ASSIGNMENT EDITOR JOB DESCRIPTION

An Assignment Editor is the operational nerve of a television newsroom: the person who decides which stories get covered, which crews get dispatched, and whether a breaking news event reaches air with accuracy and speed. When scanner traffic spikes, source calls go unanswered, or a coverage plan collapses thirty minutes before the evening block, the assignment desk is where recovery happens. The role operates within the editorial chain of command, between news management setting priorities and reporters executing in the field, carrying responsibility for both logistical coordination across crews and rigorous application of journalistic ethics standards. Broadcast environments demand fluency in live-shot logistics, digital publishing workflows, and the shifting demands of multi-platform audiences simultaneously.

As the Assignment Editor, you serve as the central editorial and logistical coordinator for daily and breaking news coverage across television and digital platforms, translating news judgment into executable crew and content plans. You work directly within the newsroom structure, supporting producers and reporters while fielding input from news management, public agencies, and field personnel across every shift.

Career Impact: Sustained experience at the assignment desk builds the editorial credibility and source network that distinguish senior news managers and news directors in local and national broadcast markets.

Business Impact: The coverage plans and dispatch decisions you make directly determine what audiences in your market see during the evening newscast and what appears on digital platforms during breaking news events.

Growth Opportunity: The assignment editor role is a recognized pathway into news producing, assignment management, and newsroom leadership, with direct exposure to multi-bureau coordination and network pool operations that expand your scope.

• Monitor police and fire scanners, newsroom tip lines, and agency feeds to identify breaking and developing stories in real time.
• Dispatch field crews and multimedia journalists to stories, adjusting assignments as coverage priorities shift throughout the broadcast day.
• Develop and maintain daily and forward-looking coverage plans in coordination with producers, reporters, and news management.
• Review scripts and story rundowns for accuracy, source balance, and adherence to journalistic ethics standards before broadcast.
• Coordinate live-shot logistics, satellite feeds, and remote setups with field, technical, and satellite desk personnel to protect competitive air timing.
• Research and develop story leads, maintaining an active contact list spanning government agencies, public relations representatives, and community sources.
• Publish breaking news content to digital and social platforms, including push alerts and story follow-ups aligned with on-air coverage.
• Mentor and guide desk assistants and less experienced staff during high-pressure breaking news situations.

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 3 or more years of newsroom experience in a broadcast or similar editorial environment, with demonstrated assignment or production responsibility.
• Proven news judgment and working knowledge of journalistic ethics standards, including sourcing, fact-checking, and editorial balance.
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous assignments under tight deadlines and rapidly changing conditions without supervisory oversight.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear broadcast-style writing for on-air and digital formats.
• Familiarity with live broadcast logistics, including field crew coordination, live-shot setup, and satellite or streaming feed management.
• Demonstrated proficiency with social media platforms for news gathering, digital publishing, and audience engagement.

• Experience at a large-market station or national network newsroom, with exposure to multi-bureau and pool coverage operations.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English, written and verbal, supporting coverage of Spanish-language communities and sources.
• Working knowledge of newsroom content management systems and non-linear video editing workflows.
• Prior experience in broadcast reporting, producing, or field shooting that informs both editorial and logistical decision-making.

• Story coverage rate: percentage of assigned stories reaching air or digital publication on schedule.
• Breaking news response time: elapsed minutes from scanner or tip alert to crew dispatch and initial digital post.
• Source contact breadth: active, verified contacts across city, state, and federal agencies maintained in the assignment desk database.
• Crew adjustment accuracy: ratio of coverage plan changes made proactively versus reactively during the broadcast day.
• Digital publishing volume: count of breaking news posts, push alerts, and social updates published per shift against newsroom targets.
• Typical tools: newsroom content management systems (commonly iNews or similar); social monitoring platforms (commonly TweetDeck or equivalent); scanner and wire monitoring software.

• Base Salary Range: $42,000 – $72,000 annually, varying by market size and experience level
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus where offered; uncommon in local broadcast markets
• Equity: Typically not offered at this level in broadcast news organizations
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; specifics vary by station ownership group
• PTO: 10 to 15 days annually, plus standard paid holidays
• Common Perks: Flexible shift scheduling, union representation at larger-market stations, continuing education support

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background check completion is a condition of employment; roles with access to minors or sensitive newsroom systems may require additional screening. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities are available upon request throughout the hiring process. Candidates must hold unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

