UP Staff Handbook 2018

Staff Handbook Fall 2018

EDITOR CASSIE JENKINS MANAGING EDITOR OLIVIA MALICK

“Doing our best to be the best.”

GENERAL RULES • Meetings are mandatory. If you can’t make it to meetings, please let us know.

• All stories will be edited by Andy or Stephan, period. All reporters will be present during the editing process and should reserve 30 minutes NOTE: If your schedule conflicts with meet- to an hour for it. Phones will be silenced. ings, you should make a standing appointment with the editor.

• This means that the stories have be edited and saved into Finished Copy to be considered • All stories to be published are due on Mon“in” If there are special circumstances, make day before noon. sure and let us know.

• Every staffer is required to have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account and use it for work.

• Staffers are required to come up with at least one story idea a week by MONDAY’S MEETING. We might not use every idea but this is a good way to get a reporter’s outlook on finding news. If you cannot make it into the office, you can send your idea with your name on it to editor@lamaruniversitypress.com, or text.

• All story ideas must be approved by the editor, managing editor, or the directors.

• Deadlines are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! If you have a test, schoolwork, or other obligations, let us know before you take on a story.

• Always be available for story assignments or other assignments (photos or circulation). We need current phone numbers for everyone on staff.

• Over the course of the semester, most reporters and photographers should acquire a general knowledge of Quark, PhotoShop, Word, and Adobe Premiere.

• Practicum students will need to spend some time in the office every day during the week.

The course requirement is 5 hours a week.

• Everyone on staff should make time for the UP and participate. Please be respective and don’t disrupt other staffers while they’re doing work.

Interview Style:

Story Assignments:

• Always bring a reporter’s notebook and a recorder or phone (with a recorder). Before you begin to record the interview, make sure it is OK with your interviewee. The more accurately you take notes, the better reporter you will be. Reporter’s notebooks and batteries are available in the office.

• The moment you get a story assignment, be sure to immediately contact your sources. You are on their schedule, not the other way around!

• Talk to more than one person for a story!

Find the principle interviewee but also get quotes from other people involved. Multiple perspectives make a stronger story. Sources should be directly related to the story.

• The editing process goes by a lot faster when small grammatical errors are caught before Andy reads it. If you need help, ask. The editor and managing editor will be happy to look over it for you.

• Research the topic before you go to the interview. Make sure you know the basics about the organization, event, or subject matter.

•When you are finished writing a story, read it out loud to yourself or to someone else so you’ll hear the mistakes.

• Everyone should write their own suggested headlines.

• In a slug (name the story is saved under in Finished Copy), we need one descriptive word about the story, the date and your initials. This also applies to photographs.

• Take a camera (or use your phone if it takes high-quality images) when going to do an interview. As a reporter at the University Press, you’re going to gradually learn how to develop yourself in • For example, a feature story about Crockett Street by Andrew Strange would be [crockmany ways, including photography. ett_08/17_AS.docx]. The same applies to pho• Write up a list of questions to ask. When the in- tos. terviewee starts talking, genuinely make an effort to listen. Be sure to ask follow-up questions based • Most hard news stories will range from 400700 words depending on the subject. No stories off the answers you receive. The best interviews will be taken that are under 350 words from anyare the ones that are vibin’ and keeping it real. one unless otherwise instructed. Most feature stories are 800-1500 words, again, depending on • Always give yourself at least 45 minutes to an subject matter. Remember the story is as long as it hour for an interview. Avoid scheduling an interis interesting. view when you have an obligation afterwards.

GENERAL RULES The UNIVERSITY PRESS is an equal opportunity employer. Staff members are selected without regard to their race, color, creed, sex, gender, age, disability or national origin, consistent with the Assurance of Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Executive Order 11246 as issued and amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Inquiries concerning application of these regulations may be referred to the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Counsel.

All students working for the UP must maintain 12 hours of coursework each semester (The exception being graduating seniors.) and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better. Editor applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or better to be considered for an editorship. Additions and deletions of hours taken must be approved by the director, Andy Coughlan.

Students who do not meet the GPA requirement, but have demonstrated consistent academic improvement over the previous two semester may petition to the Director of Student Publications to make an exception.

The UP is a business such as any other, so staff members or expected to behave in a professional manner at all times. Be considerate of your fel-

low workers, do not create a commotion that may disturb their work.

Since the UP is a business, students should exercise discretion in choice of dress during regular business hours — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and when going on interviews. Office attire may be casual, but tasteful. (e.g., no short-shorts, ripped pants, no T-shirts exposing political or religious beliefs that may offend someone, or attire that presents anyone or group in a derogatory manner.)

