THINK MAGAZINE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

2010 ONLINE STAFF

Important! Please note that everybody except the executive producer and
technical director will also write for the site. Most of you will also be drafted to
assist with tasks that fall outside your “official” responsibilities, including
contributing to the print edition.

Executive Producer
 Coordinates overall site creation.
 Works with technical director, editorial director, visuals editor and business
manager as member of a management team that makes sure all members of the
staff are involved and informed.
 Responsible for the overall content, look and feel of the online magazine.
 Works with print editor-in-chief to ensure continuity and cohesion between print
and online publications.
 Finalizes the editorial philosophy, formula and purpose. Enforces it.
 Leads management team of executive producer, technical director, editorial
director, visuals editor and business manager.
 With editorial director, devises a plan and schedule for posting content that
includes who can post, what they can post, and when.
 Reader’s advocate in terms of what suits the target audience.
 Provides weekly (at least) updates to both staff.
 Sees the big picture; leaves micro-managing to others.
 Manages staff relations: creates a positive work environment to avoid problems;
deals with staff problems as they arise, in consultation with the Publisher.
 Final decision-maker for online editorial content and design.
 Approves key design and production decisions such as platform, templates,
interactivity, usability/navigability.
 Approves all ideas for articles, multimedia, designs and photographs.
 Works with print team on development of print content and its connection with
web content.
 Gives final approval for final content/packaging to “go live.”
 Represents Think online to the public.
 Works to include the most up-to-date technology in stories.
 Oversees collaboration with other journalism students, freelancers, classes and
broadcast students.
 Watches SEO, makes sure social media are being updated regularly.
 Works with the Freelance Magazine Writing class (J120) to obtain more content
for the web.
 Fights every day for content, attention and time to be spent on the site. The web
is where we are headed. You will be the biggest advocate of new technology
and cutting-edge journalism.
Technical Director
 Technical architect of the site. Responsible for design and construction of the
site, using a content-management system.
 Designs a site that is highly usable and navigable, dynamic, well-organized,
content driven and highly interactive.
 Works closely with visuals editor to create a unified and highly professional site
that abides by the editorial philosophy, purpose and intended audience.
 With copy chief and editorial and site directors, devises a plan and schedule for
posting content that includes who can post, what they can post, and when.
Works with executive producer, visuals editor, editorial director and business
manager as member of a management team that makes sure all members of the
staff are involved and informed.
 Customizes template to suit site’s specific needs and overall purpose.
 Oversees integration of video, audio, slideshows, etc., onto site.
 With business manager, plans use of interactivity, external links, social media,
community input, SEO, syndication and other tools to drive traffic to site.
 Works closely with David Wright on technical specifications, server issues,
integrating SJMC site.
 Reports to Executive Producer.

Editorial Director
• Responsible for all content on the site, including text, video, photography,
graphics.
• Works with executive producer, visuals editor, technical director and business
manager as member of management team that makes sure all members of the
magazine staff are involved and informed.
• Chief organizing force on the online staff.
• With executive producer and senior editor, assigns stories, plans packages,
determines frequency of updates. Is deeply involved in editorial decision-making.
• Works closely with writers, senior editor and visuals editor to make sure there is
a clear vision for each article. Works with technology director to make sure vision
is possible.
• Oversees content channels; delegates direct oversight of each channel to
staffers.
• Devises a plan and schedule for posting content that includes who can post,
what they can post, when, and levels of editing.
• Oversees and coordinates macroediting of content.
• Works with executive producer, technical director and copy chief to set schedules
and deadlines.
• Oversees senior editor and copy chief; helps supervise writers.
• Collaborates closely with visuals editor to plan packaging.
• Reports to Executive Producer.

