How important is the role of the editor within the editorial
Commissioning process?

1. Introduction

1. Executive Summary

This report discusses the importance of the role of the multi-skilled editor within the editorial commissioning process, whilst analysing what is involved within magazine feature commission. In order to achieve the main objective of gaining a practical feel as well as an analytical view to the tasks and processes involved in a magazine feature commissioning, this report acts as an accompaniment to a case study on ‘Intersection’ magazine, which illustrates and reflects on the role of the editor within the commissioning process. This task involved creating a commissioned feature for the new VW Passat CC, and provided a chance to learn leadership and motivational theories, which are needed for a coherent editorial vision.

2. Terms of Reference

The methods of obtaining information for this report will be both primary and secondary research methods. Primary sources include the Intersection case study, focus groups and surveys, and secondary research includes research gathered from reports, textbooks, case studies, and the Internet.

2.0 Methodology

This study aims to give an understanding into how an editor’s role within a magazine is of vast importance to the success feature commission. The purpose of this report is to illustrate through a case study and management and motivational theories as to how the role of the editor is changing; how an editors role is extremely varied and multi-skilled and how the editor is involved in every step within the commissioning process. It will look at an explanation of commissioning, the challenges and importance of commissioning before concluding with recommendations.

2.1 Primary Research

‘Primary research is research in which data is actually collected from the natural world (including experiments, naturalistic observation, case studies, etc.). This contrasts with secondary research that draws information from books or publications or expert opinion.’ (Bernard Schuster 2001)

Primary research is collected through a variety of ways such as through observations, experiments, focus groups and questionnaires. In the case of this report, primary research was collected through the ‘Intersection’ case study. The task set was to commission, write, edit and create a style guide for an existing magazine. In groups of three we were able to learn the responsibilities of the editor, sub editor and writer, and understand the importance of the editors brief and the involvement of the editor through the entire commissioning process. Please see appendix 1 for a more detailed overview of the different roles and responsibilities of the team, and what was involved within the commissioning process.

Primary research such as in the case of the Intersection task illustrated how the editor plays a huge role in the commissioning process. An editor’s job role is not purely to check copy and approve design work, but is a very multi-skilled role, which involves overseeing every process throughout the magazine publishing process. Please see Appendix 2 for a list of skills and a job description of today’s multi-skilled editor.

In recent times, the role of the editor has changed quite dramatically. The editor is not purely judged on the quality and success of the most recent issue of their paper version magazine, but ‘reader events, websites, pod casts, commercial initiatives and newsletters; these are now part of the editors job in the future and it will not be acceptable to any of them grudgingly. (Neil Baker, Freelancer Writer and Journalist 2008)

The editor’s role is now extremely multi-skilled, with the editor being both a journalist, having to provide information and entertainment for its reader’s, and as a manager, expected to lead and supervise successfully the development of a magazine or periodical. The editor is expected to understand and be able to motivate its staff, understand people’s behaviour and traits, and encourage a happy and productive workforce who co-operate with each other, with a successful end result. The editor has many roles and skills, which are necessary to running a publication. These include knowing the reader, building an editorial team, using words, pictures and design; managing productivity; responsibility and ethical management.

3. Secondary Research

Secondary research methods include research gained from outside sources such as textbooks and journals. In the case of the ‘Intersection’ case study, motivation and leadership played important parts in the overall commissioning process. This section will focus on how an editor manages people within the work place, looking at management and organisational theories, which provide an editorial team with a coherent editorial vision.

Today’s increasingly competitive business world means a highly motivated workforce is vital for any organisation seeking to achieve good results. Therefore learning how to motivate others has become an essential skill for editors of magazines. The magazine industry is extremely competitive with much homogeny, which means that is now more important than ever for an editor to create and sustain a positive environment in the workplace, which will encourage the best out of their staff, and increase job satisfaction.