At no time is food or drink allowed near any of the machines.

If you must, all food and beverage will be kept at a minimum of an arm-lengths distance from the nearest machine. If you are consuming food and beverage and damage a machine you may be held liable for your actions. Clean-up after yourself when finished.

At no time will any equipment or materials be loaned or borrowed from this office without the explicit permission of the Director of Student Publications.

The UP equipment and supplies cannot be used for anything other than student publications business or academically-related purposes.

Any member found in violation of this policy will be suspended. In cases of uncertainty, staff members should consult the Director.

HOT KEYS FOR QUARKXPRESS

The Magic Three — Command (apple), Option, Shift — are your window to speedy production.

Know how these can help you.

Actual Size (Image) Fit In Window (Image) New Document Open Document Select All Undo Last Command Save Page Set Up Print Modify Border Duplicate Get Text Get Picture Delete Spelling (Check Word) Spelling (Check Story) Spelling (Check Page) Find/Change Left Alignment Right Alignment Center Alignment Justify Character* Type Size Leading Plain Bold Italic Underline Word Underline Outline Shadow ALL CAPS SMALL CAPS Increase Type Decrease Type Tracking Leading

Command 1 Command 0 Command N Command O Command A Command Z Command S Command Option P Command P Command M Command B Command D Command E (Type Box) Command E (Picture Box) Command K Command L Command Option L Command Option Shift L Command F Command Shift L Command Shift R Command Shift C Command Shift J Command Shift D Command Shift \ Command Shift E Command Shift P Command Shift B Command Shift I Command Shift U Command Shift W Command Shift O Command Shift S Command Shift K Command Shift H Command/Shift/Option > Command/Shift/Option < Command/Shift/Option { or } Command/Shift/Option ; or ‘

*With this box, you can select typeface, size, color and any type style.

To undo any function – highlight and repeat hot key function.

RULES FOR HEADLINE WRITING 1. Hed should be a summary, not a label hed as in the title of a novel.

2. Hed should really get at the meaning of the story, rather than be a generic hed that can fit over any story.

3. Content of hed should be taken from the lead for hard news stories.

4. Hed should give the same impression as the overall story.

5. Hed should contain nothing that isn’t in the story.

6. Hed should be stated positively rather than negatively.

7. Do not use any words in heds simply for filler.

8. In multi-line heds, get outstanding fact in the first line.

9. A strong verb (does not include the verb to be and its principle parts such as am, is, are, was, were, be, being and been) should be stated or implied in every hed.

10. Don’t repeat heds or words in heds on the same page.

11. Omit forms of the verb “to be.”

12. Use active voice.

13. Remember that present tense in heds indicates past action. Infinitives (to + the verb) indicate future action.

14. Do not take up space in heds with a, an, and the unless they are essential.

15. Do not begin with a verb.

16. In multi-line heds, try not to break thought units at ends of lines such as infinitives (to+verb), preposition plus its object, and adjective plus its noun.

17. Check apostrophes, quotation marks, spelling, commas for correct style.

•DEADLINES All stories must be completed and in copy to be edited by Monday at noon. Feature stories must be in at least a week prior to the scheduled run date. Photo deadlines are the same.

(If you do not make the deadline, your story will be bumped from that issue!)

•SLUGGING STORIES Slug stories by the name of the story followed by the date and the writer’s initials. For example, a news story about nuns being goosed in the park by a bunch of wild ducks by Andrew Strange to be run in the Feb. 4 paper should be slugged: nun_02/04_as.docx NOTE: Your stories should have the .doc suffix, photos should be .jpg

•EDITING MATERIAL All reporters are responsible for editing their copy with Andy or Stephan. Your story is not considered finished until it has been edited and saved in Finished Copy.

When you are editing the story with Andy or Stephan, turn off your phone or silence it and do not chew gum. Again, public shaming is very possible.

Photographers are responsible for providing and checking all cutline information. Cutlines should be written as complete sentences. They are actually little stories and should contain the 5Ws and the H.

•CIRCULATION All employees of the UP (paid or unpaid) are required to adhere to the semester’s schedule for circulation. A detailed roster will be provided. The managing editor will assign employees days to do circulation. Everyone is responsible for turn out and delivery. Adherence to the circulation schedule is mandatory. Those who do not show up for circulation, will be reprimanded. Those taking the Practicum or Comm Lab will lose a letter grade for a no call/no show and paid employees will not be paid for the same offense.

•ABSENTEEISM Tell the editors or directors if you’re not able to show up for any event you are required to attend at least a week to three days in advance. Last minute notices are not accepted!

