WHAT DOES A DEPUTY EDITOR DO?

Published: October 11, 2024 - The Deputy Editor oversees daily editorial operations, supporting product expansion and maintaining the highest standards of market and news coverage for the AgriMarkets publication. Responsibilities include guiding London-based reporters, editing content, and ensuring smooth publication in alignment with global editorial directions. This role also involves mentoring junior staff, managing editorial tools and processes, and fostering cross-desk collaboration within the global team.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Deputy Editor

1. Deputy Editor Duties

  • Content Planning: Create weekly content plans and schedules, and coordinate with sport-by-sport content creators to ensure proper production and delivery of the highest-quality content.
  • Strategic Guidance: Help guide overall content strategy with long-term creative planning.
  • Content Management: Review, edit, repurpose, and post pieces of multimedia content on both B2C and B2B sites, utilizing multiple content management systems.
  • Content Integration: Integrate promotional elements, widgets, and other ancillary features within content.
  • Affiliate Coordination: Coordinate with the affiliate's management team to ensure proper placement, rotation, and inclusion of sportsbook offers.
  • Performance Tracking: Track picks records for transparent reporting of handicapping success.
  • Partner Liaison: Liaise with B2B partners on the delivery process, CMS training, content feedback, and measurement of key success metrics.
  • SEO Optimization: Work closely with the search team to ensure optimized search keywords are included and functioning properly.
  • Recruitment Assistance: Assist with the evaluation process for prospective content creators.
  • Content Creation: Contribute written content for B2C and B2B properties.

2. Deputy Editor Details

  • Content Planning: Responsible for planning, developing, and executing content distribution plans across platforms.
  • Team Coordination: Coordinate with creative and editorial teams on original content for social platforms.
  • Event Coordination: Coordinate distribution and packaging plans around major tentpole events.
  • Trend Monitoring: Monitor news and cultural trends across social media platforms.
  • Brand Amplification: Amplify the Sporting News brand voice through content distribution.
  • Analytics Management: Manage and understand analytics reporting across social media platforms.
  • Strategic Contribution: Contribute to the long-term goals of Sporting News’ evolving social media strategy.
  • Global Coordination: Coordinate with SN global editions on distribution and marketing strategy.
  • External Collaboration: Work with external partners on content distribution.
  • Team Coaching: Coach the team on best practices and the use of SN’s style and voice.
  • Campaign Execution: Plan and execute against social media commercial campaigns.
  • Alert Management: Manage alerts and notifications.

3. Deputy Editor Responsibilities

  • Story Editing: Writing and/or editing stories from freelance writers (depending on experience).
  • Pitch Management: Fielding pitches and copy editing.
  • Writer Development: Cultivating and coaching a roster of new, diverse writers.
  • Idea Generation: Generating story ideas and working with the Executive Editor to develop the editorial schedule.
  • Research Direction: Concepting and directing editorial research projects.
  • Post Creation: Creating posts in WordPress and sourcing art for posts.
  • Halo Research: Researching and crafting ‘halos’ for stories.
  • Editorial Assistance: Assisting the Executive Editor with other editorial duties.
  • Cross-Department Collaboration: Engage with departments around the Times on cross-departmental projects.
  • Topic Shaping: Help shape the topics covered.
  • Diversity Representation: Ensure a range of voices and perspectives are represented on the desk.
  • Team Management: Manage a team of journalists, provide regular feedback on performance, and support professional development.

4. Deputy Editor Job Summary

  • Editorial Contribution: Contributing to the editorial direction of The Lawyer.
  • Market Analysis: Writing regular analyses of the City and corporate legal markets, including commissioning content where relevant.
  • Event Representation: Attending industry events, running roundtables and webinars, and acting as a representative of The Lawyer.
  • Relationship Management: Regular meetings with key figures within City firms, both at a leadership and practice leadership level, with a particular focus on corporate.
  • Internal Leadership: Leading internal meetings.
  • Content Writing: Writing news, analysis, and insight based on both data and market knowledge.
  • Content Liaison: Liaising with the news editor on daily content offerings from a City and/or corporate angle.
  • Horizon Contribution: Contributing regularly to Horizon, both writing and editing.
  • Long-Form Insight: Contributing regular long-form insight on The Lawyer’s Signal channel in projects such as the UK Corporate 50 and similar.
  • Idea Generation: Generating story ideas and themes.
  • Content Planning: Planning content across the year.
  • Fact-Checking: Checking stories for accuracy of content (e.g., facts, figures, people) and any potential legal issues.

5. Deputy Editor Accountabilities

  • Product Support: Support product expansion of the AgriMarkets publication.
  • Editorial Management: Support the Editor in managing the day-to-day editorial operations of the team.
  • Coverage Coordination: Help coordinate coverage with the rest of the global team.
  • Team Guidance: Help guide the work of a team of London-based reporters, in line with a global editorial direction.
  • Quality Assurance: Drive and ensure the highest standard of market and news coverage, data curation, and analysis for the London team through editing and regular feedback.
  • Report Compilation: Put together daily reports and ensure smooth publication.
  • Product Evaluation: Continually work with an editor and senior editorial staff to evaluate the report, methodology, and price assessments to ensure an up-to-date editorial product.
  • Collaboration Promotion: Promote cross-desk collaboration and support efforts to interact with the global editorial team.
  • Process Implementation: Ensure implementation of global editorial processes and collaboration tools.
  • Content Editing: Deputise on daily content editing.
  • CMS Understanding: Understand The Lawyer’s CMS and related systems.
  • Time Management: Ensure journalists manage time in the office and with contacts.
  • Staff Mentoring: Mentor and train junior staff on skills and knowledge.