Lead The State News

The Editor in Chief bears ultimate responsibility both for all State News editorial content and for The State News' relevance and leadership in the community. This role requires visionary thinking; strong organizational, delegating and supervisory skills; an ability to communicate with diverse groups of people representing a wide array of interests; and a commitment to quality and creativity. The Editor in Chief is the top communicator both within and outside the newsroom. S/he both needs to be aware of what content the organization is producing every day and to effectively delegate some responsibility for that content to senior editors so s/he can engage in long-term planning and strategic outreach. The Board of Directors appoints the Editor in Chief.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. (Other duties may be assigned.)

• Schedule: 5-6 days a week
• Expected to be in the newsroom or representing The State News in the community for a minimum of 30-35 hours a week.
• Maintains a 2.5 GPA during the term of appointment and submits transcripts or grade report to the general manager for verification beginning with the semester of the appointment.

Editorial responsibilities:

• Oversee all digital and print production in selecting, gathering, and editing local, regional and national news for statenews.com and any print editions or special sections.
• Responsible, with other senior editors in the planning and budgeting of subject matter for the digital and print products.
• Leads or is directly involved with the daily planning and budget meetings
• Leads or is directly involved with weekly planning meetings for content generation and ensures progress is being made on long-term projects.
• Monitors MSU news in competing media and reacts and shapes coverage in a timely manner to ensure that TSN remains a reliable and consistent source of news and information for its audience.
• Monitors metrics to determine trending stories and to help shape coverage to ensure audience engagement
• Leads an editorial board that produces regular, well-researched editorial commentary on matters affecting the MSU community.

Editorial content responsibilities:

• Ensures that daily content published by TSN is:
• originally reported
• relevant to MSU students
• engaging and compelling
• sharable
• Responsible, with other senior editors, for ensuring each workday at least 8 new pieces of originally reported staff content are published daily to statenews.com (does not include press release material or letters to the editor) Monday through Friday
• Ensures that the scheduling and posting content on TSN social media accounts is consistent with the social media strategy of TSN.
• Coordinates breaking news coverage on statenews.com and TSN social media accounts to ensure timely coverage of events for the audience.
• Responsible, with other senior editors, for developing and monitoring a system for copy editing and fact checking all news content for accuracy, readability, legal and ethical concerns, and consistent style. Ensures that stories with particular legal and/or ethical sensitivity are brought to her or his attention well before deadline. Prioritizes accuracy, monitors errors and demonstrates leadership in preventing and correcting mistakes.

Administrative responsibilities:

• Meets daily with the editorial adviser to discuss content, planning and goals, while retaining ultimate authority over content decisions.
• Engage in daily community outreach with diverse community leaders and everyday people to generate story ideas and identify newsworthy topics.
• Coordinate activities with other student-run departments at TSN including the marketing team and advertising team to keep them informed about upcoming projects and stories.
• Represent The State News in and to the public.
• Reports to the General Manager and Board of Directors on progress and goals of the newsroom and provides a written report to the Board of Directors before each meeting and makes other reports as the board may require.
• Submits out-of-town travel requests and all other expenditure requests to editorial adviser for approval.

Managerial responsibilities

• Works with the editorial adviser to submit a list of potential employees and positions to General Manager for approval of newsroom staff. The editor is to ensure a diverse newsroom staff that is reflective of the MSU community and all proper internal and external HR policies were followed
• With the editorial adviser reserves the right to withhold part or all of an individual’s stipend based on completed performance of the individual as measured by the editor.
• Approves and submits newsroom payroll to the editorial adviser when due.