What’s Involved Structure Job Descriptions Cross-Staff Policy Payment for Work Copyright policy addendum Photo policies

Ethics Guide Ethics Guide Plagiarism and fabrication Social media best practices Talisman College Heights Herald Student Publications Policy Manual AP Stylebook

Structure

Cherry Creative works in conjunction with the Student Publications advertising staff to serve the needs of clients. Designers, writers, photographers and videographers produce sponsored content published through the Herald or Talisman, as well as other specialty publications.

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Cherry Creative job descriptions

Creative Director

The creative director oversees all members of the Cherry Creative staff while generating creative ideas for sponsored content and other revenue-generating products.

• Selects editorial board and makes final decisions concerning personnel matters, including hiring and firing.
• Calls and conducts editorial board meetings and full staff meetings.
• Works closely with editors to help each of them perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.
• Oversees work of all others, assists in completion of any aspect of content production that requires attention.
• Tracks metrics for online sponsored content and special projects.
• Sets and enforces deadlines.
• Communicates regularly with ad sales manager, Herald editor-in-chief and Talisman editor-in-chief about upcoming projects.
• Communicates regularly with adviser about progress toward deadlines, including potential problems.
• Works production nights.
• Proofreads and edits all content before publication.
• Communicates with the necessary Herald or Talisman editors to publish online sponsored content pieces.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the adviser on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
• Maintains Cherry Creative email account, website and social media accounts.
• Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.
• Updates the staff handbook as needed.
• Works with adviser to plan staff training at the beginning of each semester and, as needed, throughout the semester.
• Gathers, organizes and submits pay bills to Student Publications business manager.

Design Editor

Under the supervision of the creative director, the design team leader oversees the design production of all revenue-generating products, including advertisements and special sections.

• Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
• Works production nights as needed.
• Calls and conducts design staff meetings.
• Recruits, hires, trains and manages a staff of designers.
• Manage design requests from ad sales staff.
• Makes and manages design assignments and works with creative director to set and manage deadlines.
• Attends editorial board meetings.
• Communicates regularly with creative director and adviser about progress toward deadlines.
• Works with Herald and Talisman design editors to maintain consistent look for sponsored content running in print.
• Oversee and contribute to the design of ads, special sections and other specialty publications.
• Designs the fun page published in the Herald each week.
• Delegates responsibility to design staff and gives designers feedback on their work.
• Informs creative director of problems locating photos, captions, text, etc.
• Works with creative director to correct all layouts and proofs.
• Communicates regularly with creative director and adviser about progress toward deadlines.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the creative director on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.

Photo Editor

Under the supervision of the creative director, the photo editor oversees the creation of all photo while managing a staff of photographers.

• Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
• Works production nights as needed.
• Calls and conducts photo staff meetings.
• Recruits, hires, trains and manages a staff of photographers.
• Makes and manages photo assignments and works with creative director to set and manage deadlines.
• Generates story ideas and sponsored content proposals
• Edits and tones all photos for publication.
• Assists creative director with building posts for online publication.
• Helps ensure staff photographers communicate with staff writers and/or editors about photo assignments, coordinating visual content with written word.
• Takes on assignments as needed.
• Makes appointments with staffers to give feedback on photos.
• Attends editorial board meetings.
• Communicates regularly with creative director and adviser about progress toward deadlines.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the creative director on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Ensures all photo content is ready by deadlines.
• Joins advertising consultants at client meetings to pitch sponsored content ideas, when necessary.
• Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.

Writing Editor

Under the supervision of the creative director, the writing team leader manages and trains writers in the production of all written content.

• Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
• Works production nights as needed.
• Calls and conducts writing staff meetings.
• Recruits, hires trains and manages a staff of writers.
• Makes and manages writing assignments and works with creative director to set and manage deadlines.
• Generates story ideas and sponsored content proposals.
• Helps ensure staff writers communicate with staff photographers and/or section editors about photo assignments, coordinating visual content with written word.
• Attends editorial board meetings.
• Communicates regularly with creative director and adviser about progress toward deadlines.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the creative director on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Edits all copy before passing on to creative director.
• Ensures consistency with AP Style and local style.
• Makes appointments with staffers to revise and give feedback on copy.
• Takes on assignments as needed.
• Attends leadership team meetings.
• Ensures all written content is ready by deadlines.
• Joins advertising consultants at client meetings to pitch sponsored content ideas, when necessary.
• Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.

Video Coordinator

Under the supervision of the creative director, the video team leader oversees the production of all video while managing a staff of videographers.

• Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
• Works production nights as needed.
• Calls and conducts multimedia staff meetings.
• Recruits, hires, trains and manages a staff of videographers.
• Makes and manages video assignments and works with creative director to set and manage deadlines.
• Generates story ideas and sponsored videography opportunities.
• Oversees all editing and video production for online publishing.
• Assists creative director with building video posts and storyboarding for social media accounts.
• Helps ensure staff videographers communicate with staff writers, photographers and/or editors about video assignments and coordinating visual content with written word.
• Takes on assignments as needed.
• Makes appointments with staffers to give feedback on videos.
• Attends editorial board meetings.
• Communicates regularly with creative director and adviser about progress toward deadlines.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the creative director on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Ensures all video production is ready by deadlines.
• Joins advertising consultants at client meetings to pitch sponsored content ideas, when necessary.
• Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.

Staff designers, photographers and writers

• Develop ideas with section leaders.
• Complete work as assigned by editors.
• Produce high-quality work.
• Turn in finished products on deadline.
• Help make corrections and edits during the editing and proofing process.
• Adhere to AP Style and local Student Publications style.
• Work on production nights as needed.
• Regularly checks all communication tools to touch base with editors, staff and/or the creative director on project progress and upcoming events. (i.e. Slack, text messaging, etc.)
• Attend staff meetings, full staff meetings and appointments made with editors.
• Assist in distributing specialty publications on campus.