‘Motivation is a reason or set of reasons for engaging in particular behaviour, and is defined as an internal drive that activates behaviour and gives it direction’. (Seminar notes 2008)

Motivation is the will to act. In a magazine publishing house, it is the role of the editor to seek to influence staff to align their own motivations within the needs of the organisation. ‘The art of motivating people starts with learning how to influence individuals’ behaviour.’ (‘Motivating People’ Robert Heller 1998 p.6)

One of the best-known theories in motivation is the hierarchy of needs put forth by psychologist Abraham Maslow. (Please see Appendix 3). He saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from the lowest to the highest, concluding that when one set of needs are satisfied, that particular need ceases the motivate the next need. Maslow developed a model in which basic, low level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher level needs such as self-fulfilment are pursued. In order to motivate somebody, one needs to understand what level of the hierarchy the group or individual is at and focus on satisfying those needs above that level. It is the role of the editor to do this.

In order to release the full potential of employees, organisations are rapidly moving away from ‘command and control’ and towards ‘advise and consent’ ways of motivating. This change of attitude began when employers recognised that rewarding good work is more effective than threatening punitive measures for bad work. Please see Appendix 4 for a list of the advantages of motivation.

The work of Frederick Herzberg compliments that of Maslow. Hertzberg illustrated how in order to motivate employees; conditions are required to ensure they feel fulfilled within the workplace. Psychologist Frederick Hertzberg developed a ‘two factor’ theory for motivation based on ‘motivators’, and ‘hygiene factors.’ Hygiene factors are basic human needs at work, which do not aim to motivate, although failure to meet them can cause distress. Hygiene factors include aspects such as salary and benefits, working conditions, company policy, job security and office life. His research proved that people will strive to achieve ‘hygiene’ needs because they are unhappy without them, but once satisfied the effect will soon wear off '' satisfaction is therefore only temporary. (Please see Appendix 5 for a table of Hertzberg’s Two Factor Theory)

In magazines, teamwork is extremely important, and working and co-operating, as a close-knit team is vital to the success of a magazine, where deadlines loom, and budgets are often small. Communication and encouraging each other between the different departments of a magazine is vital. Regular meetings, co-operation, efficiency and disciplines are crucial. Ultimately misunderstandings cost time, which costs money. In the case of the ‘Intersection’ task, the editor, as the leader, was responsible to encourage and motivate the two other members of the team, and ensuring that the article was finished on time and to the expected high standard. It can be thought that there are three different titles used to define the different styles of leadership:

Authoritarian or autocratic '' This style is used when the leader informs its employees what is to be done and how they want it done, without taking advice from followers

Participant or democratic '' This type involved the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process

Delegative or free reign - The leader allows the employees to make decisions. However, the leader is still ultimately responsible for the decisions which are made. This is used when employees are able to analyse the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it.

In terms of this case study, it could be said that the editor was democratic.
Although the editor was ultimately in charge of the commissioning process, it was the responsibility of each team member to ensure that each individual task was completed. Time management is a crucial aspect in the magazine industry, and organisational skills are a must. Working to quite a tight deadline, the editor had to ensure that each team member was commissioned a particular task to a certain time deadline, as would happen in the magazine industry where deadline dates cannot be extended due to the magazine having to go to print and distribution.

Understanding leadership and motivation is critical when managing a commissioning process, and leads to successful outcomes for each team member.

4.0 Conclusion

The success of a magazine is very much like the way in which big businesses and companies operate. It depends on delivering products and services that meet the expectations of its readers. To achieve this, it is vital to lead and motivate staff to maximise their effort. The editor plays an extremely important role in the commissioning process. Good leadership and motivational skills can improve recruitment and retention. In order to gain loyalty and commitment from staff, pay is purely just one single aspect. In such a competitive industry and job market, magazine editors will need to consider people’s social and psychological needs very carefully as well, and they are a means to motivating a team properly. This can be done by demonstrating trust, showing staff respect, and listening to them. Simply giving encouragement and offering incentives for achievement can lead to a high success rate, and a happier and more productive workforce. In terms of the ‘Intersection’ magazine task set, valuable skills such as the ones above were learnt by all, as well as being able to gain a real practical feel to the tasks and processes involved in a magazine feature commission. As in a real life situation within a magazine publishing house, it was important that each team worked together and communicated well with each other to produce a good end result. In conclusion, the overall success of commissioning an article for a magazine does not lie purely with the editor, but lies within each member of the team working on the article, and it is extremely significant for each team member to feel motivated and encouraged in order to do their job efficiently and productivity which a successful end result. Motivational and leadership skills are invaluable and vital to learn in order to bring out the best in people, by encouraging basic human needs, to encouraging individual initiative and rewarding achievement. The task set allowed the class to learn many of these invaluable skills within magazine publishing, which should allow us a good head start when entering the working world in the coming years.

