Getting hired as an assignment editor is no easy feat You’ll likely be up against some stiff competition for the role That’s why it’s so important to prepare for your assignment editor interview.
In this article, I’ll share 32 of the most common assignment editor interview questions along with tips for how to ace each one. Read on to get the inside scoop and confidently walk into your next interview!
1. Why Do You Want To Be An Assignment Editor?
This question gets right to the heart of why you’re pursuing this role The interviewer wants to know that you have a genuine passion for the job.
In your response, explain what excites you about being an assignment editor. Share why you’re drawn specifically to this position versus other newsroom roles. Convey your enthusiasm for the fast-paced nature of the job and collaborating with reporters and producers
2. What Skills And Experience Make You Qualified For This Role?
This is your chance to sell yourself! Outline your most relevant skills, education, and experience for the assignment editor position. Mention any prior internships or work in a newsroom. Highlight your ability to juggle multiple tasks at once and your news judgment. Provide specific examples of your qualifications in action.
3. How Do You Stay Up To Date On Current Events And Local News?
Assignment editors need to have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening locally and globally. Discuss how you stay informed, whether it’s reading the paper, checking news apps, or following social media. Mention any local figures, topics, or issues you keep tabs on. Demonstrate your commitment to being knowledgeable.
4. How Would You Prioritize News Stories For Coverage?
Share how you would determine which stories reporters should pursue each day. Explain how you’d balance breaking news, scheduled events, and enterprise reporting. Discuss criteria like timeliness, local impact, exclusives, etc. Convey that you understand which stories take priority over others and can juggle competing demands.
5. How Do You Work Under Pressure And Tight Deadlines?
Breaking news doesn’t stick to a schedule! Give examples of when you’ve succeeded in high-stress, fast-paced environments. Share strategies for staying focused and making quick decisions despite chaos. Emphasize your flexibility, time management skills, and ability to keep your cool under pressure.
6. What Experience Do You Have With Social Media And Live Reporting?
Many assignment editors now leverage platforms like Twitter and Facebook to both find stories and disseminate news. Discuss your experience using social media professionally, whether it’s curating live video or engaging audiences in real-time. Emphasize your digital savvy.
7. How Do You Handle Conflicts And Difficult Conversations?
Managing reporters and balancing competing egos is part of the job. Share an example of resolving conflict or having a tough talk with a colleague. Demonstrate emotional intelligence, empathy, and mediation skills. Prove you can address issues head-on while still maintaining a good working relationship.
8. How Do You Ensure Accuracy And Fairness In Fast-Moving Situations?
Explain how you verify facts and information when news is unfolding quickly. Discuss safeguards you implement to avoid errors and bias. Emphasize the value you place on accuracy – getting it first matters far less if you don’t get it right. Prove you can produce quality work even under tight deadlines.
9. Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?
While you may not want to commit to a long-term plan, share how you see yourself growing professionally. Perhaps you hope to take on more responsibility as a senior assignment editor. Or transition into a producer role. Discuss how this position can serve as a launching pad for your career aspirations.
10. How Do You Handle Last-Minute Reporter Callouts And Story Changes?
Assignment editors need to roll with the punches daily. Share how you’ve responded when a story falls apart, a reporter is unavailable, or breaking news alters coverage. Highlight your flexibility, resourcefulness, and poise in rapidly changing scenarios. Prove you can think on your feet and adapt seamlessly.
11. What Challenges Do Assignment Editors Face Today?
Demonstrate you have perspective on larger industry trends impacting the role. You could discuss things like:
- Increased pressure for digital and social distribution
- Greater competition from online news outlets
- Declining resources at local stations
- Charges of media bias
12. Why Do You Want To Work For Our News Organization Specifically?
Make sure you have an answer prepared that shows you know about the station or publication you’re interviewing with. Mention why you admire their work and values. If you have any connections to the outlet, such as previously interning there, make note of that.
13. How Do You Decide What Makes A Story Newsworthy?
Discuss the factors you weigh when determining if a topic warrants coverage. Cite criteria like relevance to viewers/readers, prominence of key figures involved, exclusivity, human interest, etc. Demonstrate your news judgment and understanding of what makes something compelling content.
14. How Do You Handle Negative Feedback And Criticism?
Share an example of receiving difficult feedback professionally and how you responded. Demonstrate you can take constructive criticism in stride and don’t get defensive. Explain how it ended up benefiting your work rather than discouraging you. Show that you actively solicit input to improve.
