EDITORIAL BOARD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: The Editor-in-Chief is in charge of all news content for the College Heights Herald and the WKUHerald digital platforms. The editor is the chief spokesperson for the news organization, primary representative in the campus community, addresses complaints and deals with all outside agencies and individuals when they interact with the news department. The editor-in-chief is selected by the WKU Student Publications Committee after an application and interview process.
Among the editor-in-chief’s responsibilities:
- Selects section editors and makes final decisions concerning personnel matters dealing with the news department, including hiring and firing.
- Conducts regular staff and chairs Editorial Board meetings.
- Determines payroll within a budget set by the Director of Student Publications and the adviser to the College Heights Herald.
- Works with the advertising manager to determine page count and layout of the print edition.
- In consultation with the editorial board, decides news layout and has final say on any aspect of news content or design.
- Communicates regularly with ad sales manager, Cherry Creative Director about upcoming advertisements or sponsored content.
- Communicates regularly with adviser about progress toward deadlines, including potential problems.
- Is present during production nights.
- Oversees production of the print and digital editions, assists in completion of any aspect of editorial production that requires attention, does “final reads” on print-edition pages and ensures delivery to the printer by deadline.
- Leads all inquiry boards investigating allegations of misconduct on staff.
- Serves as a non-voting member of the WKU Student Publications Committee.
- Works closely with section editors to help each of them perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.
- 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 the Herald Editor’s email account, and oversees the website and social media accounts.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Updates the staff handbook as needed.
- Works with adviser and Student Publications Director to plan staff training at the beginning of each semester and, as needed, throughout the semester.
DESIGN EDITOR: The design editor coordinates with Cherry Creative to lay out ads and text for the printed edition of the Herald. They create designs using Adobe Creative Cloud, with the goal of communicating a message to those who will view the product. They are tasked with developing logos, illustrations or product packages as well as communicating with other ed board members and staff on how stories are presented.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Helps page designers with design of print magazines.
- Design pages when needed.
- Provide fresh design ideas to elevate the paper.
- Periodically re-design website (when needed).
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
COPY DESK CHIEF: The copy desk chief will lead a team of copy editors for both the print and digital products. The copy desk chief themself will do second reads on every story before it is put on the page of our print product. They will also assist with proofing pages before it is sent off. The copy desk will be open to learning new digital skills, including working with the digital director on learning to make online assets have more digital value.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with editors to read over both digital and print content to ensure there are no spelling errors, grammar mistakes, etc.
- Attend all productions to read over material.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of specialty publications.
CONTENT EDITORS: Two content editors will take on the traditional roles of print and digital news editors. They will assign breaking news and feature news stories, coach reporters on their writing and structure of their stories, and post stories to our website in a timely manner. Both editors are expected to check in with each story every 2-4 days, depending on deadlines. Editors must directly view the work of reporters during these check-ins. Editors should also be proactive in encouraging reporters to reach out to sources in a timely manner (i.e. sitting with reporters as they write emails within 48 hours of assignment).
Both will fill the traditional roles of News editor and Features editor, covering both day-to-day news content and student life coverage. They may alternate focus or favor one category over the other over time, but both will generate ideas and advice on both content areas. These editors may delegate responsibilities between themselves as necessary and are encouraged to go outside the confines of their News/Features concentrations in both editing and story development.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assign deadlines to story assignments.
- Attend all weekly meetings to plan.
- Work with reporters to help them become better writers.
- Communicate with other editors to ensure stories have accompanying visuals.
- Maintains the Herald Digital email account
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
PHOTO EDITOR: The photo editor position has a multitude of responsibilities as the top representative for visuals on the editorial board. This position delegates to and coordinates photographers with story assignments while maintaining a strong relationship with other editors in the newsroom. This person regularly attends editorial board meetings and seeks out more information regarding assignments for staff photographers. This role leads photo meetings and coaches photographers on how to capture strong images and explanatory photo stories or event coverage. Regularly provides positive and fair feedback, as well as constructive criticism, to staffers to assist in their development. The photo editor regularly attends editorial board meetings at weekly assignment meetings. This editor can be expected to take photos if the situation calls for it. Examples of this can be for breaking news or when there’s a last-minute need during production. The photo editor is expected to assist our design editor on photo placement in the magazine. They are the person most responsible for advocating for strong placement and captions. This person can be expected to edit and tone images for the magazine and for the website. They oversee the placement of images on SNO.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assign deadlines to photo assignments.
- Attend all weekly meetings to plan
- Communicate with other editors to ensure stories have accompanying visuals.
- Oversee visuals needed for live sporting events.
- Edit photos for print and digital content in a timely manner.
- Place finished visuals onto the server in the proper folders.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
VIDEO EDITOR: The video editor is responsible for managing material such as camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects to produce a final video product to display on the Herald’s website, Youtube channel, as well as on social media. This is a key role in the newsroom for multimedia reporting and your skills can determine the quality and delivery of the finished result.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assign video projects to staff – including event coverage, profiles, recruitment, etc.
- Help teach staff how to create a good video.
- Edit and upload videos in a timely manner.
