51110 Editors

What this occupation covers

Editors review, evaluate and edit manuscripts, articles, news reports and other material for publication, broadcast or interactive media and coordinate the activities of writers, journalists and other staff. They are employed by publishing firms, magazines, journals, newspapers, radio and television networks and stations, and by companies and government departments that produce publications such as newsletters, handbooks, manuals and Web sites. Editors may also work on a freelance basis.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 9 main duties for this code.

• Evaluate suitability of manuscripts, articles, news copy and wire service dispatches for publication, broadcast or electronic media and recommend or make changes in content, style and organization
• Read and edit copy to be published or broadcast to detect and correct errors in spelling, grammar and syntax, and shorten or lengthen copy as space or time requires
• Confer with authors, staff writers, reporters and others regarding revisions to copy
• Plan and implement layout or format of copy according to space or time allocations and significance of copy
• Plan and coordinate activities of staff and assure production deadlines are met
• Plan coverage of upcoming events and assign work accordingly
• Write or prepare introductions, marketing and promotional materials, bibliographic references, indexes and other text
• May negotiate royalties with authors and arrange for payment of freelance staff.
• Editors may specialize in a particular subject area, such as news, sports or features, or in a particular type of publication, such as books, magazines, newspapers or manuals.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 9 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 51111 Authors and writers (except technical)
• 14301 Correspondence, publication and regulatory clerks
• 51120 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
• 51113 Journalists
• 50011 Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
• 22214 Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology
• 52113 Audio and video recording technicians
• 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters

Excluded from this code

• Authors and writers (See 51111 Authors and writers (except technical))
• Editorial assistant (See 14301 Correspondence, publication and regulatory clerks)
• Film editor (See 51120 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations)
• Journalists (See 51113 Journalists)
• Managing editor (See 50011 Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts)
• Map editor (See 22214 Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology)
• Sound editor (See 52113 Audio and video recording technicians)
• Translator-reviser (See 51114 Translators, terminologists and interpreters)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

advertising editor · art editor · assistant editor · associate editor · bilingual editor · book editor · business editor · caption editor · city editor · contributing editor · control room editor - broadcasting · copy chief · copy editor · copy preparer · dictionary editor · editor · editorial consultant · editorial page editor · English editor · feature editor · financial editor · financial news editor · foreign news broadcasting editor · foreign news service editor

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree in English, French, journalism or a related discipline is usually required.
• Several years of experience in journalism, writing, publishing or a related field are usually required.
• Membership in the Editors Association of Canada may be required.
• Editors who specialize in a specific subject matter may be required to have training in that subject.