Model Editorial Procedures

Important Terms Defined:

• A policy is a guiding principle used to set direction in an organization. 
• A procedure is a series of steps to be followed as a consistent and repetitive approach to accomplish an end result.
  
• Code of Ethics outlines the values of the business or organization, how professionals are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization's core values and the standards to which the professional is held.

Problems With Mixing them Together

• When policies, procedures, and ethical codes are mixed together in a staff manual or are all labeled as "policy" in a scholastic journalism setting, issues with administration can arise.
• Mixing these can create situations where administrators want to punish student journalists for ethical mistakes that they may have made or feel that they can make changes to content because everything is listed under "policy."

What Goes in the Editorial Procedures Section of a Staff Manual

• The type of procedures that might help students make decisions about what to put in their publication and how to handle specific situations, like a student death, are ideal for this Editorial Procedures
  
• Topics like dealing with profanity, staff writing, editorials, controversial issues, bylines, death, photos & graphics, errors, advertising, distribution & circulation, individual & group portraits, letters to the editors, online comments, reviews, social media, publicity, prior review, staff selection, staff dismissal, queries, professional affiliations, and bidding.
  
• These type of procedures could still reviewed each year and altered as needed, which is why you WOULD NOT WANT THEM IN THE POLICY SECTION of your staff manual.
• Think of policy, like a staff constitution, which you would want to remain the same each year.