10.0 References

‘The first publication dedicated to style in motion, it guides its reader’s choice of transportation from A to B whether it’s on the road, in the air or at sea. Each issue offers a seasonal, progressive viewpoint on fashion, design, culture and innovation. By filtering these areas of interest through the prism of personal luxury transportation, Intersection offers a fresh perspective that reinvents the style magazine for the 21st century, and each issue is a new journey.’ (Intersection Media Pack featured on Intersection’s website, sited on the 18th March 2008)

‘Motivation is a reason or set of reasons for engaging in particular behaviour, and is defined as an internal drive that activates behaviour and gives it direction’. (Seminar notes March 2008)

‘The art of motivating people starts with learning how to influence individuals’ behaviour.’ (‘Motivating People’ Robert Heller 1998 p. 6)

‘The process of influencing the activities of a group in its efforts towards goal setting and goal achievement’ (Bryham 1996)

A style guide is ‘a publication which specifies details of writing style required by a particular publishing house or professional organisation’. (Intersection Media Pack featured on Intersection Magazine Website, sited on the 20th March 2008)

‘Reader events, websites, pod casts, commercial initiatives and newsletters; these are now part of the editors job in the future and it will not be acceptable to any of them grudgingly. (Neil Baker, Freelancer Writer and Journalist 2008, cited on the 8th April 2008)

12.0 Bibliography

Heller, Robert (1998) Motivating People. Great Britain, Dorling Kindersley.

Richards & Clark (2006) Dilemmas of Leadership. Routledge

McKay, J (2000) The Magazine Handbook. London. Routledge

Primary research definition http://psychexperiment.tripod.com/handoutonterms.htm Information on ‘Intersection Magazine’ and Media Pack http://intersectionmagazine.com/mediapacks/intersection_usa_media_kit.pdf - accessed on the 21st March, 23rd March, 1st April and the 3rd April 2008.

Concepts of Leadership http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html - accessed on the 21st March 2008

Career Success Website http://www.career-success-for-newbies.com/define-leadership.html - accessed on the 23rd March 2008.

Business Gateway Website http://www.bgateway.com/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&site=202&itemId=1077340434 - accessed on the 8th April and the 9th April 2008.

Prospects '' UK’S graduate Careers Website for Information on Job Roles http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job/p!eipaL?state=showocc&pageno=1&idno=419 - accessed on the 27th April 2008.

Changing Role of the Editor, Online Blog of Neil Baker, Freelance writer and journalist http://neil.typepad.com/idle/2007/06/the-changing-ro.html - accessed on the 8th April 2008

Journalism Website http://www.journalism.co.uk/36/64/ - accessed on the 27th March and 29th March 2008.

Appendix

Appendix 1

The roles of the team were as follows:

• Editor: The editor commissioned a journalist to write about the new Passat Cc presented at the Detroit Motor Show. By creating a commissioning brief the editor gives guidelines for them to follow.

• Writer: The journalist created a first draft of 400 words by using the ‘inverted pyramid’ style of writing. This draft was given to the sub-editor to amend.

• Sub-editor: The sub-editor looked into the layout of the article and made changes where needed for the article to follow the magazine’s style guide.