EDITING MARKS AND REQUIREMENTS Editing takes place on Wednesday mornings. All staff, volunteers and participants in the comm lab must come edit! The paper is laid out in the back row, please grab a red or colored pen to edit. You will find the correct editing marks on the next few pages, please use these so the editors have an easy time discerning the marks. Initial at the bottom of the pages you have edited so we know who came in that morning.

1. Read everything in the copy straight from beginning to end.

2. Read copy backward to catch spelling errors.

3. Read pages out of order.

4. Have proofreaders initial the copy they check.

5. Have someone read numbers while you check hardcopy.

6. Take short breaks so you can concentrate more clearly.

7. List errors you spot over a month.

8. Alter your routine.

9. Make your marks legible and understandable.

10. Use colored pens such as red, green or blue to stand out

Copy Editing and Proofreading Symbols

Symbol

#

/ or lc

Meaning

Example

Delete

Remove the end fitting.

Close up

The tolerances are with in the range.

Delete and Close up

Deltete and close up the gap.

Insert Space

The box is inserted correctly. # Theprocedure is incorrect.

Transpose

Remove the fitting end.

Lower case

The Engineer and manager agreed.

Capitalize

A representative of nasa was present.

Capitalize first letter and lower case remainder

GARRETT PRODUCTS are great.

not

Let stand

stet Remove the battery cables.

New paragraph

The box is full. The meeting will be on Thursday.

Remove paragraph break

The meeting will be on Thursday. no All members must attend.

Move to a new position

All members attended who were new.

Move left

Remove the faulty part.

Flush left

Move left.

Flush right

Move right.

Move right

Remove the faulty part.

Center

Table 4-1

Raise

162

Lower

162

Superscript

162

Subscript

162

Period

Rewrite the procedure. Then complete the tasks.

‘

Apostrophe or single quote

‘ policies were rewritten.

The companys

;

Semicolon

stet ¶ no ¶

.

He left however, he returned later. ;

Symbol

Meaning

Example

:

Colon

There were three items : nuts, bolts, and screws.

,

Comma

Apply pressure to the first, second and third bolts.

-|

Hyphen

A valuable byproduct was created.

Spell out

The info was incorrect. sp

Abbreviate

The part was twelve feet long.

Align

Personnel Facilities Equipment

Underscore

The part was listed under Electrical.

Run in with previous line

He rewrote the pages and went home.

Em dash

It was the beginning so I thought.

En dash

The value is 120 408.

Set in italics

The book was titled Technical Writing Styles.

bf

Set in bold

This is the only time we can offer this price. bf

wf

Wrong font

This is the first step in the procedure. wf

Set in small caps

Set the MFG REGISTER to zero. sm cap

sp

|| or =

__________

ital

sm cap

Meaning

,

Symbol

Abbreviate Align

Apostrophe or single quote

Example The part was twelve feet long.

|| or =

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

Personnel Facilities Equipment â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; policies were rewritten.

The companys

Capitalize

A representative of nasa was present.

Capitalize first letter and lowercase remainder

GARRETT PRODUCTS are great.

Center

Table 4-1

Close up

The tolerances are with in the range.

Colon

ital

:

There were three items nuts, bolts, and screws. :

Meaning Comma

Symbol

Example Apply pressure to the first second and third bolts.

,

,

,

Delete

Remove the end fitting.

Delete and close up

Deltete and close up the gap.

Em dash

It was the beginning so I thought.

En dash

The value is 120 408.

Flush left

Move left.

Flush right

Move right.

Hyphen

-|

A valuable byproduct was created. not

Insert Let Stand

stet

Lower Lower case

The box is inserted correctly. stet Remove the battery cables.

162

/ or lc

The Engineer and manager agreed.

Move left

Remove the faulty part.

Move right

Remove the faulty part.

Move to a new position

All members attended who were new.

New paragraph

Âś

The box is full. The meeting will be on Thursday.

.

Rewrite the procedure. Then complete the tasks.

Period Raise Remove paragraph break

162 no Âś

Run in with previous line

He rewrote the pages and went home.

Semicolon

;

Set in bold

bf

Set in italics

He left however, he returned later. ; This is the only time we can offer this price.bf

ital

Set in small caps Space Spell out Subscript

The meeting will be on Thursday. no All members must attend.

The book was titled Technical Writing Styles.ital Set the MFG REGISTER to zero. sm cap # Theprocedure is incorrect.

# sp

The info was incorrect. sp 162

INVERTED PYRAMID The inverted pyramid is the style in which all your stories should be written! Here is the general outline of a news story. Your lead should always come first with the basics of the story, the 5Wâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and H. Then the body of the story with all the important information, quotes and transitions. The least interesting information should be at the end of the story, as well as a recap of the lead.