Cornellian Training Manual

Editor-in-Chief

At the Beginning of the School Year:

• Contact Maquoketa Web Printing and relay the printing schedule.
• Meet with advisor to discuss goals for year.
• Assist editors in establishing a staff.
• Create early edition before the start of the school year.
• Create style guidelines.

Throughout the School Year

Each Block:

• Attend the monthly Media Board meeting.
• Review the business report with the business manager.
• Lead the weekly staff meeting (at least once per week), during which he or she should check in with each editor to discuss his or her section. During off-weeks, lead a critique of the most recent issue.
• Check The Cornellian mail box weekly, as well as the voice mail.
• Keep the advisor updated on the workings of the newspaper.
• Review staff to ensure that they are doing quality work and deserve honoraria.
• Assist staff with the finalization of their sections.
• Make final changes before paper is sent to press, including a final copy edit of the entire paper.
• Completes self evaluations and staff evaluations by the last week of third block. During seventh block, must advertise for editorial and managerial staff positions for following school year. New positions should be filled before the first on-week eighth block.
• Should attend Student Senate general assemblies and/or Appropriation Committee Meetings with Business Manager when monetary requests are made or when general questions concerning The Cornellian are discussed.
• Should keep the office in working order, making sure that office supplies are treated with care and the office in general is kept reasonably clean.
• Consults with faculty advisor, especially on matters concerning content, evaluation, libel, and freedom of expression.
• Directs relations between The Cornellian and other organizations or bodies on campus, including the administration.

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Section Editors

News Editor

In Preparation of the School Year:

• Gather and maintain a staff. Ensure that news staff has adequate knowledge regarding news writing; provide skill-building techniques when necessary.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition.
• Create a list of story ideas that can be utilized throughout the year.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, news editor(s) must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• The Today@Cornell emails and other sources of campus news should be read on a daily basis.
• Starting 2005-06 school year, editor(s) should look over one regional/national newspaper, containing national news, at least three times a week.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Opinions

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff. Request that columnists send in a sample writing piece in order for the editor to evaluate writing quality.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with columns for the Early Edition.
• Discuss with Editor(s)-in-Chief his or her organization in regards to the distribution of columns and column word lengths.

Throughout the School Year

• Columns should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When columns are lacking for an issue, the copy editor must find columns to fill spaces, writing his or her own when need be.
• Editor should keep him or herself updated with regional and national issues and news.
• Letters to the Editor should be forwarded to the Editor(s)-in-Chief, who then make all final decisions regarding the letter(s)’ printing.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Features

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition.
• Create a list of features spreads that can be utilized throughout the year.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, news editor(s) must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• The Today@Cornell emails and other sources of campus news should be read on a daily basis.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Arts

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition if requested.
• Create a list of story ideas that can be utilized throughout the year.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, the arts editor must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• The Today@Cornell emails and other sources of campus news should be read on a daily basis.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Entertainment

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition if requested.
• Create a list of story ideas that can be utilized throughout the year.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, the entertainment editor must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• The Today@Cornell emails and other sources of campus news should be read on a daily basis.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Sports

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition if requested.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, the sports editor must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• Should attend as many home sporting events as possible. If event is not covered by editor, photo editor can be requested to take photos if necessary.
• Should be familiar with all sport team schedules.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Backpage Editor

In Preparation of the School Year

• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Provide Editor(s)-in-Chief with articles for the Early Edition of requested.

Throughout the School Year

• Articles should be submitted to the copy editors by the set deadline.
• When articles are lacking for an issue, the backpage editor must find writers to fill spaces, or write his or her own articles to complete the section.
• Photo requests should be submitted to the photo editor by the set deadline.
• Layout should be created for the page by Wednesday evening.
• Final copy edits must be made before page is complete.
• Attend all planned and unplanned meetings.

Copy Editor

• Work with the Editor-In-Chief and the editor staff to establish style guidelines.
• Gather and maintain a staff.
• Promptly review each page as it is completed for consistency with the rest of the paper, grammar, spelling, etc. Return the edited page to the appropriate editor for revisions. Repeat as necessary. Show the final draft to the Editor-in-Chief for final review.
• Attend weekly editor meetings.

Photo Editor

• Learn the functions of the cameras available.
• Learn the features of the available photo-editing programs on the computers.
• Acquire pictures as requested by section editors sometimes with little notice.
• Attend weekly editors meetings.

Online Editor 

• Update the online edition by Friday evening after a completed on-week
• Keep all contact and other miscellaneous information current
• Become well acquainted with the web program
• Work with Cornell’s webmaster so that website agrees with college policies

Advertising Manager

• Send out ad pricing information to local businesses at beginning of year; make personal contacts with prospective advertisers
• Have ads in Advertising Folder by the beginning of an on-week
• Place ads on the correct pages
• Continue to seek out new advertisers

Circulation Manager

• At beginning of year send out subscription letters to past subscribers
• Enter all subscribers into computer database
• Responsible for the pick-up and distribution of the newspaper (on and off campus)
• In charge of mailing papers to subscribers