Editorial/Reportorial

JOB SUMMARY

Managing Editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing:

The managing editor/chief operating editor must be present for the weekly budget meeting and schedule his or her classes to ensure that he or she will have the time to devote to this position. The managing editor directly supervises the day-to-day operations of the publication, and reports to the editor in chief. A major portion of the managing editor’s job involves hiring and overseeing administrative and content editors. He or she may write a column or editorial sometimes, and is more likely to edit articles on occasion than the editor in chief would be. The managing editor’s job takes place primarily in the office – it is to suggest ideas, assign articles, handle problems, keep the staff on schedule and answer questions from department editors. The managing editor determines the importance of articles and what goes on the front page. Since the executive editor can’t be everywhere at once, the managing editor may be asked to fill in for her, representing the publication at community events, from chamber of commerce luncheons to fundraising walk-a-thons.

General Assignment Editor:

The general assignment editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing. He or she shall secure breaking news, hard news or soft news as they arise across the campus and present them every week during the editorial board meetings. The general assignment editor shall secure stories from university press releases, beat managers, the Associated Press wire, the Alabama State University website (news) or if someone telephones the newsroom or another editor or reporter comes up with a story idea. General assignment editors are very familiar with the ASU community and tend to be well known around the campus.

Staff Researcher and Archivist:

The staff researcher and archivist reports directly to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for researching information for possible articles, photos or the history of certain subjects. The staff researcher and archivist is also responsible for establishing and administering policy guidelines concerning public access and use of The Hornet Tribune archives.

Special Sections Editor:

The special sections editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for all of the special sections that The Hornet Tribune will publish. Examples of special sections are New Student Orientation, Welcome Back, Labor Day Classic, Magic City Classic, Homecoming, Founders’ Day, Turkey Day Classic, Commencement, and etc.

COVID-19 Editor

Candidates must have experience of editing the work of others and a demonstrable commitment to the promotion of the social sciences and their contribution to solve global problems. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential. Organizational skills, discretion and diplomacy are also vital as well as the ability to work independently, collaboratively and to show flexibility to meet the demands of this urgent initiative.

University News Editor:

The University News editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for ensuring that all hard news, soft news, spot news stories and news feature stories that occur on the campus are covered. The University News editor is responsible for ensuring that there are enough stories assigned each week (10 stories) to completely fill the University News section (four pages including the front page) and the web. The University News editor will manage three staff reporters and writers to assist him or her in news coverage for the campus.

Assistant University News Editor

The Assistant University News editor reports directly to the University News editor and is responsible for assisting the University News editor to secure spot news stories, regular news stories and feature news stories that occur on the campus. The Assistant University News editor is responsible for assisting the University News editor secure enough stories each week to completely fill up the University News section and weekly for the web.

Horizons Editor:

The Horizons editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for identifying local, state and national news that affects the student body-at-large. Once those stories are identified, he or she must retype the stories and send them up for publication. The Horizons editor should reference the Associated Press wire service, al.com and the Montgomery Advertiser.

Editorial Page Editor:

The Viewpoints editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for generating content (editorials, letters to the editor, Hornet Expressions, opposing editorials, guest columns, polls, etc.) in The Hornet Tribune’s Viewpoints section both in print and online. The Viewpoints editor stays abreast to the tone of the campus and the and the most newsworthy news and writes at least one commentary per week about the pressing issues that occur on the campus, locally, statewide and nationally.

Assistant Viewpoints Editor:

The Assistant Viewpoints editor reports to the Viewpoints editor and is responsible for assisting the Viewpoints editor to generate content (editorials, letters to the editor, Hornet Expressions, opposing editorials, guest columns, polls, etc.) in The Hornet Tribune’s Viewpoints section both in print and online. The Assistant Viewpoints editor also stays abreast to the tone of the campus and the most newsworthy news and writes at least one commentary per week about the pressing issues that occur on the campus.

Lifestyles Editor:

The Hornet Living editor reports directly to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing. He or She is responsible for one of The Hornet Tribune’s key missions: To provide an engaging forum for students and the Alabama State University community to reading issues about health, fitness, cooking, and issues that affect college students such as abortion, alcohol, drugs, premarital sex, domestic violence, social media and mentoring. The section should consist of feature stories that will draw the ASU community (faculty, staff and students) to The Hornet Tribune.

Sports and Intramurals Editor:

The Sports and Intramurals editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for the coverage of 16 sports and intramural sports articles on behalf of The Hornet Tribune. The sports editor will coordinate a staff of five sports reporters/writers (one of which is a senior reporter) that will cover sports-related news, both on-campus and off-campus.

Assistant Sports and Intramurals Editor

The Assistant Sports and Intramurals editor reports to the Sports and Intramurals editor and is responsible for writing and editing sports articles and assisting the Sports and Intramurals editor keep up with the university’s 16 sports. The Assistant Sports and Intramural editor will keep an eye on current fads in sports, gathering important information in the area of sports, collecting data from reliable sources, keeping abreast with the interests of the target audience and sports events, working on special projects, and performing other tasks assigned by the Sports and Intramurals editor.

Arts and Entertainment:

The Arts and Entertainment editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for bringing the world of the entertainment, performing arts, fine arts, music, dance and travel to Alabama State University’s student body through print and web journalism. Because there are so many areas under this section, it is important that balance be given when performing press coverage.

Alumni Connection Editor:

The Alumni Connection editor reports to the managing editor for Editorial Operations and Staffing and is responsible for connecting the present student body with members of the Alabama State University alumni community. Members of the alumni are sought out and targeted for in-depth feature stories that focus on how they arrived at their present careers or any other from “rags to riches” information that will encourage our students to touch base with them.

Investigative Reporter/Writer:

The investigative reporter/writer will find the in-depth stories that the ASU community readers want to know. He or she will find newsworthy statistics and occurrences to report and to understand the subject matter from the inside out. The investigative reporter/writer will need to be accurate in the facts reported, but he or she must have the writing skills to keep people engaged in the pieces all the way to the end. The ASU community will look to the investigative reporter/writer to deliver new insights and draw relevant conclusions that will help the readers better understand the topic.

Staff Columnist:

The staff columnist reports directly to the Viewpoints editor and is responsible for creating timely, authentic and entertaining columns each week for the Alabama State University community. Staff columnists are one of the greatest attractions to The Hornet Tribune as they explore areas that are germane to the student body and usually attack problems and issues as well as offer alternatives.

Senior Staff Reporter/Writer:

The senior staff reporter/writer reports directly to the any of the content editors and is considered one of the best reporters/writers on the staff. He or She is usually assigned more stories of greater significance each week because of his or her seniority, familiarity with the editorial process and because he or she is already aware of the campus landscape.

Staff Reporter/Writer:

The staff reporter/writer reports to the assigned content editor and is responsible for reporting and writing quality stories for The Hornet Tribune.