Job Descriptions

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: The editor-in-chief is responsible for the overall management, operation, tone and content of the newspaper. The editor supervises all associate editors and staffers.

Duties:

• Enforce administrative policies.   
• Make decisions regarding content of the newspaper, including decisions about tone, content, style, design, libel, ethics, etc.
• Oversee production of the newspaper and ensures all deadlines are met and that pages are received by printing at the established deadlines.
• Design and selects news stories for page one.
• Lays out an additional page in six-page and eight-page papers.
• Organize and conducts weekly staff meetings to discuss problems, progress and upcoming events. The staff meeting should be scheduled at a time that is convenient for the most staff members. The editor should post flyers and distribute notices to remind people of the meetings. If possible, the editor should provide a written agenda for the meetings.
• Meet weekly with associate editors (managing editor, news editor, sports editor, editorial page editor, photo editor) to coordinate upcoming publications and to discuss staff development and performance.   
• Meet weekly with Herald adviser to evaluate Herald operations and to discuss staff performance.   
• Serve as the public relations officer for The Herald. The editor should make an effort to meet with various campus student leaders, administrators and staff to establish a presence on campus and to improve The Herald relationship with these people.  
• Serve as something of an ombudsman for The Herald and should be prepared to explain Herald policies and actions and should accept criticism, suggestions and feedback, positive or negative.   
• Recruit new staff members and ensures that the staff is culturally and racially diverse to reflect the diversity of the ASU campus.   
• Meet with the advertising adviser and printing director once a month, and at other times if needed, to discuss the production of
• The Herald and to address issues that require input from all areas involved in The Herald operation.

OPINIONS EDITOR: The Opinions editor is responsible for the content of the editorial page and for working with the staff and other editors to establish an editorial page tone and style that is consistent with Herald goals and policy. The editorial page should serve as an opinion forum that reflects the newspaper and the campus of ASU.

Duties:   

• Produce the editorial page and take the page and art to printing by the appropriate established deadlines.   
• Write the editorial or recruit the editor or an associate editor to write the editorial. Should meet with other editors during weekly staff meeting to determine what topics will be addressed editorially and to determine what The Herald position will be.
• Recruit columnists for the editorial page. The editorial editor should not regularly write columns on the editorial page--this will better ensure that the opinions expressed on the editorial page are diverse. The editorial editor should work with columnists to develop ideas and help them improve their writing.
• Recruit cartoonists and work with them to develop editorial cartoons.   
• Recruit reviewers to write commentary about books, art, movies, plays, records, etc.   
• Review letters-to-the-editor that are submitted to The Herald to ensure guidelines are followed.   
• Verify authors of letters-to-the-editor.   
• Proofread all copy on the page.   
• Issue oral warnings to staffers who are supervised by editorial page editor.
• Notify the managing editor when a supervised staffer should be issued a written warning.

NEWS EDITOR: The news editor coordinates The Herald's news coverage and ensures that the the coverage is complete and timely.

Duties:

• Assign stories to reporters.   
• Provide story ideas to reporting class. Should consult with professor to determine the number ideas needed each week and when the ideas should be given to the professor.   
• Consult with photo editor to coordinate story/photo coverage.   
• Help copy edit stories.   
• Assist reporters in contacting sources or finding additional sources.   
• Establish deadlines for stories. (See deadlines policy.)   
• Enforce story deadlines and give deadline extensions.   
• Issue verbal warnings to news reporters.   
• Inform managing editor when written warnings need to be issued.   
• Work with editor and associate editors to develop Herald coverage.   
• Produce one page in an eight-page issue.   
• Review news reporting copy to select stories that are suitable for The Herald.

SPORTS EDITOR: The sports editor is responsible for the content of the sports page(s) and providing coverage of the athletic events and issues on campus.

Duties:

• Supervise sports staff members.   
• Assign sports stories.   
• Design and lay out sports page. Take photos and page to printing by appropriate deadlines.   
• Consult with photo editor to coordinate sports/photo coverage.   
• Recruit sports reporters.   
• Attend weekly staff and editorial board meetings.   
• Meet weekly with director of sports information.   
• Edit sports stories.   
• Issue verbal warning to staff members.   
• Inform managing editor when written warnings need to be given to sports reporters.   
• Work with reporters to develop stories and sources.   
• Procure passes for athletic events.

PHOTO EDITOR: The photo editor coordinates Herald photography and is in charge of the darkroom.

Duties:

• Make photo assignments.   
• Consult with news editor to coordinate story/photo coverage.   
• Enforce photo deadlines.   
• Assist staff in developing feature photo ideas.
• Work with photo staff to improve photo quality and darkroom knowledge.
• Issue oral warnings to photographers.   
• Inform managing editor when written warnings need to be issued.   
• Maintain photo files located in small filing cabinet in morgue room.
• Participate in weekly staff and editorial staff meetings.   
• Work with photography instructor to coordinate efforts to allow students in photography classes to submit photos to The Herald.   
• Keep darkroom stocked. Consult adviser for suggestions and procedures.   
• Mix chemicals.   
• Roll film for photographers and for reporters who might be taking their own photos.

ONLINE EDITOR: The Online Editor is responsible for the design and maintenance of the Herald Online.

Duties:

• Supervise all online staff members.
• Publish a World Wide Web version of the Herald on the same day the paper is distributed.
• Recruit staff to help publish the page.
• Offer technical support to all staff members.
• Establish and enforce online deadlines.
• Issue oral warnings to online staff members.   
• Inform managing editor when written warnings need to be issued.   
• Maintain file server and back up system.
• Participate in weekly staff and editorial staff meetings.
• Help copy edit pages before publication.
• Meet with editor once a month to discuss progress, changes and updates.