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Features from scratch

moises, 11/22/2004, 2:00:53 AM

Hey I'm the new features editor at our twice weekly newspaper. The features editor has been sort of a meaningless position for a while with us. The section no longer exists and we now integrate features into the appropriate sections of the paper. The position has sort of been for retirees the last few smemester.
I'm the first features editor in a while to have any sort of motivation to change things. I'm really ambitious and motivated but I feel like there's so much institutional pressure to just keep things the way they are.
I guess the real thing I'm frustrated with is I am at the mercy of the section editors because I have no section of my own so I have no real editorial control over anything. Although this is a senior position, it's sort of nebulous and undefined at this point. I took this on because I thought it would be a challenge to remake this but now I feel like I'm going to be just a glorified staff writer unless I really shove my way past the section editors which would just make them mad. Any suggestions on how to build this position from scratch?

Responses

Rob Velella, 11/22/2004, 9:11:25 AM
You're right to want to try something like this, and you're also right to know enough not to cause trouble with staff members in trying to do this. My personal recommendation is that you propose actual features to the other editors, see what they think, and incorporate that feature into a section maybe twice a month or so. That gives significant time to make a true feature, gives the section editors a heads-up, and also keeps from taking over other parts of the paper.

As a side note, I've seen student newspapers with 8 editors and I've seen student newspapers with 22 editors. Just because there are a lot of positions doesn't mean they are all worthwhile. If there's a position on staff that's undefined, either define it, or get rid of it.

Rob Velella, advisor
Red & Black student newspaper
Washington & Jefferson College

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