5.0018R College Mass Media: The Current and Collage

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I. Title of Regulation

5.0018R College Mass Media – The Current and Collage

II. Objective of Regulation

To establish operating policies governing The Current and Collage and to ensure that the principles of freedom of the press with responsibility are adhered to.

III. Authority

Board of Trustees Policy No. 5.0018.

IV. Regulation Statement

The Current

A. Statement of Purpose

The Current is a student organization set up under the auspices of the Student Life Board for the purpose of publishing a Brookdale student newspaper to provide the College community with information concerning issues and activities relevant to students, faculty, staff, and administration. The aim is to provide an interesting, informative, readable newspaper that will satisfy the needs of the entire Brookdale community. Each year, the Editorial Board of The Current, in compliance with the approved club and organization guidelines, is allocated a budget by the A.S.B.C.C. Finance Committee. In addition to these funds, The Current may cover additional publication costs by soliciting advertising for the paper.

B. Guiding Principles

The Current shall enjoy full freedom of the press and accept and adhere to the same ethics and principles of journalism as the professional press as established by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. (See attached document, Code of Ethics.)

C. Operation

In order to operate efficiently and effectively, certain positions and responsibilities are established. These standing positions and responsibilities are as follows.

1. Editor —  The Editor of The Current performs duties necessary to assure the continued publication of the paper and adherence to the statement of policy. The Editor is responsible for the content of each issue and acts as a liaison between the staff and the advisor, between the staff and other groups: student body, Student Life Board, faculty, administration, and the community. The Editor is responsible for assigning all news copy for The Current and for working closely with all other editors. The Editor keeps a “future book” of all upcoming, current, and follow-up events.

2. Managing Editor — The Managing Editor works closely with the Editor in producing The Current and in place of the Editor in the Editor’s absence. The Managing Editor has the primary responsibility to assure the smooth flow of copy.

3. Feature Editor — The Feature Editor is responsible for the production and writing of all feature stories. He/she also maintains a list of all feature ideas by checking available sources. The Feature Editor coordinates with the Photo Editor.

4. Photo Editor — The Photo Editor is responsible for all photos for each issue of The Current.

5. Business Manager — The Business Manager is responsible for all financial and advertising functions of The Current, selling of advertising, collection of all advertising money, and all general bookkeeping functions.

6. Sports Editor — The Sports Editor assumes responsibility for getting all sports stories and facts for the sports page of each issue of The Current.

7. Advisor(s) — The Current Editorial Board and the Communications Media Department will make sure that The Current has an advisor from the College staff at all times. The duties of advisor are to serve as a consultant on writing, editing, business practices or other areas of expertise, as well as the other responsibilities described in the Club and Organization Handbook.

8. Editorial Board — In order to establish uniform policies and procedures, The Current shall have an Editorial Board, as follows:

a. Membership

(i) Editor
(ii) Managing Editor
(iii) Feature Editor
(iv) Sports Editor
(v) Photo Editor
(vi) Business Manager

b. Length of Service

(i) The Editor shall be elected by the Editorial Board in consultation with the advisor for a term of one year beginning two weeks before the end of the Spring term and ending at the end of the following Spring term.
(ii) All other positions will be filled by nomination and simple majority voting at the second Current staff meeting. This meeting could take place at the end of the Spring term after the new Editor is elected or at the first staff meeting in the fall term depending on interest. All appointments will expire at the end of the Spring term.
(iii) No person can be appointed as Editor for more than two full terms of office running September through April, and no more than three terms of office in any editorial position.

c. Requirements for Membership

In order to serve as a member of the Editorial Board (other than the Editor), a Brookdale student must be taking a minimum of three credits and be in good standing. The Editor of The Current must be carrying a minimum of six credits.

d. Removal from Office

Any member of the Editorial Board may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the members present at an Editorial board meeting. Notice of said vote must be given to the member being removed at least one week prior to the meeting.

e. Duties and Responsibilities

(i) Enforce Current editorial policy.
(ii) Resolve any personnel difficulties within The Current staff.
(iii) Refer unresolved Current problems to the Procedure for Resolution of Problems or Complaints. (See attached Procedure for Resolution of Problems or Complaints.)

f. Develop appropriate procedures to implement policy.

Collage

A. Statement of Purpose

The Collage is a student organization set up under the auspices of the Student Services Board for the purpose of providing Brookdale students the opportunity to express their literary, graphic, and artistic talents in a published form. It provides the College community with an interesting and informative annual magazine called Collage. The Editorial Board of the Collage, in compliance with the club and organization guidelines is allocated a budget by the A.S.B.C.C. Finance Committee.

B. Guiding Principles

The Collage shall enjoy full freedom of the press as do other student publications. The Collage has an obligation to abide by the canons of ethical and responsible journalism such as sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, and decency. The Collage editorial staff, under the direction of the Faculty Editor, selects the contributions to be published.

C. Operation

In order to operate efficiently and effectively, certain positions and responsibilities are established. These standing positions and responsibilities are as follows:

1. Faculty Editor — A Faculty Editor will be recommended by the Director of Student Life and Activities for annual appointment by the Student Services Board. The Faculty Editor will be responsible for directing and supervising the annual publication of the Collage including approval of staff and materials.

2. Co-Editors — The Co-Editors of the Collage, along with the faculty Editor, perform duties necessary to assure the continued publication of the magazine and adherence to the statement of policy. The Co-Editors act as a liaison between the staff and the Faculty Editor, between the staff and other groups: student body, Student Services Board, faculty, administration, and the community. The Co-Editors assign all work to other members of the staff and are responsible for making decisions regarding layout, cover selection, design, and production schedule.

