The East Early Beakon
Job Descriptions
ADVISER
The importance of this position is defined in the title. The adviser is the person with the journalistic expertise whose mission is to advise, guide, challenge, initiate, instruct, and supervise the staff in a collaborative manner. Despite the heavy involvement, decisions regarding the paper's content and overall scope should be made by the body of the editorial board. The adviser is not the editor or boss, but a manager and facilitator.
In the most general sense, the adviser is actively involved in every facet of the student publication. From the initial planning of the issue to deadline nights, production, and circulation, the adviser is the shadow and constructive, critical mirror of every student's work from the editor in chief down to the beat reporter.
Evaluate, instruct and guide students in the Journ. II-IV class and offer a rewarding, educational experience.
• Recruit staff for the publication, including naming the editor positions. This is perhaps the only time the adviser will exercise any sort of executive control. As well as being the best judge of talent and potential, the adviser must work closely with these editors for the coming year and be able to trust them for their responsibility and competence.
• Devise an overall yearly budget for the paper with a separate budget for darkroom expenses. A small amount for staff recreation (occasional pizza on deadline nights) can be creatively worked into the budget.
• Establish advertising rates, and work with the advertising manager and sales staff throughout the summer to sell ads. Ideally, three-fourths of the sales will be completed to regular customers before the start of school. Offer discounts to patrons who advertise in every issue.
• Negotiate contract, deadline days and delivery agreement with the printer. Solicit bids and look for the best quality and service for the lowest cost.
• Revise/devise any forms needed: ad sales contracts, dummy sheets, photo assignment slips, production schedules, editorial/deadline policies, darkroom etiquette sheets, camera check-out forms, etc.
• Supply and inventory the publications office with all needed equipment for the school year: computer paper, disks, film, darkroom chemicals, paper, office and other supplies, staff mailboxes, etc.
• Establish central communications board and calendar where staff can read daily announcements, leave messages for other editors, post assignment deadlines, request photo shoots, and see copies of "things that work" from other papers.
• Set the ground rules with the new staff in a meeting before school starts. Hand out job descriptions, stylebooks, copy editing symbol sheets, clips from exchange papers, journalistic "lingo" definitions, and other informational sheets.
• Review/revise editorial policy, explain the importance of deadlines, and instruct staff on interviewing etiquette (set up in advance, look and act professional, double check quotes, etc.). Explain adviser expectations of staff, and ask for staff expectations of adviser, also!
• Coordinate workshop sessions on computer, darkroom and camera use with computer and photo editor. At one time or another, everyone will eventually have to type their own copy, develop their own film when the appropriate people can't be there. Have more detailed sessions with photo and computer staff. The photo editor and computer editor should know as much about the equipment and how to use it as the adviser.
• Be aware of contest deadlines, collegiate workshops, and new press law decisions. Persuade staff to attend regional and national conferences.
• Work with editorial board to decide the "look" of the paper, including font choices for headlines, folios and body type. Decide on format: traditional newspaper, or news magazine style? Decide on color(s) to be used for next issue.
• Help individual page editors arrive at coverage for the upcoming issue. Help them prioritize stories for newsworthiness, length, future coverage, reader interest and relevance to student life.
• Devise a system of accountability with editors. Have editor in chief meet with them individually during the Journalism II_IV class. Be the "right hand man" for the editor in chief, and have him/her exercise functional support and responsibility over the staff to the extent of his/her ability.
• Conduct and lead editorial board meetings, organize with editor in chief.
• Serve as the staff's resource for professional, legal, and ethical considerations.
• Serve as the paper's liaison to faculty/administrative interests.
• Stay abreast of technological advancements that apply to newspaper production.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The governing body for this publication is the editorial board, which oversees the operations of the newspaper. The board is made up of the editors in chief, managing editor, news editors, feature editors, sports editors, editorial editors, photo editor, advertising manager, business manager and adviser. The adviser is a nonvoting member who facilitates the editorial board, which also oversees the finances of the publication as well as various production operations. The adviser exercises veto rights to editorial decision, which can be overridden by a three-fourths majority vote. The board will be convened every Monday during the writing week and as needed thereafter. Staff writers are expected to attend and may voice their opinions at the meetings. A two-thirds representation of voting members is needed for a quorum.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
The editor in chief is responsible for the overall production of the newspaper. The editor in chief is the general spokesperson for the paper, and manager of its internal workings. As much as possible, the editor will assume the same responsibilities of the adviser ,which are:
• Implement editorial policy changes, take notes from significant editorial board meetings, create a staff address directory and obtain schedule cards of each student in the building from the main office. (Can later be used for contacting interviews, random surveying, etc.)
• Help recruit new staff that wouldn't be found in the Journalism I class.
• Organize workstations in the publications office/assign desk and working space for editors.
• Is responsible for the design and layout of the front page. Must complete dummy pages.
• Supervise and support the production process of the paper from the idea stage to circulation. Respond to editors need for extra help, give critical, constructive support and advice.
• Maintain a calendar of events and activities to ensure thorough coverage. Be aware of school registration, add/drop, and other administrative deadlines.
• Organize and serve as utility person on deadline nights; set a dinnertime. Work with news editor to decide page one content; do layout of front page.
• Get final pages assembled and ready for printer and deliver.
• Act as host/hostess on open house nights.
NEWS EDITOR
The news editor is responsible for the news content of the newspaper. He/she will have an acute sense of the news issues that affect students' lives in and out of school, and decide what issues deserve coverage. Responsibilities are:
• Confer with editor in chief's calendar of important school and school related events such as homecoming, school board meetings, elections, dances, performances and field trips.
• Decide on regular news features such as analyses, calendars, etc.
• Be aware of spontaneous events such as vandalism, teacher hirings/resignations and new equipment purchases.
