Staff roles Select your staff with thought and care. The staff may be large or small, depending on your school, but try to recruit students with different skills: computer/Photoshop experts, artists, designers, writers and photographers.
You’ll also need students who like business and marketing to serve as ad and yearbook salespersons. Qualities to look for in these individuals include dependability, creativity, attention to detail and the ability to work with other people.
• Interview each applicant with returning staff members involved.
StaffSelection and assignments Yearbook • 4 Introduction
• Advertise for your positions and require that students complete an application. (See Adviser Resource pages 10-12 for Staff and Editor Applications and Teacher Recommendation Form)
Selecting your staff Students can be recruited or they can apply.
• Provide the applicant with as much information as possible about what is expected of each staffer. Make them aware that after-school and weekend hours are required. to
Editor(s)-in-chief
• Manages the publication’s content and quality; manages a staff of peers
• Conducts weekly staff meetings to review deadlines, as well as upcoming photo and copy coverage
• Together with the managing editor, plans celebration days, special holiday activities and birthday parties
• Checks and prepares all spreads for submission to
• Sits on the editorial board as a member Instructs students on computer programs and briefs them on journalism skills Works with students on developing stories, design and photo assignments Helps establish a system to ensure deadlines are met Checks frequently with the student business and advertising managers Is actively involved in creating a sales campaign Evaluates staff members’ work and assigns them a grade • Helps submit spreads to Lifetouch Helps with proof checks and returns them in a timely manner Mediates disagreements among staff Arranges field trips to state/national conventions and acts as chaperone Stays abreast of the latest journalism techniques, practices and industry developments Provides career shadowing opportunities for
•LifetouchEstablishes all deadlines, including mini-deadlines
StaffResponsibilitiesstudentsmemberrolesand
Adviser Recruits students for yearbook staff
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• Compiles the ladder diagram
• Sits on the editorial board
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• Designs or oversees the cover design, endsheets and any theme-related spreads, including opening, closing and dividers
• 5 Introduction
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• Writes the colophon and acknowledgements
• Is actively involved in creating a book sales campaignYearbook to
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• Together with the staff, creates a theme and a plan for using the theme
• Approves any changes to the ladder as coverage develops
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• Attends a summer yearbook workshop to prepare for the upcoming leadership role
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• Acts as editor in case of absence
• Helps the editor review deadlines, upcoming photo and copy coverage in weekly staff meetings
• Together with the editor, plans celebration days, special holiday activities and birthday celebrations
• Prints a copy of each ad contract for the advertising manager to reference when designing ads
• Records all yearbooks ordered
• Sits on the editorial board and participates in all decisions related to yearbook costs
• Assists the editor in designing the cover, endsheets and any theme-related spreads, including opening, closing and dividers
• Bills advertisers after they approve their ad
• Plans activities to maintain staff morale and to build team spirit
• Assists the advertising manager with organizing sales
• Attends a summer yearbook workshop (if possible) to prepare for the upcoming staff role
• Organizes and advertises sales campaigns
Introduction to
• Works with the school treasurer on all deposits and withdrawals related to yearbook sales and expenses
•LifetouchIsactively involved in creating sales campaigns
• Manages the publication’s content and quality; manages a staff of peers
• Sits on the editorial board
Managing editor
• Assists in developing ladder diagram, the list of pages and page content
•campaignSendsadvertisers copies of their ads for approval before the deadline and keeps the approval or changes on file
StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 6
• Organizes any fundraising campaigns to finance the yearbook and/or enable student travel to state or national journalism conventions
• Frequently checks the publication’s financial balance with the school treasurer
• Checks and prepares all spreads for submission to
Business manager
• Handles all business transactions, including yearbook sales, advertising sales and bill payment
• Helps the editor finalize a theme and a plan for using the theme throughout the book
• Attends a summer yearbook workshop to prepare for the upcoming leadership role
• Carries camera at all times while at school
• Backs up original images on external hard drives
• Sits on editorial board and participates in all decsions dealing with yearbook theme, concept designs and photo usage
StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 7
Introduction to
• Assists in selection of all photos included in the yearbook
• Files all pictures in digital or physical subject files with photographer’s name included
•activitiesShoots some assignments and arranges for other assignments to be covered
• Collects caption information for photos and encourages other photographers to do the same
• Attends a summer yearbook workshop to prepare for the upcoming staff role
• Collects caption information for photos
• Confirms accuracy of all captions and checks the spelling of all names against the official list from the
• Carries camera at all times while at school
•administrationKeepsarecord of all camera equipment and alerts adviser when equipment is missing or needs repair
• Covers or ensures coverage of events when assigned photographer can’t attend an event
• Files all pictures in digital files with photographer’s name included
• Checks captions for accuracy, name spelling and photo credits Photographer • Attends a summer yearbook workshop to prepare for the upcoming staff role
• Assists section editors in organizing photos on their respective computer hard drives
Photography editor
• Assists photographers and staff with writing captions for all photos in the book
• Maintains an all-school calendar with photographer assignments for events, including sports
• Deletes poor pictures from digital card; corrects pictures in digital photo editing software and assists photo editor with uploading images to the appropriate folder after the photo editor reviews them
• Confirms accuracy of all captions and checks the spelling of all names against the official school administrative list
• Creates a backup system of all original and edited images on external hard drives and cloud storage units
• Shoots all assignments made by photo editor; contacts photo editor if unable to cover assigned event
• Manages a group of student photographers; assigns photo duties to all photographers
• Manages the coverage and quality of all photos in the yearbook
• Examines and edits all photos for quality before pictures are uploaded to the online design site
• Backs up original images on storage media, labeling the content and folder names
• Uploads all photos to the online site, placing them in correct folders
•spreadsWorks closely
• Works with his or her team as they: – Assign photos for any coverage within section Write copy or assign copy for each spread
– Create headlines and captions Write captions for each photo
•deadlineHelps select
StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 8 Introduction
• Attends all mandatory work sessions to meet photos to be used within the section, with the assistance of the photo editor or
• Edits stories, captions, headlines and secondary coverage modules; returns pages to team members for error corrections
• Sends finished pages to editors for review to
Section editor(s)
• Schedules a make-up day with the school photographer and ensures the seniors and their parents are aware of this final chance
•modulesAssists faculty section editor to compile a list of all faculty, staff and administration and their academic and extra-curricular duties
• Ensures that candid photos of students without portraits are published elsewhere in the yearbook
• Collects information about seniors and compiles it for the people section
• Compiles section content and submits a partial ladder diagram (i.e., list of page numbers and page content) to the editorial board
staffers as they create stories, photos, captions, headlines and secondary coverage for their with general staffers to meet deadlines
• Copy edits/proofreads section spreads for content, readability and errors before deadline
• Creates templates for his/her section
People editor(s)
•photographerAssistsgeneral
– Work on design
• Works with sub-section editors (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and faculty) to ensure all spreads contain portraits and secondary coverage
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• Meets deadlines set by editorial board and ensures that those working for him/her make their deadlines
• Works with activities director to develop a list of all active organizations in the school; determines where they will be covered in the section
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• Works with photo editor and photographers to make sure all club events are covered
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• Arranges for all club photos that will be included in the yearbook Identifies names on all group shots; ensures that they are entered and edited Edits stories, captions, headlines and secondary coverage modules; returns pages to team members for error Sends finished pages to editors for review Sports editor(s)
Clubs/organizations editor(s)
• Meets with athletic director to obtain a list of all sports offered through the school’s extra-curricular with photo editor and staff to ensure all sports are covered both at home and away
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• Encourages and maintains positive working relationships with coaches, their assistants and the athletic director Organizes sports group photos and identifies all team participants Edits stories, captions, headlines and secondary coverage modules; returns pages to team members for error corrections Sends finished pages to editors for review to
StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 9 Introduction
•programWorks
corrections •
• Meets with club sponsors to obtain a list of all events planned for the year and to discuss story ideas to feature their organizations
• Meets with coaches to discuss story and coverage ideas for each team in the book Records scores for all games and all sports, including freshmen, junior varsity and varsity girls’ and boys’ teams Collects game/team statistics
Academics editor(s) • Works with curriculum director to find stories and plan section content • Assigns pages and/or duties to academics section team members • Works with photo editor to assign photography events to photographers • Oversees team to ensure that all aspects of pages are finished on time • Edits stories, captions, headlines and secondary coverage modules; returns pages to team members for error corrections • Sends finished pages to editors for review Student life editor • Works with photo editor and staff to ensure all events are covered in pictures • Meets with activities coordinator to acquire dates of all school events planned for the year; maintains communication with activities coordinator to include other events that may not have been listed at the beginning of the year • Works with section team to plan the content of every spread • Discusses other coverage ideas with section team to include new stories in this year’s book • Oversees spread production to ensure deadlines are •metEdits stories, captions, headlines and secondary coverage modules; returns pages to team members for error corrections • Sends finished pages to editors for review Copy editor • Coaches staff members on possible angles, sources and questions prior to interviewing • Reads and edits all stories according to staff’s stylebook rules • Confers with staff members on stories that need rewriting or clarification • Proofreads stories and captions after they are placed on the page • Spell-check all names • Reads and corrects all proofs in a timely fashion • Checks the tone and the accuracy of all headlines StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 10 Introduction to
Section team members
• Discusses story plan with the section editor and copy editor
• Provides photographer a copy of the design template and discusses story angle so photos match the topic of the spread
• Immediately begins work on secondary coverage modules, especially on spreads that require candid head-and-shoulder shots and a quote collection to
• Works with section editor on specific spreads
• Notes number of photos needed; works with section editor and photo editor to assign photographers to take pictures in vertical and horizontal formats
• Makes sure the proper template is used and that the section editor approves any adjustments to the template
• Builds a story plan with topic, angle, photo ideas and secondary coverage modules to further develop the story
• Helps brainstorm photo ideas with photographer and photo editor
• Interviews, secures information and quotes to write stories and captions for each spread assigned
• Can also be responsible for taking his/her own photos, if necessary
• Writes complete captions. For dominant and (where space permits) action/reaction/emotion photos, secures a quote to complete the caption
StaffResponsibilitiesmemberrolesand Yearbook • 11 Introduction
• Made up of selected members returning from the previous year; positions include leadership, business and production teams • Choose the theme and the look based on the book’s • Work with first-year staff members to guide them through the page production process • Proofread copy, captions, secondary coverage modules and headlines, returning pages for corrections before sending them to the adviser • Work on all sections of the book in a leadership First-year staff • Complete page or module assignments made by adviser and returning staff members • Learn to use cameras to take quality photos for their • Plan the content of each assigned spread, including the topic, angle, photo ideas and secondary coverage • Write and proofread stories, headlines, captions and copy for secondary coverage modules • Design pages on computer; save and back up PDF files and send them to editorial staff for review • Correct errors and finalize pages before sending them to the adviser for review AlternativeStructuresforsmallstaffsand clubs Copy editor • Coaches staff members on possible angles, sources and questions prior to interviewing • Reads and edits all stories according to staff’s stylebook rules • Confers with staff members on stories that need rewriting or clarification • Proofreads stories and captions once they are placed on the page • Checks the spelling of all names • Reads and corrects all proofs in a timely manner • Checks the tone and the accuracy of all headlines Technology editor • Edits all photos in digital photo editing software; uploads photos to appropriate folders on the website or computer • Assists other students with computer designs, graphics and photo-editing software Yearbook • 12 Introduction to
