The trickiest question that an interviewer can ask a candidate interviewing for a student newspaper job-any student newspaper job, is "Which department is the most important? Advertising, business, editorial or production?"
Indeed, it's a tough question when you are sitting in the hot glare of the interview. You probably would be tempted to answer that the most important department is the one for which you are applying. Beware of that trap. The best answer: all are equally important.
Symbiosis
Student newspaper production is an excellent, working example of symbiosis. A functioning and successful partnership that is shared among the newspaper's departments. In order for the editorial staff of a newspaper to have the space for its copy, the advertising sales reps must make sales. The advertising staff must depend of the art department to create eye-catching, effective ads that work for the advertiser. The sales staff rely on the writers and editors to create informative and engaging copy that advertisers will be interested in supporting. Of course, there is the business department, whose accounts receivable efforts fund the publication of each issue.
Sometimes overlooked, but critical to the process are the legions of support personnel that work behind the scenes. Consider the example of the duties of distribution specialists. All of the work that is devoted to creating an issue is meaningless until the final product is in the hands of the readers.
Production Cycle
A production cycle refers to the entire process of publishing one issue of your newspaper. This cycle begins with the first ad sold for that particular issue and ends with the last copy of that issue being delivered to its distribution point. Everything that the reader enjoys in that particular issue -- from the day's editorial, to the 25 percent off coupon, to the horoscope -- is the product of that day's production cycle.
A production cycle can be thought of as a relay race. Just as the runner waits for his teammate to pass the baton, so does the editorial staff wait to see the amount of advertising sold, which determines the allotted editorial space. Once the advertising deadline has been met, the composition department prepares the page layout, which will be transformed into the next issue of the paper.
Deadlines are critical to the successful completion of the production cycle. The issue's final deadline is impossible to achieve unless the other deadlines, such as advertising, are met. When deadlines are "blown," momentum and progress are greatly impeded.
The production cycle cannot be completed without the dedicated cooperation and support of every staff member in each department of the newspaper. As the cycle progresses, the most important ingredient for success is productive communication.
Productive Communication
Communication is a concept understood by many, but mastered by few. Productive Communication is critical to the successful accomplishment of the production cycle.
Productive Communication - is the relaying or sharing of important information:
to the correct people
in a timely manner
to successfully achieve a goal
Although everyone working in a newsroom has a shared goal (a strong and influential profitable paper), different staff members have a wide variety of tasks that need to be accomplished to reach the goal. As a result, the road through the production cycle can be bumpy. Effective use and practice of Productive Communication will make the ride much more smooth.
The dictionary describes symbiosis as a close association between different types of organisms in a community, working toward a common goal. Except for describing our colleagues as organisms, this definition is very descriptive of the strong, working cooperation needed to publish a newspaper. Strong newsroom symbiosis will lead to success.
And don't forget to thank your distribution specialists.
Joe Lawley has been a student publications director for more than twelve years and is a consultant with J&S Solutions, student media consulting. Need more advice on the workings of your student publication? Visit us at http://www.jnssolutions.net
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