A key member of the daily news operation, the Assignment Editor leads content gathering across on-air and online platforms, overseeing field crews, mentoring staff, and coordinating severe weather and breaking news coverage with producers and reporters. Collaborating across the newsroom, the Assignment Editor shapes the daily coverage plan to ensure compelling, accurate, and timely newscasts that serve both broadcast and digital audiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Works with reporters and producers to produce compelling and creative coverage on-air and online
• Makes calls to news sources as needed, gaining appropriate and actionable information
• Assists in finding stories with emphasis on brand points
• Manages reporters and their daily assignments
• Coordinates severe weather and breaking news coverage
• Prioritises, organises, and produces newscasts
• Writes clearly, concisely, and conversationally
• Maintains working knowledge of current events, community issues, and an extensive list of local contacts
• Researches and brainstorms story ideas and articulates them so that others understand the vision for each story
• Performs accurate video editing with an eye for visual elements and graphics that make stories understandable to viewers
• Acts as a leader in facilitating teamwork among staff members working on newscasts
• Quickly, accurately, and calmly handles decision-making during the on-air process
• Engages viewers using social media
• Assists with planning of staffing and logistics to cover daily news and special projects
• Works with news management to determine which stories to air during the evening newscast
• Communicates assignments and station changes between crews in the field and the newsroom
• Communicates with the web staff during breaking news
• Monitors competitors' shows and websites for missed leads
• Works hand-in-hand with Producers/Reporters in gathering/disseminating content in daily newscasts / online
• Oversees field crews and helps to mentor/coach them daily
• Works with Producers to help them organize and assemble the coverage plan for the day and the future
• Researches, develops, and assigns news stories and helps lead the assignment desk
• Monitors police/fire scanners as well as news tips

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism required, with a minimum of 2 years of news management experience
• Broadcast or newspaper experience of at least three years is strongly preferred
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and orally with accuracy
• Ability to stay current with national and local news and weather
• Understanding of and ability to follow and enforce the journalistic code of ethics
• Demonstrates solid news judgment and maintains strong journalistic ethics
• Knowledge of newsroom software and web posting software
• Strong research skills, including online research using various search engines
• Possesses working knowledge of television technology
• Ability to work under extreme deadline pressure, respond to late changes, and handle last-minute adjustments
• Ability to maintain a positive work atmosphere and work well with co-workers, supervisors, and viewers
• Demonstrates leadership through training and mentoring less experienced staff members
• Willingness to work flexible hours

Embedded within the Washington D.C. Bureau assignment desk, the Senior Assignment Editor develops coverage systems and guides desk personnel through breaking and daily news developments while working directly with the Assignment Manager on staffing and planning for major events. Working closely with bureau management, beat producers, and field crews, the Senior Assignment Editor advances competitive network coverage by drafting concise coverage plans, allocating satellite resources, and maximising limited production assets across national broadcasts.

Core Functions

• Assists the Assignment Manager with coverage decisions and staffing issues, remaining reachable outside of normal office hours
• Leads by example and guides the full assignment desk on breaking and developing coverage
• Reaches out to bureau management to flag breaking news, providing a plan of action and coverage for live broadcast
• Pitches ideas on improving newsroom systems and efficiencies
• Works with assignment editors and desk assistants to ask the right questions when assigning, moving, and adjusting crew coverage to keep the network competitive
• Works with newsroom managers and beat producers in planning and adjusting coverage as news breaks
• Monitors minute-by-minute editorial, checking the accuracy and sourcing of reporting
• Assists the Satellite Desk in prioritising which events should be routed and allocating resources appropriately
• Assists during large-scale planning events, helping to arrange unilateral and pool coverage responsibilities
• Reaches out to agencies and government departments to gather and confirm information
• Ahead of major events, drafts concise coverage plans, sets up proper control room communication procedures, and distributes information to field, show, and network personnel
• Organises and develops creative plans to maximise limited resources
• Coordinates with field, technical, and satellite desk personnel to ensure incoming feeds are prioritised for the most competitive coverage

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree with at least 5 years of experience in a local or national newsroom
• Must understand sourcing, fact-checking, balancing, and vetting of editorial information
• Strong logistical and editorial skills with knowledge of national and international politics
• Familiarity with the various government agencies in the Washington, D.C. area
• Keen understanding of how to gather news live and familiarity with satellite trucks, Live U technology, AVOC, and various fibre drops
• Knowledge of network pool operations at the desk level with an understanding of the unilateral benefit
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, multitask, and prioritise on a daily basis, particularly in breaking news situations
• Strong communicator, motivated by mentoring and developing others in the journalism field
• Familiarity with iNews, Outlook, and ScheduAll is a plus

Reporting to newsroom leadership, the National Assignment Editor arranges and coordinates national news content by working with bureau chiefs, correspondents, contributors, and producers to develop story coverage across daily and future assignments. Partnering with freelancers, stringers, and editorial staff, the National Assignment Editor refines story research, establishes live shots, and monitors all news sources to ensure continuous, well-sourced national coverage.

