NEWS ROOM STRUCTURE AND ROLE

The newsroom is the hub of the entire activity in a newspaper, news agency or a
news channel. Called by different names, the editorial desk, editorial department or
copy desk or news desk, it is the nerve center of the newsroom. Here the whole
planning is done. However, in a news agency, the news desk edits and transmits
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stories to the newspapers or news channels, which further tailors these agency
news stories.
A newsroom is the place where journalists, either reporters, editors,
producers and other staffers work to gather news to be published in a
newspaper or magazine or broadcast on television, cable or radio. Some
journalism organizations refer to the newsroom as the city room.
Following diagram will help in understanding the structure of a newsroom:
A Daily Newspaper
Proprietor
GM/CEO
Business Dept. Editorial Dept. Mechanical Dept.
ADM CHM Off.M Editor Chief Editor Plate Making Printing
(Manager) (Circular) (Personal)
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2.6.1 Desk Management
Atop the editorial hierarchy ranks the editor or an editor-in-chief who plans and
directs the day-to- day operations, supported by a team of news editors, chief sub
editors, senior sub editors and sub editors. The news desk usually operates in shifts
and each shift is headed by a chief sub, also called as ‘slot man’. Ideally, in a
newspaper, it is the news editor who plans and directs page making while the chief
sub helps implement his decisions.
In a news agency, news editors chief sub editor look after the smooth functioning
of the news desk. They plan and write ‘leads’ (updated version of developing
stories).
EDITOR
Residence Editor Joint Editor Assistant Leader
Local Editor Associated Editor Editor
City Editor Deputy
Managing Editor
EDITOR
News Editor Special Foreign Feature
Correspondent Correspondent Supplement
Editor
2.6.2 Editor
Editor is the person who directs and supervises the editorial side of the newspaper.
The primary role of the editor is:
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• To manage the newspaper.
• Determines whether a submitted manuscript is appropriate for publishing.
• Selects expert reviewers and an area editor to evaluate the submitted
manuscript.
• Renders a final editorial decision on each manuscript based on the
recommendation, journal priorities, other similar manuscripts in process and
related considerations.
• Communicates directly with the author and the review team.
• Schedule accepted manuscripts for publication.
• Balance workloads for the area editors and reviewers.
• Resolve any conflicts.
NEWS EDITOR
REPORTING EDITING
Sport Desk News Desk
Film Desk Chief-sub-Editor
Business Desk Sr.Sub-Editor
Dak Post Part time Sub Editor
2.6.3 Sub-Editor or Copy Editor
Polishes up the language by removing rough edges from the copy and
making it readable
• Fine-tunes the copy to the style of the newspaper
• Simplifies the language to make it reader-friendly
• Tailors story length to space requirements
• Correct factual errors
• Detects fraud or plant –a plant is falsehood in journalistic garment it
promote somebody’s interest or discredit somebody
• Ensure balance and fairness and objectivity in the stories. In case of
controversy, both sides get equal space
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• Guard against legal trappings like defamation and copyright violation. The
report stories should not defame a person by use of pejorative language.
• Rewrites and restructures stories if necessary. Normally sub editing
(subbing) involves looking for errors in spellings and grammar
• Implement the editorial policy of the newspaper like to maintain good taste,
shun sensationalism, etc
• Thus, a sub editor is responsible for every word that gets printed.
In a newspaper, newsroom plays the part of brain and soul of newspaper. Right
from collection of news, to headlining and placing, happens in the newsroom.
Newsroom is the pivot around which the newspaper revolves. All the reporters,
correspondents, report to news editor, who is considered the head of newsroom
would be found in the newsroom of any newspaper or news channel. Today the
scene in newsroom is a bit modernized as everything is done through computers
instead of the desk. Whatever the shape of the newsroom, it is indispensable in the
production of the news stories.