Daily Texan Employee Handbook - Last updated: January 2014
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Daily
Texan
Employee
Handbook
Last
updated:
January
2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Daily Texan Mission Statement 2. The Daily Texan Code of Ethics 4. Job Descriptions 5. Office Rules
MISSION
STATEMENT
The
Daily
Texan,
the
student
newspaper
of
record
on
the
UT
Austin
campus
since
1900,
operates
with
the
following
mission:
• To
provide
quality,
independent
local
news
and
commentary
to
the
students,
faculty
and
staff
of
UT
Austin
on
any
and
all
matters
of
relevance
to
the
UT
Austin
community
in
a
responsive,
unbiased
and
consistent
manner
over
our
online
and
print
platforms.
• To
provide
a
relaxed
learning
environment
for
student
journalists
that
nevertheless
emulates
and
attempts
to
achieve
the
standards
of
a
professional
news
organization
while
holding
students
accountable
for
their
mistakes
and
rewarding
them
for
their
successes.
• To
advocate
for
the
continued
freedom
of
the
student
press
and
to
serve
as
an
example
of
journalistic
integrity
at
the
student
level.
THE DAILY TEXAN CODE OF ETHICS Free travel To remain free of influence or obligation in the reporting of a story, a Daily Texan journalist should not accept free travel, accommodations or meals related to travel. For convenience, sports reporters may travel on team charters, but the publication should pay the cost of transportation and related expenses. The same pay-‐as-‐you-‐go policy should apply to non-‐ sports reporting as well, including businesses and governments. Free travel and accommodations that are non-‐coverage related and provided by a vendor may be accepted if the primary purpose is for education or training and is related to the fulfillment of an agreement or contact. Gifts Gifts from current or potential news sources or subjects should not be accepted by Texan journalists. Any gifts should be returned to the sender or sent to a charity. If the gift is of no significant value, such as a desk trinket, small food item or pen, the staff member may retain the gift. As a guideline, if the value is under $10, the gift may be kept. More than one gift in one year, even if under $10, from the same giver, may not be accepted. Free tickets, passes, discounts If money is available, staffers assigned to cover a sporting event, lecture, play, concert, movie or other entertainment event should pay for admission. A staffer may only accept free tickets or passes when the staffer is covering the event. Press facilities at these events may only be used by staff members assigned to cover the event. Free tickets or passes may be accepted by staff members for personal use only if tickets are available on the same complimentary basis to non-‐journalists. A staffer should not attend a press event with press credential or attempt to obtain press credentials without the prior approval of the editor. Ownership of books, records, other products given for review Any materials given to the publication for review becomes the property of the publication and not of any individual staff member. The editor who received these materials reserves the right to disperse them in a way he or she sees fit. Employment at other organizations while working at the Daily Texan Other employment should not conflict with the staffer’s work schedule or responsibilities to the publication. The staffer must report any other employment to their editor to avoid any conflicts of interest, and department heads must request this information at the beginning of the semester. Employment that may interfere with the confidentiality of the Texan’s information; i.e. at a University office whose activities the Texan is currently reporting on, is not appropriate, as is employment the competes with the business or interest of the Texan.
