The Spartan Echo is staffed by the students of Norfolk State University. Paid editors are appointed by the NSU Student Publication Board before each semester in which they serve and receive a monetary performance award grant for their semester service (detailed below) as funds allow. Student volunteers from any major serve as deputy editors (selected from the same application pool), reporters, content producers, photographers, videographers and graphic designers under the supervision of the paid editors guided by the faculty adviser, a full-time faculty member of the Mass Communications and Journalism Department. The Spartan Echo operates according to the standards of College Media Association, Inc. Any currently enrolled student of Norfolk State University, full-time or part-time, undergraduate or graduate, is welcome to serve as a staff volunteer on a one-time, sporadic or continuing basis. Students interested in serving as an editor, however, should be involved on a regular and continuing basis with the production of Spartan Echo media product and meet the criteria detailed below. All students involved with the Spartan Echo are expected to conduct themselves according to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics and the Norfolk State University Student Handbook.
NOTE: Applicants for paid editor positions may be appointed as deputy editors at the discretion of the faculty adviser or Student Activities. Deputy and assistant editors serve as student volunteers and receive no performance award grant; however, they serve with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of paid editors. All editors, paid and volunteer, receive access to industry professionals through the faculty adviser and editor in chief; one-on-one training and mentoring from the faculty adviser and industry professionals; and, most importantly, the right to list their title and service as professional experience on a resume and/or job application, which–according to industry professionals–distinguishes a job applicant as a team leader and a leader in their craft.
Norfolk State University does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out directly or through a third-party, or any other entity with which Norfolk State University arranges to carry out its programs and activities.
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Criteria for Selection of Editors:
Students with previous professional or student media experience are strongly encouraged to apply for editor positions with the Spartan Echo, but previous experience is not necessary. Applicants, however, must meet the minimum qualifications for all positions (listed below).
Applications are available online from Student Activities; open or download the Student Publication Application and fill it out. Once it’s complete, save it using your last name as the file name and email it to wtmarsh@nsu.edu.
Also, applications are accepted in person at the Student Activities office.
All potentially qualified applicants will be interviewed by the faculty adviser and must supply work samples at that time. Follow-up interviews and grammar testing may apply. Positions are awarded for the coming semester by the Student Publication Board after current semester grades are posted.
Minimum Qualifications for All Positions
– must carry 15 or more credit hours during the semester of service (pre-registered at the time of application)
– 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher
– completed 15 or more hours during the semester of application
– 2.0 GPA or higher for the semester of application
– time and dedication to perform staff duties
– ability to follow instructions and meet deadlines
– agreement to adhere to journalistic standards
Preferred Qualifications for All Positions (in order of importance)
– previously published as a journalist, photojournalist or graphic designer
– medium-to-advanced computer literacy
– leadership experience
– ability to take high-resolution photographs (CMYK mode at 300 dpi) and transfer them electronically
– WordPress content management experience
– Adobe Photoshop and In-Design or Scribus layout experience
– ability to shoot and edit video
Preferred Position Qualifications
Editor in Chief:
– leadership experience
– administrative experience
– student organization experience
– copy editing experience
– previously published as a journalist
– mastery of Associated Press style
– medium-to-advanced computer literacy
– WordPress content management experience
Managing Editor:
– leadership experience
– copy editing experience
– previously published as a journalist
– mastery of Associated Press style
– medium-to-advanced computer literacy
– medium-to-advanced WordPress content management experience
Graphic Design/Layout Editor:
– Adobe In-Design (or Scribus) and Photoshop experience
– newspaper layout/graphic design experience
– ability to recruit and supervise volunteer graphic designers
– ability to create publication-ready PDF files for commercial printing
– medium-to-advanced computer literacy
Multimedia Editor:
– photography/videography experience
– Photoshop experience
– experience writing captions with accuracy and clarity
– ability to recruit and supervise volunteer photographers/videographers
– ability to take high-resolution digital color photos and convert them to CMYK and greyscale formats for commercial printing
– medium-to-advanced computer literacy
Section Editor:
– ability to identify newsworthy topics and reliable sources of information
– ability to gather information accurately from authoritative sources
– ability to write journalistic material in Associated Press style
– ability to edit copy according to Associated Press style
– ability to recruit and supervise volunteer reporters
– basic computer literacy
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Position Duties and Responsibilities:
Editor in Chief
– Assists adviser in establishing/communicating educational goals (i.e.—vision, philosophy)
– Assists adviser in achieving/supervising educational objectives (i.e.—measurable performance)
– Assists adviser in communicating/overseeing journalistic objectives (i.e.—professional standards, staff behavior/conduct, media quality and quantity, production process)
– Assists adviser in the supervision of adherence to all contracts, agreements, and governing policies
– Assists adviser in the supervision of proper placement and display of print advertising content
– Responsible for all newspaper and online content (including social media)
– Supervises and leads online/managing editor, section editors, multimedia editors, and graphic design/layout editors in the performance of their duties and quality of their work
– Responsible for production schedule; ensures staff meets deadlines
– Edits all copy from editors; corrects typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, AP style errors
– Ensures the accuracy and professionalism of all content
– Creates content (writes articles and headlines, takes photos, designs graphics) as necessary
– Plans and leads all staff meetings
– Represents the Spartan Echo at all official functions or designates a representative with approval of the adviser
– Ensures and supervises Spartan Echo participation in Student Activity events in coordination with the adviser
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Managing Editor
– Assists editor in chief in establishing/communicating educational goals (i.e.—vision, philosophy)
