An editor-in-chief is a publication's editorial leader, having final responsibility for all operations and policies.^[1][2]

Description[edit]

The editor-in-chief heads all the departments of the organization and is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members and managing them. The term is often used at newspapers, magazines, yearbooks, and television news programs. Some publications have no overall chief editor, such as The New York Times, which has an executive editor over the news pages, and an editorial page editor over opinion pages.^{[citation needed]}

The term is also applied to academic journals, where the editor-in-chief ultimately decides whether a submitted manuscript will be published. This decision is made by the editor-in-chief after seeking input from reviewers selected on a basis of relevant expertise.

Typical responsibilities of editors-in-chief include:^[3]

• Cross-checking facts, spelling, grammar, writing style, page design and photos
• Rejecting writing that appears to be plagiarized, ghost-written, published elsewhere, or of little interest to readers
• Editing content
• Contributing editorial pieces
• Motivating and developing editorial staff
• Ensuring the final draft is complete and there are no omissions
• Handling reader complaints and taking responsibility for issues after publication
• For books or journals, cross-checking citations and examining references

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• John La Porte Given (1907). "The Editor-In-Chief". Making a Newspaper. New York: H. Holt and company. pp. 30–35. 
• Nathaniel Clark Fowler (1913). "The Editor-In-Chief". The Handbook of Journalism: All about Newspaper Work. — Facts and Information. New York: Sully and Kleinteich. 

External links[edit]

• "editor in chief" (merriam-webster.com)