A staffer will not be allowed to work at two or more news organizations exclusively covering the University, nor will a staffer be allowed to work at a public relations organization working on behalf of the University. Employment at both the Texan and other news entities (Austin American-‐Statesman, The Texas Tribune, KUT, etc.) will be considered on a case-‐by-‐case basis by the editor and managing editor. Approval of freelance work for another media organization should be sought in advance of the commitment from one’s editor. It is permissible only when in a non-‐competitive situation and when the work will take place on the staffer’s own time. Membership in campus organizations Staffers must report any campus organizations they are affiliated with at the beginning of the semester, and department heads must request this information of their staffers. Staffers may not cover a campus organization they belong to, or participate in any editorial or business decisions regarding that organization. Staffers may provide story leads about the organizations to which they belong to other staffers. Staffers should report their membership in other campus organizations to their supervising editor. To maintain the role of the press as an independent watchdog of government, a staffer should not be an elected member of a legislative student organization. Staffers should not report on a legislative student organization of which they are a member and should disclose conflicts of interest to their editor. Political involvement and other outside activities Political involvement, holding off-‐campus public office and service in community organizations should be considered carefully to avoid compromising professional integrity and that of the publication. Likewise, posts on social media with politically oriented content should also be carefully considered and the Texan’s social media policy should be considered. All staffers, including staffers in departments outside the news departments, should be aware that publicly declaring their political opinions — either overtly or tacitly — can reflect poorly on the perception of the paper as a non-‐biased media entity. Consequently, staffers must refrain from publicly making statements about their political affiliations, on social media or otherwise. Staffers should not make the news: They should
not attend political protests or sign political petitions. The only exception to this rule is for staffers in the opinion department, who must still use extreme discretion when publicly expressing political commentary. If you are wondering whether or not you should express an opinion; don’t. A staffer involved in a specific political action, especially in a leadership role, should not be assigned to cover that situation. It is important to preserve the notion of the journalist as an independent observer and fact-‐ finder. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of your political involvement, ask your editor. Social media use Texan staffers should be aware that they represent the Texan in everything that they do. Consequently, staffers should be careful with what they post on social media and on personal blogs and should refrain from posting anything discriminatory or hateful. Staffers should refrain from criticizing the work of another Texan staffer over social media. If someone asks a question of you over social media, answer them, or if you are not able to do so, refer them to someone who is. Relationships Staffers must declare conflicts and avoid involvement in stories dealing with members of their families. Staff members should not cover — in word, photographs or artwork — or make news judgments about family members or persons with whom they have a financial, adversarial or close sexual or platonic relationship. Intra-‐staff dating is not recommended if one person assigns or evaluates the work of the other person or if one is in a position to promote the other to a higher staff position. Use of alcoholic beverages while on assignment Even though a staffer may be able to drink legally, it is recommended that drinking be reduced to an absolute minimum — preferably not at all — in a social setting such as a dinner or reception to avoid any public suspicion that the staffer’s judgment, credibility or objectivity is impaired by alcohol. When covering an event where alcohol is served, staffers should not accept free drinks unless all drinks are free to everyone in attendance. Staffers should avoid the appearance that they are being “wined and dined” by any source or group. Sexual harassment Sexual harassment can include: (verbal) suggestive comments, sexual innuendo, threats, insults, jokes about sex-‐specific traits, sexual propositions; (nonverbal) vulgar gestures, whistling, leering, suggestive or insulting noises, (physical) touching, pinching, brushing the body, coercing sexual intercourse or assault. This conduct can be called a job-‐related harassment when submission is made implicitly or explicitly a condition of employment, a condition of work-‐related assignments, compensation and other factors, or if such conduct
interferes with the staffer’s performance or creates a hostile, intimidating or offensive work environment. Sexual harassment is prohibited. For information on the University’s policy on sexual harassment, or to find out how to file a complaint, go to http://www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/04.B.02.html Plagiarism of words, art, other Plagiarism is prohibited and is illegal. For the purposes of this code, plagiarism is defined as the word-‐for-‐word duplication of another person’s writing and shall be limited to passages that contain distinctively personal thoughts, uniquely stylized phraseology or exclusive facts. A comparable prohibition applies to the use of graphics. Information obtained from a published work must be independently verified before it can be reported as a new, original story. This policy also forbids lifting verbatim phrases from a wire service without attribution or pointing out that wire stories were used in compiling the story. If you are unsure if a photograph or phrase may be used, consult your editor. Always err on the side of caution in matters of copyright and plagiarism. Staffers who knowingly commit plagiarism will be asked to leave the Texan without exception. Fabrication of any kind The use of composite characters or imaginary situations or characters will not be allowed in news or feature stories. A columnist, occasionally, may use such an approach in developing a piece, but it must be clear to the reader. The growth of narrative story development (storytelling devices) means that reporters and editors should be especially careful to not mix fact and fiction and not embellish fact with fictional details, regardless of their significance. Electronically altered photos Electronically altering the content of photos for news and general feature stories or as stand alone news and feature photos is not allowed. Exceptions to this would be adjustments to contrast and similar technological enhancements that don’t alter the truthfulness of the subject and context of the subject or the scene. Content may be altered for creative purposes as a special effect for a feature story if the caption or credit line explicitly identifies it so a reader would not mistake the photo for reality. These photo are usually tagged as photo illustrations. In a news medium, readers expect photos and stories to be truthful. Use of photographs of victims of accidents, fires, natural disasters Photos have a tremendous impact on readers. The question of privacy versus the public’s right to know should be considered. Care should be taken to maintain the dignity of the subject as much as possible without undermining the truth of the event. In making a final decision on a photo of this type, an editor should consider: Do the readers need information from this photo that helps explain the event better than words or another photo? Who is hurt by the publication of this photo?
