WINOL: Week 1

Well, my first week as managing editor flowed rather effortlessly in comparison to my initials fears and preconceptions of the job description.

Managing Editor

1. Convene the main editorial conferences and review of edition. Take notes of these meetings and circulate copies to all staff.
2. With the editor, ensure all editorial deadlines are met.
3. Answer all correspondence to the site, or ensure that it is answered, and adjudicate on any complaints.
4. Draw up and circulate lists of up to date contacts (phones, e-mail) make these available to all and keep track of all staff in a duty log on the wall.
5. Analyse and publish the weekly number of “hits” achieved by the site.
6. Adjudicate in any disputes between staff and allocate or re-allocate staff as appropriate.
7. Work with the section planning editors to ensure that the sectional and overall news/features planning diary is kept up to date and is disseminated.
8. Ensure that the newsroom is kept in good working order and establish working relationship with the technicians. Organise the arrival and storage of daily newspapers.
9. Make arrangements for the use of specialist equipment (eg cameras) as appropriate.
10. Deputise for the editor when required to do so.
11. Co-ordinate advertising and promotion of the site in conjunction with the course leader (publisher).
12. Answer to the editor and course leader.

As you can see, my role requires me to act as somewhat of a facilitator in ensuring the fluidity of all operations. Acting as Managing editor requires me to liasse between all department editors and the main editor. In addition to this I am also to act in aiding anybody when they require help.

My first week, despite being slightly overwhelmed and unsure of my real responsibilities, I did thoroughly enjoy it and found it most productive. Monday was very busy, and as managing editor, my work input was needed from the offset. My first task was to create the contact lists for new, sport, and features so that everybody could be easily contacted etc. Chris asked me to put them on my blog so as he could direct people to it, and in addition to this I also produced hard copies to be mounted on the wall at the front of the news room. Despite being a rather mundane task, it is essential and integral for a newsroom to function with any sort of efficieny, so I appreciated it's neccessity.

Much of Monday was dominated by various meetings between reporters and editors. I attended all of these meetings, writing notes and giving input where appropriate, but not too much so as not to undermine the news editor (Kayleigh) or the editor (Cat). From these meetings we were able to construct a provisional running order for the news bulletin, and a list of features and their respective deadlines. Again, as with the contacts lists, the news and features lists were available on my blog and the wall-hung hardcopies. In addition to this Kayleigh and I put up the temporary running order of the bulletin on the white board.

Making headway in promoting the site this week is worth mentioning as a triumph on my part. Through networking within the Union I managed to get permission for a still-image advertisements to be projected from the various screens within the Student Union. I am very pleased with this endeavor as I am well aware of the potential attention such exposure will give Winchester News Online. I couldn't even hazard a guess as to how many times I myself have stared aimlessly at the Union television screens when socialising there, so I am very confident that the advert will bring Winol a higher flow of traffic. The advert will consist of a photograph of the studio floor in action, and will convey, through text, the reasons why students should explore WINOL i.e. the inclusion of buzzwords such as, "WIN" and "PRIZE", are imperative to attract traffic. Also, over the next few days I wish to design and create attractive yet formative flyers and place them strategically throughout all areas of the University. In addition to this I further increased my email contacts list so as to alert as many people as possible about WINOL.

Other minor, yet important tasks I undertook this week in accordance with the criteria of managing editor included: relaying problems with the site to Chris (hyperlinks were not properly working), contacting Paul Manning to get permission for new furniture, getting Keith Edwards to spam everyone within the Faculty of Arts.

Other tasks which I undertook included: emailing the news team to tell them what Catherine expects them to bring to the news meeting next Monday, helping Kayleigh to keep the news team focused in getting their stories in on time etc, checking all VTs before they are canned and help with re-editing where applicable, lending a hand to help sub-edit articles, and collate questions from University students, with Vernoica, to ask the SU president for a video/text feature.