pass the section editors
• Philippine Star - take over in cases of absences of copy editors or section editors

News Editor

• Bulgar - Runs the paper. Takes care of content.
• Journal - runs the paper. De facto managing editor. Puts the papers together. Picks the stories. Makes sure that the three tabloids have distinct banners.
• Tanod - Directly involved with the correspondents. Responsible for coordinating, dissecting and classifying news, as well as deciding what to publish.
  

City Editor

• Journal - Directs reporters in their coverage. They tell reporters how to start stories, making them go out of their way and suggesting other possible story angles

Sources
Abante, Nick Quijano Jr.
Bulgar, Ed Maglabe
Business Mirror, Ronald Callao
Malaya, Regina Bengco
Journal, Gus Villanueva
Manila Standard Today, Alfonso Constantino
People's Balita, Danny Marquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Edna Garcia
Philippine Star, Donna Velasco
Pilipino Star Ngayon, Alfonso Pedroche
Remate, Fred Cabalbag
Tanod, Domingo Landicho
Tumbok, Perry Legaspi