Primary Duties

• Suggests stories for daily coverage and plans for future content, working with national bureaus, freelancers, stringers, and collaborators
• Plans and prepares content for weekends using available resources and coordinating with fellow assignment editors and show producers
• Researches and organises details and facts on story ideas
• Arranges and coordinates news content and interviews for daily and future stories
• Collaborates with reporters and producers on the editorial content of stories
• Reviews stories for elements, balance, storytelling, and script
• Coordinates breaking news coverage and establishes live shots and remotes
• Collaborates with bureau chiefs, producers, and editorial staff on story and sweeps planning and coordination
• Monitors all sources for news and establishes and maintains contacts and sources

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism or Communications highly desired
• Minimum 5 years of experience working as an Assignment Editor or in a similar news or journalism editorial role
• Must be fully fluent in Spanish and English, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems, prioritise decisions, and successfully manage multiple assignments concurrently in a high-pressure, breaking news environment
• Exhibits working knowledge of all social media platforms and proven editing experience
• Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Proven solid writing skills and editorial judgment
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail and excellent interpersonal skills
• Accustomed to working in a team and collaborating with all levels within an organisation
• Willingness to travel and work overtime and on weekends with short notice
• Must have unrestricted work authorisation

Sitting at the intersection of editorial oversight and writer development, the Assignment Editor at WhoWhatWhy coordinates story assignments by pairing ideas with qualified writers drawn from staff, stringers, and freelancers while reviewing material for fairness, accuracy, and balance. Operating across both assignment and line-editing functions, the Assignment Editor delivers well-sourced, editorially sound content that supports the organisation's investigative journalism mission.

Duties

• Collects, prioritises, and creates requirements for pairing story ideas and beats with qualified writers
• Reviews lists of staff writers, stringers, and freelancers to determine the location, specialty, availability, skill, and experience level of each
• Identifies and communicates with prospective writers
• Pitches and assigns story ideas to appropriate writers
• Works with the Recruiting Editor to find writers
• Plays an additional role as an occasional content and line editor
• Reviews material for fairness, accuracy, and balance

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism
• 5 or more years of experience as an editor
• Must understand sourcing, fact-checking, balancing, and vetting of editorial information
• Excellent writing and copy-editing skills
• Ability to juggle a large number of stories and writers simultaneously
• Excels at storytelling across multiple platforms
• Strong organisational, logistical, and editorial skills

The Assignment Editor owns daily assignment list management and content planning across TV and digital platforms, coordinating breaking news alerts, crew logistics, and story development while reporting to the Director of Digital Content. The Assignment Editor builds the content team's source contacts, curates regional and national digital content, and ensures no story opportunity is missed across broadcast, web, and social channels to serve local audiences effectively.

What You'll Do

• Maintains the daily assignment list and planning calendar
• Monitors newsroom email, answers the newsroom phone, and manages the voicemail inbox
• Reviews and organises news releases
• Identifies newsworthy events and items ahead of time and collaborates with newsroom leadership to plan and assign stories
• Alerts station personnel to breaking news and adjusts crews as necessary to cover developing stories
• Continually keeps crews informed of story developments, relaying vital information to newsroom personnel
• Maintains and develops the content team's contact list, ensuring diversity in sources
• Monitors regional and national digital content, curating select content for audiences
• Conducts social listening and moderation and scours various digital sources for story ideas
• Vets story ideas for coverage possibilities and sets them up as requested
• Routes and records video feeds, responds to video requests, and sends approved videos to requesting sources
• Maintains newsroom displays, keeping information visible and relevant for crews
• Posts breaking digital news, sends push alerts, and assigns story follow-ups as needed
• Represents the station and network professionally in all interactions

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's or associate's degree in journalism, communication, or a related field preferred
• At least 2 years of professional experience preferred
• Understanding of the tenets of ethical journalism
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Experienced in making strong journalistic and ethical decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Works well with a broad range of personalities and opinions and excels at multitasking under pressure

Producing original, locally focused digital content and engaging social media coverage, the Assignment Editor writes and adapts broadcast material for desktop and mobile while coordinating crew logistics as part of the Content Center. The work directly supports audience growth across Facebook, Twitter, and digital platforms by building on-air and online viewership through creative, technically sound content development.

Accountabilities

• Writes and adapts broadcast content for desktop and mobile, working closely with the newsroom
• Creates and confirms significant, original, locally focused stories for digital platforms
• Creates engaging content on Facebook, Twitter, and other digital platforms to draw viewers to digital platforms and TV newscasts
• Participates in the creative development and technical implementation of online and social content
• Helps coordinate coverage and logistics of crews as part of the Content Center

Background & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field preferred
• Two years of experience with website content creation and social media platforms is preferred
• Must understand and be able to execute and produce news stories on current and evolving digital platforms
• Sound news judgment and strong attention to detail
• Initiative and drive in a deadline-driven environment, with the ability to handle stressful and time-sensitive deadlines
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate daily with teammates

As the Assignment Editor, this role covers breaking news events across a fast-paced assignment and digital team, managing video and original content across desktop, mobile, apps, and social media platforms. The digital team relies on this work to maintain audience engagement, grow social traffic, and ensure timely, well-researched content is published and distributed across all platforms.