– Assists editor in chief in achieving/supervising educational objectives (i.e.—measurable performance)
– Assists editor in chief in communicating/overseeing journalistic objectives (i.e.—professional standards, staff behavior/conduct, media quality and quantity, production process)
– Assists editor in chief in the supervision of adherence to all contracts, agreements, and governing policies
– Assists adviser in the supervision of proper placement and display of online advertising content
– Responsible for all online and social media content
– Supervises/administrates all social media communication to ensure quality and professionalism
– Recruits, trains and supervises online producers
– Edits all online content; corrects typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, AP style errors
– Ensures accuracy and professionalism of all online content
– Creates content (writes articles and headlines, takes photos, designs graphics) as necessary
– Expands social media influence, in coordination with the adviser, using industry-standard public relations and marketing techniques
– Deletes old content (posts and photographic media) as necessary from the website to maintain 75% usage of storage limit
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Graphic Design/Layout Editor
– Responsible for all layout and display of newspaper content on deadline
– Responsible for creation of newspaper layout template
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure content has no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with the multimedia editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with section editors to ensure accurate and timely placement of article text, headlines, and bylines in the newspaper on deadline
– Designs graphics (information graphics, advertisements, promotional items, etc.) as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all graphic designers
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Multimedia Editor
– Responsible for providing all newspaper photographs and captions on deadline
– Responsible for providing all website photographs, captions, slideshows, and videos as needed
– Works with online/managing editor to ensure the quality of online photographic and video content and accuracy of captions and/or text-based descriptions
– Responsible for creation and administration of photo request procedure
– Assists adviser in supervision and administration of YouTube account according to professional industry standards
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all photographic content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure captions have no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with graphic design/layout editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with section editors to ensure accurate and timely placement of relevant photographs and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Shoots and edits video for the website as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all photographers and videographers
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
News Editor
– Responsible for editing and submitting all news articles, headlines, and bylines on deadline, online content to online/managing editor, and newspaper content to the editor in chief
– Responsible for administration of all news coverage
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all news content
– Works with online/managing editor to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all online news content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure content has no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with the multimedia editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with graphic design/layout editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of article text, headlines, and bylines in the newspaper on deadline
– Writes news content as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all news reporters
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Lifestyle Editor
– Responsible for editing and submitting all feature articles, headlines, and bylines on deadline, online content to online/managing editor, and newspaper content to the editor in chief
– Responsible for administration of all feature coverage
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all feature content
– Works with online/managing editor to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all online news content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure content has no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with the multimedia editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with graphic design/layout editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of article text, headlines, and bylines in the newspaper on deadline
– Writes feature content as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all feature reporters
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Sports Editor
– Responsible for editing and submitting all sports articles, headlines, and bylines on deadline, online content to online/managing editor, and newspaper content to the editor in chief
– Responsible for administration of all sports coverage
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all sports content
– Works with online/managing editor to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all online sports content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure content has no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with the multimedia editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with graphic design/layout editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of article text, headlines, and bylines in the newspaper on deadline
– Writes sports content as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all sports reporters
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Entertainment Editor
– Responsible for editing and submitting all entertainment articles, headlines, and bylines on deadline, online content to online/managing editor and newspaper content to the editor in chief
– Responsible for administration of all entertainment coverage
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all entertainment content
– Works with online/managing editor to ensure accuracy and professionalism of all online entertainment content
– Works with the editor in chief to ensure content has no typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or AP style errors
– Works with the multimedia editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of photos and captions in the newspaper on deadline
– Works with graphic design/layout editor to ensure accurate and timely placement of article text, headlines, and bylines in the newspaper on deadline
– Writes entertainment content as needed
– Recruits, trains, and supervises all entertainment reporters
– Delegates responsibilities to deputy editor as needed and supervises the quality of that work
– Stays in constant contact with staff through email and mobile communication to ensure adherence to deadlines and fulfillment of responsibilities
– Delivers newspapers to assigned areas in a timely manner and maintains a professional presentation of those newspapers for the public
Deputy/Assistant Editors
– Assists lead editor with their responsibilities itemized above
– Assists lead editor with the administration of duties as itemized above
Spartan Echo 