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What is an Editor-in-Chief?

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Top Answer
Talent.com talent.com
Answered November 24 2021
Career Expert at Talent.com
An Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor is a managerial position in charge of supervising the daily tasks of publishing media, including newspapers, magazines, and other forms of written publications. Indeed, their title is somewhat misleading as they usually don't write or edit individual articles. Instead, they oversee the strategic direction of their publication and lead their team to execute their visions.  
 
They manage teams comprised of junior and senior Editors, Journalists, Photographers, and other professionals in charge of creating original content to be published. They also represent the editorial team's interests when attending business meetings or media events. 
 
 In many ways, Editor-in-Chief can be considered the equivalent of a company's CEO, especially as their tasks involve a lot of decision-making. Not only do these individuals have the authority to define and assign budgets, but they are also responsible for selecting which stories, articles, or columns will be published.  

Personality of an Editor-in-Chief
Editors-in-Chief are the leaders and strategists of their publications. As such, they need a varied set of skills to be successful. Here are some personality traits that can help you thrive as an Editor-in-Chief.
  • Communication skills
As the leader of a communication publication, you will need excellent communication skills to work with your team. You will also need to examine your publication to ensure that all its content, from social media to in-print, stays on brand and communicates your clear point of view.  
  • Interpersonal skills
Great leaders have great people skills. You cannot be expected to do everything alone, so you must learn to delegate to other staff members. To do so, you need to hire people you have confidence in, train them properly, and give them opportunities to be creative.  
  • Organizational skills
As the Editor-in-Chief, you need to manage several projects simultaneously, juggle different responsibilities, and ensure that your publication schedule is maintained. There are often tight deadlines, and you need to ensure that you and your team can hit them.  
Easteregg!