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What is an Assistant Sports Editor?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by spikechiquet, Aug 21, 2010.

  1. spikechiquet

    spikechiquet Well-Known Member

    Please explain to me:

    I have always been under the assumption that and ASE is the second-in-command. An associate of the SE and someone to bounce ideas off of.
    The SE at our shop seems to see an ASE is an assistant TO the SE...not a No. 2.

    He introduces the ASE as "This is my assistant..." ... not "This is "Dave" the ASE" and never shares info or bounces ideas off of the ASE, he runs the ship like a dictator to the point that the ASE didn't know what football game he was covering until Thursday night, screwing up all his prep since he was under the assumption he was heading somewhere else up until that point.

    I was the former ASE and moved on, but I see he is treating the new ASE the same way...is this normal or was I just a bad SE at my former shop and shared info with my co-workers and made sure everyone was in the loop and on even ground when it came to working as a team?
     
  2. EagleMorph

    EagleMorph Member

    At our shop, the ASE is the yin to our SE's yang. Sports editor plans paper and stories, manages staff, edits, and does a heavy load of page design. ASE does some page design and planning - and obviously fills in when SE is on vacation - but also does a lot of writing.

    But our staff is also fairly flexible. We have nights where SE works during the day, the ASE is off, and staffers put together the section and put it to bed.

    I would guess it depends on the shop, the staff, and the SE. Some places the SE is a heavy writer, so maybe the ASE (or one of them) needs to be stronger with design, layout, and planning for when the SE is off covering something.
     
  3. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    At larger papers, the Sports Editor/ASE relationship is not unlike Executive Editor/Managing Editor.

    The sports editor makes hiring decisions, acts as liaison with the rest of the newsroom and building, and decides the editorial direction of the section (what to cover, what not to cover, what goes on the front, etc.). The ASE (or ASEs at really big shops) runs the day-to-day, manages the daily and weekly budgets, creates the staff schedule and runs the desk on nights and weekends.

    But yeah, at smaller shops, the ASE is "sports editor when the sports editor is not there." He/she should have managerial responsibility over reporters and columnists, as well as some influence on what's covered (and by whom) and what goes on the front or whatever.

    At my shop, which has 20 or sports staffers, there is a sports editor and two ASEs (one day guy, one night guy). The sports editor writes a twice-weekly column and that's it, while the ASEs rarely, if ever, write anything, unless it's a "staff reports" re-write.
     
  4. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    In my experience, the ASE or ASEs get paid to do the work of putting out the section. The actual sports editor earns his dough for representing the sports section's interests within the paper's management.
     
  5. Fran Curci

    Fran Curci Well-Known Member

    "Spike"---- The sports editor you are describing is so insecure, he is afraid to delegate anything or share information.
     
  6. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    If the ASE a glorified writer in the OP's post just a glorified writer in that scenario?

    A true ASE likely won't cover a beat and probably would working nights on the desk, while the SE is there during the day while his bosses are still around.
     
  7. spikechiquet

    spikechiquet Well-Known Member

    Actually, the SE does most of the layout and overwrites IMO. He also lays out the paper ahead of time if he goes on vacation, leaving the ASE with nothing to do. He works noon-midnight and only punches in for 7 of those hours.
    It's great if you are lazy...but it drives most people nuts.

    My thoughts exactly!
     
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