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Hierarchy

Editor in Chief

(concerned with the Tech)

Desk Editor

(concerned with content and reporting)

• Choose stories to pursue
• Manage reporters, contributors, assignments and submissions
• Oversee first half of article lifecycle
• Assign appropriate art/photos/graphics for stories
• Ensure journalistic principles are upheld
• Edit story drafts for accuracy, focus and storytelling
• Ask questions like—
  • Says who? — for attribution and to check against reporters making assumptions;
  • Who/what/where/when/why/how? — for story form and completeness;
  • What’s at stake? — for import/interest of a story;
  • Are we fair? — have we allowed all players in a story their side?;
  • Is the story balanced? — are we weighting the various sides according to their role in the story?

Copy Editor

(concerned with the written word)

• Turn drafts and submissions into print-ready articles
• Oversee second half of article lifecycle
• Ensure journalistic principles are upheld
• Edit story drafts for grammar, style, voice, clarity and concision
• Ask questions like—
  • Does this catch the reader’s attention? — make sure the headline and the lead are solid;
  • Does this make sense to a reader with no context? — Caltech jargon, abbreviations, etc. should be explained at the first mention;
  • Is the tone appropriate? — e.g., a news report should have a different tone than an opinion piece;
  • Could this phrase/sentence/ paragraph/article be shortened and still convey the same info? — concision is key.

Production Editor

(concerned with the aesthetic)

• Take a bunch of individual articles and extras, and turn it into a newspaper
• Coordinate layout of print issue
• Work with other editors to optimize article placement and emphasis of important lines

Expectations for Managing Editors

• COMMUNICATE with the rest of the editorial team — including any problems, delays, or whatever might come up.

Wages.

Managing Editors: $30 per issue

Graduate Editor: $65 per issue

Editor-in-Chief: $75 per issue