• Establish rapport with frequently used sources: principal, club sponsors, and other faculty.
• Watch other news sources for ideas: other high school papers, the community newspaper, television, as well as national media, and maintain a clip file for future use and reference.
• Keep feature file for slow news issues, balance coverage throughout the year with lesser known student clubs/organizations.
• Decide on page content, make story assignments, let advertising manager know how much space is needed, inform editor in chief of content.
• Monitor news staff, provide support and be a deadline reminder.
• Write larger news stories, edit other copy including beats.
• Make photo assignments/requests.
• Do the layout of news pages. Stay until completed.
• Do dummy pages
FEATURES EDITOR
The features editor is responsible for the features page(s) that include reviews, in-depth analyses, profiles, artwork, and other stories not considered "hard news." The features editor has, perhaps, the greatest latitude in deciding page content while having an acute sense of what interests readers and the current social trends that affect their lives. Whenever possible, the features editor should take advantage of using the two page spread to take an in-depth look at a broad subject through three or four feature stories. Responsibilities are:
• Work with adviser and editor in chief to assign three or four exceptional students in and out of the journalism II-IV class to feature assignments.
• Keep a calendar of school events that could become special features.
• Establish rapport with faculty and staff who know the students unlike others: guidance counselors, the school psychologist or even the janitor.
• Decide on possible, regular features or student/teacher profiles.
• Be aware of social trends/problems that affect readers' lives such as fashion, eating disorders, substance use/abuse, teenage suicide, pregnancy, alternative education, choosing a college, etc.
• Monitor other sources for ideas: exchange papers, local and national media.
• Keep a "profile file" with help from the journalism class when the pages are hard to fill.
• Decide on page content, make story assignments, let advertising manager know how much space is needed, inform editor in chief of content.
• Write larger news features; enlist the support of assistant and staff for additional reporting. Edit all copy on pages.
• Make photo and artistic assignments/requests.
• Do the layout of pages. Stay until completed. Must complete dummy pages.+
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
The entertainment editor is responsible for covering entertaining news that has a redeemable value for the readership.
• Be aware of items not covered by the news department such as concerts, new album/book/movie releases, trends in the movies, newspaper, media, etc.
• Monitor other sources for ideas: exchange papers, local and national media. Rolling Stone, Premiere and People are excellent resources.
• Include reviews of books, movies, video game, television shows, CDs etc.
• Responsible for layout on pages. Must do dummy pages.
• Must stay on late nights.
• Must come to all copy m
SPORTS EDITOR
The sports editor is responsible for the sports page(s) that includes coverage of sports events, analyses, columns, and features. The editor should have a working knowledge of the rules of all sports offered at the school, and if he/she doesn't, he/she should learn them! Responsibilities are:
• Work with adviser and editor in chief to assign students in and out of the journalism class to sports beats.
• Keep a calendar of sporting events throughout the year.
• Decide on possible, regular features such as columns, sports trivia questions, or a "Did You Know...?" box explaining a little known sports rule or fact.
• Be aware of changing rules in the conference, athlete grade standards, letter of intent signings, training methods, scholarships, minority involvement and other sports related issues.
• Establish rapport with frequently used sources such as coaches and star athletes. Don't always use the star athlete, however. A trainer or bench warmer might give a more accurate perspective.
• Watch other media for ideas: exchange papers, community newspaper, local and national news.
• Keep a feature file for use in issues with fewer sports activities.
• Focus on future coverage and big match ups. People will already know the score after publication.
• Decide on page content, make story assignments, let advertising manager know how much space is needed, inform editor in chief of content.
• Write larger sports stories, edit other copy including beats.
• Make photo and artistic assignments/requests.
• Do the layout of news pages. Stay until completed.
EDITORIAL EDITOR
The editor is responsible for the opinions that are expressed in the paper, as well as providing an open forum for other opinions from the student community. The editorial editor should provide insightful commentary and analysis on the issues that affect students' lives. Responsibilities are:
• Keep close contact with news editor on events covered on news page(s). Editorials should respond to current news stories that might also be covered in the news section.
• Decide on possible, regular features such as columnists, "person on the street," letters to the editor, and editorial cartoons.
• Watch other opinion makers in the media, exchange papers, read other columnists to learn their style: Mike Royko, George Will, Meg Greenfield, Ellen Goodman, Cal Thomas, Jeff Greenfield, etc. Strive for diversity in what you read and in what is expressed on the page.
• Publish in every issue a condensed letter to the editor policy. Let the readers know where to take the letter. (A locked drop box in a central location of the school might encourage people to write.)
• Edit for letters for length and clarity. Do follow up to letters that criticize policy, i.e. publish an answer to the letter or opposing view side-by-side in same issue.
• Publish a staff box, saying who hold what positions.
• Solicit staff opinions for unsigned editorials that will reflect the stance of the paper. Vote at editorial board meetings if necessary.
• If there is a "Man on the Street," decide early what the relevant question will be, and make photo assignment/request early.
• Work with cartoonist to decide cartoon. Might want it to go along with editorial, might want it to stand alone.
• Do the layout of page(s). Stay until completed.
PHOTO EDITOR
The photo editor, in essence, is in charge of the darkroom and photographic content of the newspaper. The photo editor has had experience in taking pictures and developing negatives and prints. Responsibilities are:
• Work with adviser to know everything about darkroom facilities.
• Maintain extensive negative and proof sheet files. (Use them throughout the year for reprints, reuse of mug shots.)
• Make photo assignments to other photographers. Assign self to photo shoots. Communicate with page editors about shoots.
• Keep track of paper, film and chemical supplies. Inform adviser when running low.
• Train others on darkroom use, including amateur photographers from photojournalism class.