We have come to realize at The Corsair that if we want to do more online we have to think more “online.” So over the summer, I helped the staff redesign job descriptions. Using the Gannett model, as well as some others, we tweaked the models to fit what we could do as a small staff.
Here’s our structure:
Continuous News team
This team is responsible for providing a daily stream of content to eCorsair.com. Team members will report in shifts to The Corsair office one afternoon a week and will complete stories, post briefs and calendar items during that shift. The team’s focus is primarily online, but also provides information for upcoming events for print edition.
The team:
- Covers breaking news, campus events to provide a daily stream of information to site
- Adds briefs, items to calendar of events
- Covers home sporting events and posts results
- Recruits and mentors mojos for Warrington and Milton campuses to report on events, programs
Enterprise Projects team
This team works on projects and stories that will include in-depth research, involving multiple sources. The stories could evolve into packages about a particular issue and include audio, video and photo galleries. The stories and packages could be produced for print, online or a combination. Much of the content produced by this team will probably come from the reporting and college publications classes. The team:
- Provides more in-depth reports than the continuous news team. May take a breaking story and provide more context and meaning
- Examines college and local issues, acts as watchdog and provides in-depth information vital to public
- Encourages community participation through requests for information (crowdsourcing), topic ideas
- Provides searchable databases and other graphics for readers to better understand information
Community Conversation team
This team is responsible for providing opportunities designed to give a voice to the campus community. The team also finds ways to promote market eCorsair.com as the pulse of PJC. The team provides content for both print and online.
The team:
- Provides content and manages commentary including editorials, blogs and columns
- Encourages community participation online through comments
- Empowers readers to create their own forums for discussion
Student Life team
This team covers entertainment, lifestyle and trend issues of interest to readers. The bulk of the stories will be published in print and repurposed for online.
- Provides stories about health and fitness, money, entertainment and other topics of interest to readers. Could also contain crosswords, comics and other entertainment extras.
- Provides profiles on PJC students and other people of interest to readers.
- Provides profiles of PJC programs or aspects of programs.
Multimedia team
This team produces multimedia content for eCorsair.com. In addition, the team will produce graphics and design for The Corsair.
- Produces video, audio, graphics, photo galleries, in support of other teams, as well as content which originates with the multimedia team, such as podcasts, newscasts and original online-only multimedia stories.
<Note: All teams will be familiar with and use various tools in storytelling, including audio, video and photography. All teams will be responsible for posting content online and providing finished, edited content for print as needed.
So far, the staff has really embraced this new concept, with plenty of healthy brainstorming for even more new ideas. We are also starting the fall semester with the largest staff we have had yet – seven. When we are fully staffed, we should have about 15 paid employees. The positions left to be filled are about 3-5 hours a week (editors earn 10 hours a week pay).
I’ll keep you updated as the semester progresses. As I told the staff, we are in uncharted territory and there are bound to be bumps along the way!
