Education & Career Trends: October 11, 2024
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
- Excerpts are taken from an article published on indeed.com.
Being a digital editor can be a fulfilling job for those who enjoy creating and managing online content. Digital editors use their organisation and leadership skills to direct the efforts of a digital publishing team. If you’re thinking about becoming a digital editor, it’s helpful to understand the required skills, training, and tasks involved in the role. This article breaks down what a digital editor does, the skills needed, and how you can become one.
Who is a Digital Editor?
A digital editor is the head of an online content team. Digital editors create, edit, format and publish digital content. They work closely with a team of writers and graphic artists, coordinating their output for online publication.
Digital editors work for blogs, websites and traditional media with a digital presence including magazines and newspapers.
Some of their common duties include:
- Generating content ideas and planning writing and publishing schedule
- Assigning stories to freelance and in-house writers
- Proofreading and editing articles submitted by the writing team to ensure they’re free from errors, accurate and in line with the publication’s style guide
- Writing high-quality articles
- Formatting articles, images and video content for online publication
- Publishing articles to digital platforms including own website and social media
- Identifying and tracking key performance indicators
- Tracking, assessing and reporting website statistics
Career Paths for Digital Editors
Digital editors often get experience in the publishing industry through other roles, including:
1. Editorial Assistant
An editorial assistant assists staff in publishing print or digital content, such as newspapers, magazines and blogs. They perform a wide range of tasks including editing, writing simple stories and fact-checking for writers.
2. Publicist
A publicist works to promote their clients and their latest works, including films, albums, books, restaurants and fitness programmes. They work closely with print and digital media outlets, television and radio to create awareness on the publicist’s behalf.
3. Publisher
A publisher oversees the publication of print or online content such as newspapers, magazines, books and websites. They are responsible for all aspects of operation, from hiring staff to tracking and managing finances.
5. Writer
A writer creates content for newspapers, magazines, websites and books. Writers often write articles assigned to them by an editor. They proofread and edit their work to make their writing effective and error-free.
6. Digital media specialist
A digital media specialist coordinates online promotional efforts for companies, products and services. They develop digital media campaigns and oversee the creation of digital content such as websites, online advertisements, social media campaigns and podcasts.
7. Copy editor
A copy editor proofreads edits and fact-checks written content to ensure it’s free from errors, accurate and with the right style, tone and voice for the publication. Copy editors usually work under the supervision of an editor, such as a digital editor.
How to Become a Digital Editor
People typically follow these steps to get a digital editor job:
1. Earn a relevant bachelor’s degree
Most digital publishers look for digital editors with bachelor’s degrees in related fields. The following degrees can give you the writing, editing and critical thinking skills you’ll need as a digital editor:
- Bachelor of Arts in journalism
- Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication
- Bachelor of Science in journalism
- Bachelor of Arts in communication
- Bachelor of Arts in English
The best degree programs for aspiring digital editors offer subjects focusing on digital editing. You can gain further experience during college by working on your school’s newspaper, its website or its social media platforms. Internships can help you connect with people working in publishing.
2. Get experience in publishing
Digital editors usually work in the publishing sector for several years before getting promoted. As digital editors perform many of the same duties that print editors do, their experience may be in digital or print media. Many digital editors start working in entry-level roles, such as copy editor or editorial assistant, before becoming writers. These roles provide practical writing and editing experience and an understanding of how publications come together. These roles can also familiarise you with popular editing and layout software.
Many aspiring digital editors complement their paid experience with self-publishing. Starting a blog gives you experience generating story ideas, writing and editing. Promoting the blog through social media channels also provides experience working with these platforms.
Volunteer work can also help you gain more practical experience and enhance your resume. For example, you could create press releases for independent musicians or newsletters for a local church or school.
3. Join professional organisations
Professional organisations including the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Society of Professional Journalists can help members of the publishing industry, including digital editors, further their careers. Consider joining these organisations for access to seminars, online training sessions and networking opportunities.
4. Create a portfolio of published work
Many employers review a portfolio of published work as part of their hiring process for digital editors. Consider compiling a portfolio of recently published work in your chosen area, such as fashion or sports. Add a headshot, tagline and short biography that emphasizes what sets you apart from other applicants. Include multi-platform work, such as full-length print versions and accompanying photo galleries on social media, to show you can work across a variety of channels.
5. Consider further education
After gaining several years of paid and unpaid experience in publishing, many people are promoted to digital editor jobs. However, some companies call for applicants with a graduate degree in their digital editor job description posts. Even if this qualification isn’t a prerequisite, you can get a competitive advantage over other applicants by pursuing a relevant master’s degree, such as one in journalism or communication.
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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?
8 Workplace Trends That Will Define 2025
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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