Generating Online Content: The staff of the Kirkwood Call shares their system

http://www.thekirkwoodcall.com/

 

Here’s another staff’s system for generating online content. The KirkwoodCall.com staff earned a Pacemaker in 2012. The staff is advised by Mitch Eden.

Johnny Frohlichstein, web editor of theKirkwoodCall.com, typed up the staff’s web system and shared it. It’s the staff’s first year with this system.

TheKirkwoodCall.com

The way our web system is set up is relatively simple. We have a calendar, and each day one person is responsible for turning in content. Because we focus more on quality than quantity, the content is due to editors on a staffer’s assigned day. Then, a minimum of three editors look at it before it goes up on the web. It’s the staffers job to find three editors for quality control. The calendar is a cycle; in other words, because we have a staff of 49, each staffer is assigned one day out of every 49, or about twice a semester. It’s a manageable assignment, and our staffers have kept up with it.

We also have some web-specific positions on staff:

Web editor: Oversees the process, makes sure everything is going properly and helps with WordPress and the technological aspect. Is generally in charge of creating or assigning larger packages for stories of more importance.

Web managing editor: Creates the calendar, checks in with each staffer a week or so before their particular due date and on the due date itself to see if the content was turned in.

Sports: they trade off each month between posting sports scores and blogging about St. Louis sports.

Web master/techie: In charge of managing WordPress and answering the rest of the staff’s questions about posting content to the web.

Social media editor: Communicates with the web managing editor and posts a link to all new content on Twitter, Facebook or both.

Music blogger: He has a passion and we found an outlet. Reviews CDs, profiles local bands, etc.

Student achievements/news: A web staffer in charge of posting all student/club news (this news comes from the district’s email service, kids bringing news into class, etc.). Goal is to recognize kids on our site to drive traffic. Clubs, competitions, contests. Info goes here.

On-air reporter/videographer: Put together the majority of packages and teach, consult others wiht theirs.

Aaron Manfull

Aaron is in his 26th year of advising student media. He is currently the Director of Student Media at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Missouri. He is the Journalism Education Association Digital Media Chair and co-Director of Media Now. He is the 2023 JEA Teacher Inspiration Award Winner and is a former Dow Jones News Fund National Journalism Teacher of the Year. He is one of the authors of the textbook "Student Journalism and Media Literacy." You can find him on X and Instagram @manfull. He's a proud father. A transplanted Iowan. And an avid Hawkeye Fan.

Aaron Manfull has 864 posts and counting. See all posts by Aaron Manfull

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