CDC's Injury Center 20th Anniversary:
Tips and Tools for Working with the Media

Who’s Who in Print and Broadcast Media

Assignment Editor

Coordinates the day-to-day assignment of stories and manages random calls to the newsroom.

Calendar Editor

Organizes community event listings and announcements. Calendar listings are good sources of free publicity for events that are open to the public. Typically calendar editors are contacts within magazine and newspaper outlets, but they also can be found within radio and TV stations.

City Desk Editor

Handle news assignments for urban areas.

Editor

Assigns stories at newspapers and magazines. Most assign editors to specific sections, such as education, health, entertainment, and lifestyle.

Freelance Writer or Photographer

Writes and produces news stories or takes photographs for a variety of media outlets without being employed by a single organization. Many editors and TV producers have a regular group of freelancers that they work with often.

General Manager

Manages and directs the operations of the entire TV or radio station, ranging from advertising to news and program production.

Managing Editor

Manages the section editors and operations of the whole newspaper.

Producer

Researches, writes, and edits news stories and oversees camera crew for broadcast stories. In network news, this person works closely with reporters, and in some cases does much of the work to create a story. (At local stations, news reporters are responsible for this process themselves.) Producers also decide which stories appear on the news and in what order.

Promotions Director

Develops media sponsorships and partnerships to promote the station’s charitable commitment and positive image.

Public or Community Affairs Director

Oversees the airing of PSAs and general community relations, such as arranging newsroom tours. In some cases, this person also handles media sponsorships.

Reporter

Conducts interviews and writes stories for newspapers and magazines. Broadcast reporters deliver stories on the air.