NEWSROOM Staffing the newsroom is a bit like manning a ship. You need a strong captain at the helm and all hands on deck. If all members of staff know exactly what they're supposed to do, then publishing a paper is a breeze. Here's an overview of the key people involved in the newspaper production process. The adviser The adviser is a teacher who doesn't actually run the newspaper, but gives valuable tips to the editors when necessary and approves each issue before it is printed. The editor-in-chief The editor-in-chief has overall responsibility for the content of the newspaper. He also steers everyone in the right direction, making sure they know what to do and when. The editor-in-chief needs to be a good leader and must be able to write, edit and organise things. He also needs to be able to make decisions. Section editors Most newspapers are divided into sections such as news and sport, and each of these is the responsibility of a section editor. The section editor evaluates and edits each reporter's story for accuracy, spelling and grammar, and helps lay out the pages. The section editor needs to have good English skills because he might have to shorten or rewrite parts of a story to fit the space available. The reporter The reporter is a bit like a ship's watchman - he's always on the lookout for a good story. Once he finds it, his job is to write an interesting article. The reporter might come up with his own ideas for stories or be given assignments by the editor. The reporter needs to be able to interview people and write well. The photographer Photos help draw the reader's attention to a story. The editor may tell the photographer what sort of photo he'd like, but it's up to the photographer to get the right shot. A photographer needs to be creative and know how to use a camera and related technology. The designer The designer lays out each page of the newspaper, including stories, photos and advertisements. He crops (or cuts off) part of the photos to focus attention on the most important object in the image and might also design logos, graphs or maps to go with a story. A designer needs to be artistic with the ability to visualise the layout of a page. He also needs to know how to use computer layout software. The illustrator Readers love cartoons and comic strips and it's the illustrator's job to draw pictures that entertain people. The illustrator might also come up with pictures to go with a story. The printer The printer makes copies of the newspaper and distributes them to readers. The printer needs to be organised. Advertising salesperson If you decide to sell ads in your newspaper, you'll need a salesperson on your staff. A salesperson is someone with good communication skills. He must be confident enough to approach businesses and persuade them to buy space in your paper. Once every staff member has been assigned a role and knows what to do, you're ready to start working on the first issue. The next step is to publish something that will get your classmates' attention.
