What does it take to be an entertainment editor?

Question

One of things I'm really wanna do when i grow up is to be entertainment editor (stuff like celebrities and stuff like that) and I'm wondering what type of skills and things you need to do in order to become an entertainment editor. I know it requires you to be good with English but anything else?

Answer 1

Editors are journalists, so expect to have to do some reporting before getting the Big Job. Really, unless all the moons align during your interview or something of the sort, expect to start at the very bottom of the totem pole.

With that said, prepare yourself to be a successful journalist and not necessarily a successful editor! Learn how to how to interview / report, write according to AP style, and accumulate a good number of clips (articles you've written).

Then you can focus on editorial needs: how to edit, primarily, but also how to lay out pages (important if you're on a high school paper, especially!)

Going to j-school isn't necessarily a requirement (a lot of editors had random majors in college-- like culinary arts or political science...), but it can't hurt. If you don't want to major in journalism, at least do something regarding show business or entertainment-- you want to be an entertainment editor, after all.

But really, you've made a good choice in career. I'm the sports editor at my school rag and I can tell you first hand, you meet the most interesting people in this line of work-- it's very engaging and prepares you for many fields besides journalism!

Good luck, I'll see you at the Associated Press. :-)