Developing an Editorial Policy
This exercise is based on one first presented in Bill Ward's book, Newspapering. It can be used to work on developing editorial aproaches for your publications and to let students talk about what they think the purpose of the publication should be. All categories are open-ended and allow students to fully explain their answers. Some of the answers are contradictory and will not work well together. This exercise can be a good exercise in building your curriculum.

Your reputation depends on the image you as publication staffers create through your actions and application of journalism law, ethics and principles in all your coverage.

Readership can depend on the reputation of your paper. With these thoughts in mind, editorial staffs have to make decisions based on the following each year, and sometimes even in each issue. Read the following 10 possible roles of a publication. Rank order each, from most important to least important, based on whatever rationale you think important.

Explain why you made your decision in a short explanation of your choice. You cannot omit any of the 10 choices, but you can add others if you wish.

1. To what degree will you be a matter of record: how much routine news must be printed so a permanent record of the school year will be on file; to what degree does this fall into the area of the yearbook.
2. To what degree will you report the news: what importance will you placeon this; will you stress only school news; what part will community news, national news and other news events play in your publication.
3. To what degree will you interpret the meaning and significanceof events: will you explain the event or tell only what hapapended; consider the two theories of press roles--mirror and candle; will you tell what is said or show the events in its surroundings,with perspective and background.
4. To what degree will you provide leadership: editorials
In what way will they reflect the strengths and weaknessesof your publication? Or, will the influence function be of any value at all to you and to your readers? Are there
other ways to fulfill this leadership function? What are
your obligation to your readers?
5. To what degree will you entertain the readers: will you stress humor, gags, light features and maybe gossip?
Will you try to make the reader laugh? To what extentwill you have fun articles other than opinion and entertainment? Will you include literary work?
6. To what degree will you be responsible for building school morale and spirit: should you be a leader in building support for academics, athletics, student government, administration, school rules; for any group?
7. To what degree will you be responsible for improving the school's image in the community: how much should you actively try to sell the paper and school to voters, to parents? Will you emphasize the positive and downplay the negative? Will this be a major goal?
8. To what degree will you adopt professional standards
of journalism, and codes of ethics: is professional journalismtraining a must for all staffers? Do you want to establish standards for all reportingand presentation? Will you establish standards for all copy and content, and for all staffers? How will you enforce them?
9. To what degree will you be an outlet for all student, faculty and community opinion: will you accept any materials for publication from outside the staff? Will you establish limits on what can be submitted? Will you publish all lettersto the editor; guest columns; administrator columns?
10. To what degree will you reflect the culture of your readers: will you appeal to what the readers, and students, what to see, no matter what it is? Will you attempt to give the reader what you think he or she wants, or what you think he or she should have?

In going over the exercise, focus mainly on the top two or three and the bottom two or three. Work with students as they explain their decisions, letting them discuss each of their decisions. Some simply cannot easily go together--professional standards and building morale, etc. The exercise should lead you into definitions of news, public realtions, administrative control and prior review, role of publications. Encourage the students to discuss their reasoning, challenging them as much as possible to clarify and examine their beliefs, based on what they know, or think they know about journalism.