3. Literature Editor(s) — There may be either one or two Literature Editors for each Collage. The Literature Editor will have primary responsibility for recommending to the Co-Editors and Faculty Editor the literary selections in the areas of short story, poetry, and essay. The Literature Editor also serves as a member of the Editorial Board.

4. Art Editor(s) — There may be either one or two Art Editors for each Collage. The Art Editor will have the primary responsibility for recommending to the Co- Editors and Faculty Editor the art selections in the areas of drawing, painting, and collage. The Art Editor also serves as a member of the Editorial Board.

5. Graphics Editor(s) — There may be either one or two Graphics Editors. The Graphics Editor will have the primary responsibility for recommending to the Co-Editors and the Faculty Editor the graphics selections in the areas of photography and graphics. The Graphics Editor also serves as a member of the Editorial Board.

6. Assistant Editors — Non-voting assistant editors may be appointed at the discretion of the Editorial Board with approval of the Faculty Editor.

7. Editorial Board — In order to establish uniform policies and procedures, the Collage shall have an Editorial Board, as follows:

a. Membership

(i) Co-Editors
(ii) Literature Editor(s)
(iii) Art Editor(s)
(iv) Graphics Editor(s)
(v) Faculty Editor
(vi) Assistant Editors (non-voting)

b. Length of Service

(i) The Co-Editors will be selected annually by the faculty editor and approved by the Student Life Board. Whenever possible, one Co-Editor will be from the Editorial Board of the previous year’s Collage, and the other will be a student who will be able to participate in the subsequent year’s Collage. The term of office shall begin on the first day of classes of the winter term and end at the conclusion of the fall term.
(ii) All other positions will be filled prior to the conclusion of the winter term by recommendation of the Co-Editors and approval of the Faculty Editor. All will expire at the conclusion of the fall term.
(iii) No person can be appointed as Co-Editor for more than two full terms of office running January through December, and no more than three terms of office in any editorial position.

c. Requirements for Membership

In order to serve as a member of the Editorial Board (other than the Co-Editors), a Brookdale student must be taking a minimum of three credits and be in good standing. The Co-Editors must be carrying a minimum of six credits.

d. Removal from Office

Any member of the Editorial Board may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the members present at an Editorial Board meeting. Notice of said vote must be given to the member being removed at least one week prior to the meeting.

e. Duties and Responsibilities

(i) Enforce Collage policy.
(ii) Resolve any difficulties concerning the Collage.
(iii) Make selection of materials for inclusion in the Collage.
(iv) Refer unresolved difficulties and recommendations to the Faculty Editor.

f. Develop appropriate procedures to implement policy.

V. Responsibility for Implementation

Vice President for Student Success

Approved: President, 10/23/81
Effective: 10/23/81
Approved: President, 4/1/2018

CODE OF ETHICS

The primary function of newspapers is to communicate to the human race what its members do, feel, and think. Journalism, therefore, demands of its practitioners the widest range of intelligence, or knowledge, and of experience, as well as natural and trained powers of observation and reasoning. To its opportunities as a chronicle are indissolubly linked its obligations as teacher and interpreter.

To the end of finding some means of codifying sound practice and just aspirations of American journalism, these canons are set forth:

Responsibility – The right of a newspaper to attract and hold readers is restricted by nothing but considerations of public welfare. The use a newspaper makes of the share of public attention it gains serves to determine its sense of responsibility, which it shares with every member of its staff. A journalist who uses his power for any selfish or otherwise unworthy purpose is faithless to a high trust.

Freedom of the Press – Freedom of the press is to be guarded as a vital right of mankind. It is the unquestionable right to discuss whatever is not explicitly forbidden by law, including the wisdom of any restrictive statute.

Independence – Freedom from all obligations except that of fidelity to the public interest is vital.

1. Promotion of any private interest contrary to the general welfare, for whatever reason, is not compatible with honest journalism. So-called news communications from private sources should not be published without public notice of their source or else substantiation of their claims to value as news, both in form and substance.

2. Partisanship, in editorial comment which knowingly departs from the truth, does violence to the best spirit of American journalism; in the news columns, it is subversive of a fundamental principle of the profession.

Sincerity, Truthfulness, Accuracy – Good faith with the reader is the foundation of all journalism worthy of the name.

1. By every consideration of good faith a newspaper is constrained to be truthful. It is not to be excused for lack of thoroughness or accuracy within its control, or failure to obtain command of these essential qualities.

2. Headlines should be fully warranted by the contents of the articles which they surmount.

Impartiality – Sound practice makes clear distinction between news reports and expressions of opinion. News reports should be free from opinion or bias of any kind.

1. This rule does not apply to so-called special articles unmistakably devoted to advocacy or characterized by a signature authorizing the writer’s own conclusions and interpretation.

Fair Play – A newspaper should not publish unofficial charges affecting reputation or moral character without opportunity given to the accused to be heard; right practice demands the giving of such opportunity in all cases of serious accusation outside judicial proceedings.

1. A newspaper should not invade private rights or feeling without sure warrant of public right as distinguished from public curiosity.

2. It is the privilege, as it is the duty, of a newspaper to make prompt and complete correction of its own serious mistakes of the fact or opinion, whatever their origin.

Decency – A newspaper cannot escape conviction of insincerity if while professing high moral purpose it supplies incentives to base conduct, such as are to be found in details of crime and vice, publication of which is not demonstrably for the general good. Lacking authority to enforce its canons the journalism here represented can but express the hope that deliberate pandering to vicious instincts will encounter effective public disapproval or yield to the influence of a preponderant professional condemnation.

*Operating Regulation

The Current Editorial Board

Informal Hearing Student Life Board

Formal Hearing Student Life Board

Appeal Hearing – VP for Student Success & VP for Learning

Appeal to President of Brookdale Community College

PDF Regulation 5.0018R College Mass Media: The Current and Collage