- Upload projects to the WKU Herald’s Youtube account and embed them into the Herald’s website.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
SPORTS EDITOR: The sports editor will be responsible for delegating beats and making sure each game that takes place is covered in a quick and effective way for digital. They will also assign reporters to breaking news situations involving WKU athletics (new players signed, players arrested, changes to the way we watch games, etc.) The sports editor will also be creative with story ideas for our print edition. Gamers will have no place in the print product. The stories will be features on players and coaches, key figures, as well as analytical pieces about game patterns, athletic spending and WKU sport trends.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assign sports reporters to specific sport beats
- Communicate with WKU Athletics regarding photo requests, access to games and athletes, updates on scheduling, etc.
- Edit and post sports content from beat reporters
- Communicate with photo editor to ensure live events have visuals, work with other editors to make sure sports content is prepared for print editions.
- Maintains the Herald Sports Editor’s email account
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
COMMENTARY EDITOR: The commentary editor will coach and edit staff editorial writers, but will also be responsible for reaching out to our audience for community opinions. They will also work on getting quick student opinions through social media polls. They will be forward thinking and innovative in getting content for our opinion section. When necessary, they will write editorials meant to represent the entire editorial board’s opinion on certain matters, but they will ideally not be weekly as it has been in the past. They are encouraged to generate stories that are creative and engaging.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Commentary writers should come to meetings prepared with ideas to pursue.
- Writers should communicate with editors about ideas and story updates.
- Maintains the Herald Opinion Editor’s email account
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: The social media manager will utilize social media to give our content a broader reach and establish new readers. They will be aware of social media trends and keep our platforms up to date for our audience. Additionally, the social media manager will be aware of our social media’s peak times and when to best publish stories. They will social digital stories as well as stories from the print edition.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Oversee and manage social media specialists – help them learn what works best for their specific platform.
- Find new ideas on how to constantly improve the Herald’s social media.
- Ensure content is being posted in a timely manner, especially breaking news.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: The newsletter editor is responsible for building our daily newsletters. They will generate content ideas for digital-only/newsletter-only stories. They will work with other editors and ad staff on how to make our newsletter more appealing to its audience.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with ad and social media staff to ensure what needs to go into the newsletter.
- Build, fill and share newsletter every weekday in a consistent time window
- Update editors and advisors with analytical trends, content that attracts attention
- Generate ideas for interactive newsletter content (polls, quizzes, games, questions)
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
NON-EDITORIAL BOARD POSITIONS
All staff positions are expected to:
- Meet deadlines and participate in production.
- Aid in the distribution of the Herald in both print and web.
- Report breaking news and check Slack daily for messages.
- Represent the Herald brand and maintain good-standing in the community.
- Adhere to all policies set forth in the Student Publications Policy Manual including social media best practices.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
BEAT REPORTER: Beat reporters write stories within their assigned beat, call sources on their beat as often as necessary — usually once or twice a week — to keep abreast of potential stories. Beat reporters read other publications and look for stories concerning their beats. Beat reporters produce at least two to three in-depth stories from their beat each semester and contribute online coverage. They are expected to independently stay up-to-date and informed on their beat without reminders from editors.
All reporters are expected to contact sources within 48 hours of assignment and should update their written piece each time new information is gained (i.e. after each interview, after a document is collected, etc.)
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Reporters write stories they are assigned or develop in consultation with their editor. Reporters look for potential stories and readily accept assignments for print and online coverage, and attend all staff meetings.
- Reporters should communicate with editors about ideas and story updates.
- All reporters are expected to contact sources within 12 hours of assignment.
- All reporters should be prepared to take photos with their mobile device.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER: General assignment reporters write stories they are assigned or develop in consultation with their editor. GA reporters look for potential stories and readily accept assignments for print and online coverage, and attend all staff meetings.
All reporters are expected to contact sources within 48 hours of assignment and should update their written piece each time new information is gained (i.e. after each interview, after a document is collected, etc.) All reporters should be prepared to take photos with their mobile device.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Reporters write stories they are assigned or develop in consultation with their editor. Reporters look for potential stories and readily accept assignments for print and online coverage, and attend all staff meetings.
- Reporters should communicate with editors about ideas and story updates.
- All reporters are expected to contact sources within 12 hours of assignment.
- All reporters should be prepared to take photos with their mobile device.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
PHOTOGRAPHER: The role of the staff photographer is to be a front-line journalist who uses their camera as a tool to tell the most accurate story possible. Photographers are extremely important people to any newsroom. Their images capture moments that drive the viewer to want to know more and are expected to be visually appealing. Photographers will shoot assignments given by the photo editor and meet deadlines with assignments for print and online, as well as have complete and accurate caption information. Photographers and reporters are expected to coordinate their coverage by discussing a plan in a timely manner for each assignment. All photographers are expected to pitch at least two to three projects in a semester, including photo stories and multimedia pieces.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
PAGE DESIGNER: Designers designing pages and graphics that use visual journalism techniques to convey information for the print and digital products assigned by the Design Editor.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
COPY EDITOR: Copy Editors read stories in first copy checking for factual errors, spelling, grammar, AP Style and punctuation.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST: Social media specialists are responsible for the day-to-day posts on social media channels. This position is the original brand ambassador for all things Herald and should adhere to all ethical guidelines.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Each specialist will handle one of the Herald’s social media accounts.
- Specialists should provide their manager ideas on how to improve engagement on each of their accounts.
- Specialists should ensure that content is being posted consistently.
- Assists with on-campus distribution of the Herald and other specialty publications.
- Sets, posts and keeps weekly office hours.