15. What Are Your Salary Expectations?
Do your homework on typical assignment editor salaries and be prepared to give a reasonable range based on your experience level and the market. You can try asking about the budgeted range for the role first before naming an exact figure. Make your expectations clear upfront.
16. How Do You Evaluate Whether A Story Idea Is Worth Pursuing?
Explain factors you consider when a source pitches a potential story. Discuss criteria like verifying the credibility of the source, determining if information can be independently corroborated, assessing relevance to the audience, etc. Demonstrate thoughtful processes for vetting ideas.
17. How Would You React If A Reporter Pushed Back On One Of Your Decisions?
Emphasize that your job is to support reporters, not command them. Share how you’d listen openly to the reporter’s viewpoint and have a dialogue about the disagreement. Explain how you’d aim to reach a collaborative decision and preserve your relationship.
18. How Do You Handle Stress On The Job? What Do You Do To Unwind?
Acknowledge that the role comes with pressure and demands. Share healthy stress management strategies and outlets you use both on the job and during personal time to decompress. Convey good work-life balance and commitment to avoiding burnout.
19. Tell Me About A Time You Made A Wrong Call Or Difficult Decision As An Editor. What Did You Learn?
Demonstrate ability to reflect on and grow from mistakes. Explain the situation at a high-level, being careful not to throw any individuals under the bus. Share lessons it taught you moving forward and any changes you implemented to avoid repeating errors.
20. Where Do You See The Field Of Broadcast/Print Journalism Headed In The Next 5-10 Years?
Convey you stay on top of larger trends shaping the journalism landscape. Discuss the digital media explosion, cord-cutting, impact of social media, rise of opinion-based outlets, etc. Demonstrate perspective on where the industry may be headed.
21. What Critiques Do You Have Of How We Currently Operate?
Tread carefully, as you don’t want to badmouth them! Offer thoughtful observations on areas for potential growth vs. harsh criticism. Perhaps share feedback you’ve heard from contacts/sources about their coverage. Focus on solutions and a constructive tone.
22. How Do You Coordinate Logistics Like Equipment, Live Trucks, Etc. For Reporters?
Discuss processes for securing everything needed for impactful field reporting like cameras, sat trucks, live gear, etc. Mention any experience you have arranging technical necessities and logistics smoothly.
23. How Do You Ensure Diversity In Our Coverage And Source Selection?
Emphasize the importance of inclusive perspectives and content reflecting the full community. Share proactive approaches for developing diverse contacts, covering overlooked groups, and factoring representation into assignments.
24. How Do You Deal With Reporters Who Miss Deadlines?
Explain how you maintain accountability and uphold standards while still exercising understanding that reporters juggle multiple demands. Discuss strategies like checking in frequently as deadlines approach and having candid conversations about barriers.
25. How Do You Stay Organized And Keep Track Of Many Moving Parts?
Share specific systems and tools you employ to stay on top of dynamic, shifting news and changing reporter availability, locations, and assignments. Convey you can bring order to potential chaos.
26. How Do You Determine Whether To Extend Coverage On A Story Versus Move On To New Topics?
Discuss the factors you weigh, like continuing public interest, exclusivity of your access/coverage, availability of reporters, emerging developments that alter a narrative, etc. Demonstrate thoughtful news judgment.
27. How Do You Ensure Smooth Co
Soft skills interview questions
- How do you get your team excited about the project and make sure that everyone is invested in its success?
- Please tell me about a tough time you had working with a team member who wasn’t doing their job. How did you handle it?.
- Tell me about a time when you had to give tasks to other people on your team. How did you make sure that everyone got tasks that were right for them?
- How do you balance different priorities and make sure all projects are finished on time, even if problems come up out of the blue?
- Can you think of a time when you had to make a tough choice that had an impact on the project but ultimately turned out well for the team and the company?
- Could you give an example of how you set up and managed a publication’s content management system?
- How can you be sure that all of your content follows brand guidelines and editorial standards, especially when you have more than one author working on it?
- How have you managed a group of writers, editors, and other production staff well in the past?
- Have you ever run a content marketing campaign that worked? If so, could you describe how you did it and what results you got?
- If you could, tell me about a time when you had to make a tough editorial choice and how you handled it.