Reporting names, addresses of crime Staffers need to know the state laws that govern the publication of the names of crime victims. Customarily, the names of rape victims are not published; however, some news organizations have asked rape victims to identify themselves for publication. This may be negotiated between the victim and the publication. Victims of nonsexual crimes can be identified, but the publication has a responsibility to give some protection to the victims such as giving imprecise addresses. With the exception of major crimes, predetermined by the editor, an arrested person is not named until charges are filed. Cooperation with law enforcement, government, administration To be an effective watchdog on other agencies, a publication must remain independent. The publication should not take over any of the duties of any outside agency; cooperation or involvement in the work of these agencies should be restricted to what is required by law. Staffers should know any freedom of information, open meetings and shield laws that apply to their work. If a staffer thinks any public authority is interfering with the staffer’s functions as a journalist, the incident should be reported to the editor. The editor should then seek advice from groups such as the Student Press Law Center, ACLU, an editor or media attorney for a professional, non-‐student publication. Contacting sources Staffers should not identify themselves as working for the Daily Texan when contacting sources if they are not currently working on a story related to that source. Profane, vulgar words, explicit sexual language The primary audience of a college publication is adults. Profane and vulgar words are a part of everyday conversation, but not generally used when writing for a scholarly or general audience. Use of these terms are at the discretion of the department head and the editor. Sexist language Staffers should avoid sexist labels and descriptive language. Such language should be replaced with neutral terms and descriptions. Negative stereotyping Staffers should take care in writing to avoid applying common erroneous group stereotypes to individuals who are a member of a particular group. Generalizations, often based upon stereotypes, can be misleading and inaccurate. In a broader sense, writers, photographers and artists should avoid more subtle stereotyping in their selection of interviewees and subject of photographs or illustrations. It is also advisable to avoid sexual stereotyping in choice of subject for stories, photographs and illustrations on sports or political or social issues such as equal rights.
Use of racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, other identifiers Identification of a person as a member of any population group should be limited to those cases when that membership is essential for the reader’s complete understanding of the story. It should be done with great care so as not to perpetuate negative or positive group stereotyping. When identifiers are used, it is important that the correct one be used. Some examples of identifiers: Hispanic, Jew, LGBTQ, Italian, person with AIDs, hearing impaired. False identity, stolen documents, recording, eavesdropping In the ordinary course of reporting, staffers shall not misrepresent themselves as anything other than representatives of the publication. Staffers may not steal material, regardless of its importance to a story. Except in situations judged by an editor as extraordinary, a staffer shall not record an interview or meeting without the subject’s explicit permission. Committing an illegal act to eavesdrop on a source is not allowed. State laws on the use of recording devices should be verified. Granting and preserving confidentiality of sources A reporter should not promise confidentiality to a source without the permission of the managing editor or editor, whoever is overseeing the story. Confidentiality should only be given if there is a real danger that physical, emotional or financial harm will come to the source if his or her name were revealed. The managing editor or editor should have all the facts and the source’s name before the decision is made. The managing editor or editor should know of any laws pertaining to confidentiality and disclosure before a decision is made. A reporter should make every attempt to get the same information from another source that agrees to be named since the goal is to attribute all information to a specific source for all stories. Anonymous sources Generally, anonymous sources are not used in stories. Information that comes from an unnamed source should not be used unless it can be verified through another named source. Editors should strive to tell their readers how they know the facts that they report in the most transparent way possible. Corrections If a staffer learns of an error in a published piece, he or she is obligated to alert the department head and the managing editor as soon as possible, regardless of the source of the error. Corrections should be clearly and prominently labeled as such.
