Responses
Laura, 3/18/2005, 4:16:58 PM
Here's how ours is broken down:
The EIC is the liason between the newsroom and the outside world -- that's administration, the student body, the community, etc. Our EIC is really great at networking, so he handles all of the admin meetings, is our official representative at functions, and so on. He's also morally and ethically centered, because his decisions dictate the direction of the entire paper.
The managing editor is in charge of the newsroom and internal operations of the paper. This person maintains the staff and workstudies (and all of the applicable paperwork). Basically, this person is the behind-the-scenes strength of the paper...a 'right hand wo/man'. The ME also provides a valuable voice in conflict resolution (and as part of her job, represents the interests of the staff).
Both do hiring, budgets, disciplinary action, etc.
Steve, 4/3/2005, 6:33:37 PM
In our paper (The Vector at NJIT) the EIC is the ultimate authority of the paper. He goes to budget meetings, talks to administrators, does a final proof reading of the paper and does layout.
We also have an executive editor who is responsible for layout and serves as the "Vice President" of the club.
Our Managing Editor works with the news/opinions/entertainment editors to assign articles and work with reporters. He also does most of the copy editting.
Sean , 4/5/2005, 3:52:56 PM
For the Martlet (University of Victoria, Canada), our editor-in-chief acts as the representative for the paper, works with section editors and reporters, edits all copy, writes the editorial, coordinates meetings, etc.
The managing editor is responsible for HR, coordinating hiring, and managing the finances and doing basic accounting.
Jacob, 4/14/2005, 8:46:19 PM
I really wish I could budget an editor-in-chief and a managing editor, but I just came from a budget meeting where I asked for more money, and it was clear they wanted to give us less. :(
We have me (editor-in-chief/managing editor) and a business manager that comprise the bulk of our power structure. I really want to have three distinct positions. One position as a figurehead, another to do HR, and another to do accounting and projections.
Chirag, 4/15/2005, 4:21:50 PM
Here at The Triangle (Drexel U., Pa), we only have an ME when the situation really demands it (too much work, a really capable person and so on).
Instead, we have a Staff Manager, who is responsible for day-to-day paperwork, recruiting new staff and retaining them (we're volunteer) and conflict resolution.
As EIC I manage the paper overall, work with various individual editors and their staff, final all proofs - both article and layout, coordinating meetings and chairing the editorial board.
When we've had an ME in the past (I was an ME temporarily), s/he typically managed the paper to help the EIC, editing all copy before the EIC. Also, for smaller sections say comic strips and more, the ME was given the ability to final them, pending a look over by the EIC.
Adam Crisp, 5/5/2005, 12:29:02 AM
Here at The George-Anne (Georgia Southern University) we've recently added an additional managing editor and renamed our EIC executive editor.
The change was made because we are going to four days a week and we thought more planning would be in order.
The EE (formerly the EIC) coordinates the opinion page and serves as the head of the paper. This person also meets with our university president monthly. Ultimately he is the final word on anything that involves our newspaper, our literary magazine and our general interest magazine.
We have a managing editor of news (that's me) who works to develop story ideas and designs the front page. This person would idealy still write for the paper and would undertake any large editorial projects with the help of our news editor. In addition to that the MEN is in charge of making sure the paper's design is consistent.
The managing editor of operations — the new job — is going to oversee the budgeting for the paper and help keep all the departments in good communication.
Sorry this was so long. As you might guess, the topic of what these jobs mean and do has been a huge chunk of our daily conversation over the last few months.
Marcus Ditty-The Voyager, 7/1/2005, 12:27:38 PM
Here at the Voyager (University of West Florida) we have an EIC who is the final authority of everything involving the newspaper. They are the liasion to the university community and are responsible for the editorial direction of the nwespaper. The EIC also makes the staffing choices does the final approval of the paper.
We also have a ME that is basically the top person in the newsroom. They oversee all of the section editors, manage the story budgets, design the front page and serve as the newsroom representative on our editorial board.
Rather than having the ME's time taken up with HR and budgeting, we hired an individual to serve as the business manager. This person is responsible for overseeing all of the financial dealings of the paper (under the direction and approval of the EIC). So basically the way it breaks down is that the ME and Biz Manager are equal one directing the editorial side of the paper and the other the business side and they both answer to the EIC who basically serves as a publisher or Executive editor would in the real world.