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Cross-staff policy

Cherry Creative staff members may work concurrently for the Herald or Talisman with the approval of their supervising editors on both staffs, the Cherry Creative director and the relevant editor-in-chief. For the request to be approved, staffers must be in a position on each staff to work on content that will not overlap in subject matter with their work on the other staff. Editors must deem the staffer mature enough to handle potential ethical questions responsibly, a practice that will include having conversations about any ethical gray areas with editors and advisers. Writers, photographers or designers working on Cherry Creative and another staff must communicate regularly with their supervising editors on each staff about all work they are creating, pitching or otherwise involved in for the other staff so as to avoid any conflict of interest, actual or perceived.

Due to the complexity of juggling potential conflicts of interest across three different staffs, staff members will not be permitted to work for Cherry Creative, Talisman, and the Herald during the same semester.

Cherry Creative editors, because of their involvement in all sponsored content pieces, will not be permitted to work concurrently as a staff member of the Herald or Talisman.

Cherry Creative staff members who go on to work for the Herald or Talisman after their time with Cherry Creative should remain conscious of any potential conflicts of interest related to their previous client work and should alert their editors to any potential conflicts.

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Payment for work

Editorial board positions and design positions will receive a salary paid at the end of each month. Editors in salaried positions will not receive additional pay or commission beyond their salary, except in rare, unique circumstances pre-approved by the Cherry Creative adviser.

Staff writers, photographers and videographers are paid for each piece produced according to the following rates and policies.

Cherry Creative Payment Schedule

The primary individual working on a sponsored content piece will earn a 6% commission. If there is a second individual working on the piece, he/she will receive 4% commission. The staffer considered the primary individual will be the person having the most contact with the client as determined by the creative director. This distribution may be adjusted at the discretion of the creative director and adviser to ensure pay accurately reflects the distribution of work. Individuals in salary positions will not receive commission.

Writing and multimedia work that is not created in partnership with a client will be paid at the rates below. Spec pieces created to solicit a sponsored content partnership with a client will be paid at 50 percent of the standard rates below if the piece is not published.

If content is licensed to a client for use outside of Student Publications, the staff member who created the content will receive 50 percent of the licensing fee charged to the client.

Standard writing rates

• Blurb (250 edited words or fewer) $4
• Story (more than 250 edited words) $8
• Story without sources $5

Standard multimedia rates

• Single photo $4
• Photo package (3 or more photos) $10
• Photo story (3 or more photos from multiple dates/locations) $15
• Video produced by an individual $15
• Video produced by a team (split at discretion of editor) $25
• Full take from an assignment shot for future use $15

Payment Process

Staffers must complete a staffer packet and W-9 tax form in order to receive payment. Pay bills will be compiled at the end of each month by the creative director and adviser. When the balance owed reaches $25 or more, the bill will be submitted to the university accounts payable office. Any pay bills not previously paid because the total falls below $25 will be processed in the last pay period of each semester. Staffers will be notified when checks are available for pickup at the Student Publications business office during normal business hours.

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Copyright policy addendum

Cherry Creative staff members and editors must agree to the following addendum to the WKU Student Publications copyright policy:

Understanding that much of the work produced by Cherry Creative is produced on behalf of outside clients, I hereby grant the Western Kentucky University Office of Student Publications the right to license such work to the client for any future use, in perpetuity, in exchange for a portion of the licensing fee as outlined in the current Cherry Creative payment policies. I understand that my work will be licensed only to a client that partnered with Cherry Creative for the production and publication of the work and that I retain the right to license the work to any other approved third parties.

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Photo policies

All camera equipment is to be checked out properly using official protocols and may not be lent to any other person without them first officially checking out the equipment. All equipment is to be returned in good condition and in a timely manner.

Photo gear may be checked out through the Office of Student Publications during regular business hours. Photographers may not check out gear to shoot photos for class or otherwise, unless the end product may be used for Cherry Creative. DO NOT let another photographer borrow gear you have checked out. Photo equipment lost or damaged is the financial responsibility of the photographer who checked out the equipment.

Photo gear checkout policies and procedures

• Only approved staff photographers may check out gear.
• Cameras, regular and wide-angle lenses and battery chargers may be checked out for up to one week.
• The zoom lens may be checked out for three days. Checkout over the weekend will begin on Friday, return by Monday. Checkout for the zoom lens on Wednesday, Thursday will have to be re-checked out by Friday.
• If a photographer does not return equipment at the expected time on three occasions, he/she will not be allowed to check out equipment for the rest of the semester.
• Photographers are required to repair or replace broken equipment. Student must furnish police report for stolen equipment.

Caption writing instructions

• The date the photo was taken (Monday Sept. 3, 2008) should precede the caption info. Finish the caption with your name as it will appear in the book.
• Think of the caption as a brief photo story. ALWAYS write at least two sentences for a caption.
• The first sentence should be in PRESENT tense and describe the photo. Subsequent sentences are to be written in PAST tense and should add additional information and give background information.
• Be specific and thorough.
• Identify everyone, up to six people, in the photo. Be sure to include their name, hometown and grade classification.
• DO NOT begin a caption with a name or number.
• DO NOT pad to fill space.

Photos without accurate, complete and usable captions turned in on time will be subject to a $5 per photo deduction to be decided by the photo editor and/or creative director. Photos without suitable captions may not be printed.

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