Contests and honors The publication has a proprietary interest in the material it publishes. Top editors are entitled to determine which entries will represent the publication in contests. This will avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest that could occur if staffers were to win or accept awards from organizations they are assigned to cover. Awards presented to the staff as a whole or the publication generally become the property of the publication. Individuals who win awards for work published in the staff publication may accept the award and retain ownership of it. Separation of reporting from commentary To help the reader discern fact-‐based reporting from commentary, personal columns, editorials, analysis and similar opinion writing should be labeled or clearly and consistently identified as such. Multimedia, comics, Life and Arts and sports departments should be careful about potential editorial slants in their content. If certain work is something the editorial board has either covered recently or plans to cover soon, the department heads should alert the managing editor and the editor-‐in-‐chief, who will then decide whether to run the material. Advertising Editors should guard against attempts by advertisers to influence the editorial content of the publication. The editorial staff reserves the right to make all decisions about any editorial coverage. All businesses, regardless of whether they advertise in the Texan, should receive equal treatment and consideration in the news, feature and opinion sections. Acceptance of reader’s feedback and online comments Editors and reporters should invite reader feedback and participation in the publication at every possible opportunity. Reaction by readers to what has been published should be invited through all methods of communication, including online comments. Online comments may be removed from the website if they are hateful, off-‐topic, excessively profane, potentially slanderous or contain false information. Readers who use someone else’s identity in the comment sections will have their comments removed regardless of the comment’s content. The publication should hold periodic open forums or open houses for readers. Reader opinions and suggestions on a range of issues can be solicited at these forums and can form the basis for future reporting or commentary. Texan staffers should not engage with reader feedback that is profane or hateful, and staffers should never anonymously respond to comments on the Texan’s website. Think carefully before engaging with a critical reader on social media or in person. If you have any concerns or are unable to speak with a concerned reader, refer him or her to the editor-‐in-‐ chief.
Hiring practices Editors and managers should make applications for employment at the Texan widely available and easily accessible. All applications for employment, regardless of the applicant’s race, class, gender, religious affiliation or sexual orientation, should be given equal consideration. Final employment decisions should be made based on an applicant’s past experience and current ability to contribute to the Texan. These decisions should be made by a department head, managing editor or editor and in conjunction with other experienced staff members, provided those other staff members are not also applying for the position. Office rules Staffers should be respectful of the Texan office space. Trash should be promptly disposed of and workplaces should be kept relatively clean and uncluttered. Space within the Texan office reserved for use by organizations other than the Texan should be respected and left undisturbed. Readers are always welcome in the Texan office and staffers should be aware of the possibility that the office may receive visitors. When in the office, answer the landline, even if it’s not yours. The bound volumes in the archive room may not be removed from the office and should be treated with the utmost care. The Texan is not responsible for any personal property lost or stolen while in its offices. Manipulation of Archives The Texan will not remove, manipulate or attempt to hide from search engines any material previously published on our website. If material in the archives is deemed incorrect, it will be corrected and an editor’s note will be added as an addendum. Material may be removed if it is deemed to be in violation of copyright.