Job Functions

• Covers breaking news events as part of a fast-paced assignment and digital team
• Works in multiple content management systems, editing and managing video on digital platforms
• Researches, creates, and publishes original content to the station website
• Works with reporters to develop assigned stories and identifies stories with viral potential
• Uses social media to generate digital traffic and engagement
• Plans ahead for social, digital, and on-air coverage of events
• Manages content on a variety of platforms, including desktop, mobile sites, apps, and social media

Professional Experience

• 2 years of experience working in news as an assignment editor or digital producer
• Experience working in a digital content management system such as WordPress, Lakana, Brightcove, or WorldNow, and with digital photo and video editing tools
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills and strong news judgment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to prioritise and manage requests from various sources and work well with varied personalities on deadline
• Outstanding interpersonal, organisational, and time-management skills
• Excellent at managing news crews

Assignment Editor manages the assignment of staff and resources for local news programming across television and digital platforms, consulting with newsroom producers, anchors, and reporters to contribute creative input to scripting and report assembly. Success in the position means identifying and prioritising leading local stories, generating original ideas, and acting as liaison with networks and agencies to share costs, facilities, and personnel for competitive coverage.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Assigns staff and resources for the gathering and production of local news programming
• Identifies and prioritises leading local news stories for television and digital platforms
• Generates original story ideas and actively participates in daily and long-term planning of news programming
• Acts as liaison with other television stations, networks, and agencies for the purpose of sharing costs, facilities, and personnel
• Consults with newsroom management, producers, anchors, reporters, and other newsroom staff to provide creative input to the production of story items, scripting, and report assembly

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a large market in a journalism role
• Post-secondary education in Broadcasting or Journalism
• Proven knowledge of television production procedures, terminology, and equipment capabilities
• Previous experience in reporting, producing, shooting news, and assigning
• Excellent organisation, coordination, concentration, leadership, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to react quickly and productively in a changing environment requiring immediate decision-making and adherence to tight deadlines with minimal supervision

The Assignment Editor leads morning and afternoon editorial meetings, drives story development across broadcast and digital platforms, and builds, coaches, and directs all team members while collaborating with the News Director on the promotable content calendar and special events. Collaborating across government agencies, public relations representatives, and multimedia journalists, the Assignment Editor shapes coverage plans and develops leads that elevate both on-air and OTT output for the station.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Leads the news team in morning and afternoon editorial and story meetings
• Assists in all decision-making and content strategies
• Reviews rundowns and scripts
• Works with multimedia journalists to determine the direction of stories and expectations
• Brainstorms story ideas with staff, focusing on showcasing and presentation
• Generates original stories, develops follow-ups, and tracks social media for news gathering
• Develops and alters coverage plans when necessary
• Develops leads and big stories
• Builds, coaches, and directs all team members
• Develops and maintains contacts with government agencies at the city, state, and federal levels, as well as public relations representatives
• Works with the News Director on the promotable content calendar and any special events
• Fills in as producer or anchor for on-air and OTT as needed
• Works on and reports special projects and stories

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Communications or Journalism degree from a four-year university
• Previous newsroom experience with demonstrated ability to manage people and other resources
• Must be versed in broadcast and digital writing styles
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with daily deadlines and changing priorities
• Must have a valid driver's licence

Assignment Editor crafts the daily news coverage plan by dispatching crews to stories and breaking news with sound logistical and journalistic judgement, publishing online content, and conducting research on stories under the direction of news management. The work directly supports a well-organised newsroom operation by ensuring timely crew deployment, consistent contact with sources, and accurate story tracking across broadcast and digital platforms.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Plans news coverage as directed by news management
• Dispatches crews to stories and breaking news, using appropriate logistical and journalistic judgement
• Makes calls to news sources as needed, gaining appropriate and actionable information
• Assists in finding stories, conducting research, and tracking story ideas in the assignment desk computer with emphasis on key brand points
• Publishes online content
• Performs other duties as directed by news management

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism or a related discipline
• 3 to 5 years of experience in broadcast or a similar industry preferred
• Basic computer skills, including non-linear and production techniques
• Must be organised and able to work independently
• Ability to perform multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Understanding of the principles of responsible journalism
• Ability to write effectively and work well with others in a team-based environment
• Ability to work a flexible schedule