Visuals Editor
  Responsible for overall look of the online magazine, in consultation with
executive team.
 Creates an aesthetically appealing design; works in tandem with technical
director to carry out that design.
 Collaborates with print Art Director to unify the print and online look.
 Designs a site that is highly usable and navigable, dynamic, well-organized,
content-driven and highly interactive
 Work closely with editorial team to conceive and plan multimedia possibilities for
stories.
 Ensures ease of navigability and usability of the site.
 Assigns the photographs, videos, audio and creation of slideshows. Ensures that
all photos, videos and audio are imaged and edited properly and fulfill technical
specifications for posting to Web.
 Creates or delegates illustrations and other graphic elements.
 Manages workflow between multimedia team and writers/editors.
 In the absence of a multimedia etam, may help create and edit multimedia
 Works closely with the senior managers to ensure the creation of a unified and
highly professional publication.
 Reports to the Executive Producer
• Ensures each story is told using the best medium.
• Helps with social media promotion to drive traffic to the site, and helps with
analytics of the site to report to the online team and staff.

Business Manager & Print/Online Liaison

 Works with executive producer, editorial director, visuals editor and technical
director as member of a management team that makes sure all members of the
staff are involved and informed.
 Sees the big picture. Makes sure the print and online editions abide by their
philosophy and purpose and are serving their audience.
 With technical director, plans use of interactivity, external links, social media,
community input, SEO, syndication and other tools to drive traffic to site.
 In collaboration with business team, writes a promotion and marketing plan that
includes traditional and Web 2.0 strategies.
 Oversees business team. Delegates implementation of promotion and marketing
plan.
 Devises advertising plan. Contacts advertisers and provides ad specs and
pricing. Works closely with print staff to determine ad placement and size.
 Acts as liaison between print and online staffs. Identifies areas of where print and
online can complement each other. Flags areas of unnecessary overlap and
duplication. Reports back to respective staffs.
 Coordinates promotional events such as pin-ups and launch party.
 Reports to Executive Producer.

Senior Editor
 Primarily responsible for text, or written, content on site.
  With executive producer and editorial director, assigns stories, plans packages,
determines frequency of updates.
 Collaborates on how to best package stories visually.
 Supervises writers and works to make sure they have resources to do their best
work. With editorial director, establishes and maintains consistent and
manageable deadlines for writers.
 Passes information from administrative team to writers as needed.
 Critiques and macro-edits all drafts of articles.
 Fact-checks articles.
 Writes titles, headlines, cutlines.
 Ensures a consistent tone for the site.
 Meets all deadlines.
 Reports to the Editorial Director.

Promotions/Marketing Assistant
• With the business manager, responsible for getting the word out about Think online
and driving traffic to the site.
• Work closely with the online editorial team and the online technical team to help
them incorporate their content and design into your team's marketing strategies.
• Responsible for driving traffic to site.
• Promotes online magazine, using traditional and new media channels.
• Generates buzz for magazine through channels such as Facebook, blogs, Twitter,
MySpace, etc.
• Works with senior managers to ensure site has plentiful tools for promotion (links to
relevant and appropriate outside sites; “Share” buttons; tags; permalinks; podcasts;
reader response channels; e-mail-this-to-others links; suggestions for how readers
can help; chats; etc.)
• Writes press releases for local media.
• Plans initial and final pin-ups.
• Plans launch party.
• Coordinates other promotional activities suc as t-shirts, posters, etc.
• Reports to the Business Manager.

Copy Chief
• Compile a workflow and schedule.
• With senior editor, write headlines/titles, subheads, cutlines, intro grafs, etc.
 Micro-edit all copy, including titles, subheads, and photo cutlines.
 Correct all copy for spelling, punctuation, grammar and style.
 Ensure that all material is accurate and based on fact.
 Ensure that all material is ethical, fair and free of libel.
 Reports to Editorial Director.
Multimedia Producer
• Produce photography, video and audio, especially for centerpiece packages.
• Produce slideshows for the site.
• Work with Visuals Editor and editorial team to conceive and plan multimedia
possibilities for stories.
• Work closely with the technical team to make sure that what is produced is prepared
properly for their needs.
• Report to Visuals Editor