JOB DESCRIPTIONS Permanent staff members at the Texan receive salaries and are generally hired before the beginning of the semester. Issue staff members are generally hired during the tryout period at the beginning of the semester and may or may not receive a salary. All staff members are required to attend orientation at the end of the tryout period. If you are not sure what category you fall under, ask your managing editor. ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR: Helps in overseeing and executing the day-‐to-‐day operations of the entire organization. Reports to the managing editor. NEWS EDITOR: Oversees the organization's news coverage and operations. Reports to the managing editor. LIFE & ARTS EDITOR: Oversees the organization's cultural and lifestyle coverage and operations. Reports to the managing editor. SPORTS EDITOR: Oversees the organization's sports coverage and operations. Reports to the managing editor. DESIGN EDITOR: Oversees the organization's design and aesthetic operations. Reports to the managing editor. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR (PHOTO): Oversees the organization's multimedia operations with a focus on photography. Reports to the managing editor. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR (VIDEO): Oversees the organization's multimedia operations with a focus on videography. Reports to the managing editor. COPY DESK CHIEF: Oversees the organization's copy editing operations. Reports to the managing editor. COMICS EDITOR: Oversees the organization's visual operations as they relate to comics, illustrations and animations. Reports to the managing editor. SPECIAL VENTURES EDITOR: Oversees the organization's in-‐depth coverage, both supplementing work from other departments and creating its own work. Reports to the managing editor. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Oversees the organization's technical operations, focusing on the website redesign and an increased usage of online tools by the rest of the staff. Reports to the managing editor. ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Reads the final opinion page each day before it goes to print and will be responsible for reporting and writing at least one editorial per week and contributing to at least two Horns Up/Horns Down. Associate editors are expected to have strong opinions
and an interest in sharing them in a persuasive and well-‐researched way. Reports to the editor in chief. ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the news department. Reports to the news editor. ASSOCIATE LIFE & ARTS EDITOR: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the life & arts department. Reports to the life & arts editor. ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the sports department. Reports to the sports editor. ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the multimedia department with a focus on photo. Reports to the multimedia editor. ASSOCIATE COPY DESK CHIEF: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the copy desk. Reports to the copy desk chief. ASSOCIATE COMICS EDITOR: Assists in editing and oversight operations of the comics department. Reports to the comics editor. ONLINE OUTREACH COORDINATOR: Works to maximize online outreach of all content by coordinating social media, publishing schedules and analytics. Reports to an associate managing editor. SENIOR DESIGNER: Puts together the paper and designs visual elements for both online and paper products. Reports to the design editor. SENIOR REPORTER: Produces content for the news department. Reports to the news editor. SENIOR LIFE & ARTS WRITER: Produces content for the life & arts department. Reports to the life & arts editor. SENIOR SPORTS WRITER: Produces content for the sports department. Reports to the sports editor. SPECIAL VENTURES PRODUCER: Produces content for the special ventures department with a focus on in-‐depth pieces. Can come from any background (writing, photography, videography, etc.) Reports to the special ventures editor. SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Produces content for the multimedia department. Reports to the multimedia editor. SENIOR VIDEOGRAPHER: Produces content for the multimedia department. Reports to the multimedia editor. SENIOR TECH STAFF: Assists with the website redesign and other online interactive projects. Reports to the technical director.
SENIOR COMICS ARTIST: Produces content for the comics department. Reports to the comics editor. GENERAL REPORTER: General reporters cover a variety of issues, events and stories that impact the daily lives of our readership. LIFE & ARTS WRITER: Life & Arts writers can cover a broad range of topics, mostly concerning the lifestyle and cultural environment of our readership. SPORTS WRITER: Sports writers provide coverage of the Longhorns, as well as other sports teams and issues of interest to the readership. COLUMNIST: Columnists write weekly or bi-‐weekly opinion pieces on issues that impact the community. COPY EDITOR: Copy editors have the responsibility of editing, fact-‐checking and uploading every story before it goes up online and goes on paper. DESIGNER: Designers arrange the content on the page every night before the publication goes to print. The Daily Texan uses Adobe InDesign. WEB DEVELOPER: Web developers have a variety of tasks, ranging from maintaining the website to taking on ambitious online projects. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Photographers shoot, upload and edit photos for stories. Photographers are also tasked with shooting "Wild Art," which can be displayed in the paper or online. STAFF VIDEOGRAPHER: Videographers tell stories through videos. Stories can be in collaboration with reporters in other departments or can be something the videographer takes on him or herself. COMICS ARTIST: Comics illustrators provide various illustrative services for the organization, from producing comic strips to creating artwork that will accompany stories from other departments.
You can also read
