Political editor?

[swill453]

Laura Kuenssberg is the BBC News "political editor". What does she edit? How does she have time to do it?

She seems to spend all her time shadowing the prime minister, tweeting about it, and reporting in the news.

I would have thought editing was more of a backroom job.

Scott.

[dspp]

An editor is paid to think. She's thinking.

Sometimes an editor writes stuff. Othertimes they cut & snip others' messages.

If you want to become an editor then contact a newsroom near you that is advertising a job.

- dspp

(by the way I don't have a TV, and don't really care much about LK as an individual, i.e. this is a pretty straight answer)

[Alaric]

I would have thought editing was more of a backroom job.

"Editor" is also a title given to the boss of content, "Editor of The Times" etc.

[swill453]

I would have thought editing was more of a backroom job.

"Editor" is also a title given to the boss of content, "Editor of The Times" etc.

Well precisely. And the title that LK has kind of implies that, given that there is also a "Deputy Political Editor", John Pienaar.

To me, an editor edits (mainly) other people's content. But clearly not the case at the BBC.

Scott.

[swill453]

But clearly not the case at the BBC.

Or elsewhere it seems.

Many apologies for trashy link (it came up in my twitter feed, honest). https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/8 ... nt-editor/

"[person] is joining Good Morning Britain next week as a budding showbiz reporter ... is joining the show as guest entertainment editor"

Scott.

[UncleEbenezer]

Indeed, the title at the BBC appears to be some kind of honourific. Perhaps indicating the seniority of a journalist and letting them pay her more while making her look underpaid compared to someone else at the level of seniority assigned to the title?

[bungeejumper]

Expecting an editor to edit is about as logical as expecting a bus conductor to conduct. The word is (largely) a linguistic hangover from the days when everything in the paper really did have to pass under one person's expert nose. Nowadays there will be whole layers of sub-editors who do all the functional editing work and send it down for setting and layout . But the buck still stops with the person who is laughingly known as the editor, even if he/she doesn't edit anything at all.

The historical reasons for that were threefold. Firstly, the editor was there to ensure the consistency of house style. Secondly, he/she was there to check the hacks' reports for factual errors, mis-attributions or (shudder) libel.

But most importantly, the editor is paid largely to keep his/her finger on the pulse, and simply to know what's going on, so that other journalists can be tasked and despatched to the best effect. Most departmental editors are also required to write or present the occasional overview, which draws on their general expertise, and also to respond quickly to time-sensitive developments, something that Ms Kuenssberg does rather well on the whole. You couldn't let a cub reporter loose on that kind of a task. For obvious reasons.

BJ

[swill453]

But most importantly, the editor is paid largely to keep his/her finger on the pulse, and simply to know what's going on, so that other journalists can be tasked and despatched to the best effect. Most departmental editors are also required to write or present the occasional overview, which draws on their general expertise, and also to respond quickly to time-sensitive developments, something that Ms Kuenssberg does rather well on the whole. You couldn't let a cub reporter loose on that kind of a task. For obvious reasons.

So I get some of that.

But I have a hard time believing that Ms Kuenssberg, as (chief*) editor, has any involvement in making sure that "other journalists can be tasked and despatched to the best effect". I can't see she'd have the time. Her responsibilities seem more like a senior journalist or reporter.

* - it's implied by the BBC that she's in the top spot.

Scott.

[bungeejumper]

But I have a hard time believing that Ms Kuenssberg, as (chief*) editor, has any involvement in making sure that "other journalists can be tasked and despatched to the best effect". I can't see she'd have the time. Her responsibilities seem more like a senior journalist or reporter.

In her case, I'd have to agree with you, because she's in a gigantic organisation. She's probably got a cohort of fifteen or twenty personal fixers who do all the day-to-day commissioning, arrange the travel, get her into the right conference venues, liaise with the camera teams, get the documents and news despatches together and of course fix up the all-important meetings with interviewees. And they'll probably put their heads together with her three or four times a day, so as to ensure that the Laura Kuenssberg side of the Beeb's news coverage keeps rolling smoothly.

Lesser editors, including radio news editors and newspaper departmental heads, get their hands a bit more dirty during the working day. But then, they aren't likely to be called out at five minutes' notice to go live on air about some piece of breaking news, whereas she is.

BJ