Brief overview what was involved during the commissioning process of this case study:

The task set was to commission, write, edit and create a style guide for ‘Intersection’ magazine. In teams of three, specific roles were assigned '' an editor, sub editor and writer. The job of the editor was to write the commissioning brief. As mentioned previously, the editor not only informs the writer on what to write about, but also oversees the whole commissioning process. In this task, the editor was required to set a deadline, a maximum word count and image count, inform on research sources as well as provide a brief background. The editor was required to motivate the writer into producing a top quality piece of writing on the VW Passat CC, which would feature in the following month’s avant-garde ‘Intersection’ magazine. It was the editor’s job to drum enthusiasm into the writer, and provide the writer with enough information to then be able to research and draft an article to the editor’s brief. The role of the writer was to include a headline, stand first, body copy, by-line and pull quote within the 400 word article. The sub editor’s role was to then show how the article could be edited, changed or improved, through checking carefully for grammar phrasing, spelling and ensuring the house style was evident throughout. In this task, the sub editor then also had to design a mock layout spread on Adobe In Design, and write a short ‘Intersection’ Magazine style guide. A style guide is ‘a publication which specifies details of writing style required by a particular publishing house or professional organisation’. (Intersection Magazine Website 2008) The sub editor was required to outline the ethos of the magazine, describe its target audience or readership, and provide some grammatical rules and phrases liked and disliked throughout the magazine.

As in a real magazine publishing house, each member of the team were required to work to their task set, communicate and co-operate to each other throughout. This was to ensure everybody was following the same path, and the outcome met the editor’s brief. In the case of the task in hand, and in many small magazines, the editorial team is often fairly small, resulting in staff undertaking a variety of tasks, and becoming responsible for commissioning other writers.

Appendix 2

List of certain skills today’s multi skilled editor must have:

Knowledge of journalism, writing, the commissioning process, editing and sub-editing.
Understanding of management, time, people, system’s scheduling, production cycles and budgets.
Understanding of art direction, graphic design, photography and cover ideas.

An editor’s job description is extremely varied and includes:

Idea creation for features, covers and sections
Manage contributors
Manage editorial staff
Plan ‘themes’ with publisher and sales
Maintain a house style
Oversee the commissioning process
Oversee the design department/art director
Work with sales and circulation function

Appendix 3
In 1943, Abraham Maslow, one of the founding fathers of humanist approaches to management, wrote an influential paper that set out five fundamental human needs and their hierarchical nature. Maslow developed a model in which basic, low level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued.
The diagram bellows displays Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

[pic]

Appendix 4

Advantages of Motivation:

Motivation has many advantages within a magazine work place. A positive philosophy and practise should improve productivity, quality and service. Motivation helps people to:

Achieve goals
Gain a positive perspective
Create the power to change
Build self-esteem and capability
Manage their own development and help others with theirs

Appendix 5

Psychologist Frederick Hertzberg developed a ‘two factor’ theory for motivation based on ‘motivators’, and ‘hygiene factors.’

|Hygiene Factors |Motivators |
|Policy | |
|Relationship with supervisor | |
|Work conditions |Achievement |
|Salary |Recognition |
|Company car |Work itself |
|Status |Responsibility |
|Security |Advancement |
|Relationship with subordinates |Personal growth |

Hertzberg, F., Mausner B., and Snyderman, B.B, 1959.The Motivation to work. New York: Wiley

Portfolio
This version is the newly updated one to go onto in design, overleaf is the article before ‘subediting’ changes were made. I’ve highlighted words or grammer that we changed in blue to show changes we made!
Fancy something sleek, sexy and fast to ride? Well look no further.......Intersection proudly brings you Volkswagen’s brand new Passat CC, recently launched at this year’s Detroit Motor Show. We can reveal the first new and exclusive snapshots of Volkswagen’s latest model, billed as a coupe, but with a smooth four door body, aping its classy Mercedes rival. This desirable newcomer has a rakish look, with a front grille and headlamp design, providing its buyer with the reliability of the standard Volkswagen brand, but with a luxurious and striking edge. With its stylish, modern feel, the Coupe combines comfort with luxury, complete with a low sweeping roofline, and distinctive Panorama vent sunroof. Already causing a stir within the motoring industry, we, at Intersection are giving our readers the chance to appreciate this hi tech brand new Passat for the very first time. The sleek model is over an inch longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Passat sedan, with its overall height over two inches lower, most of which has been subtracted from the car's roofline to create a much sleeker appearance. Combining the virtues of desirability with practicality, the interior of this VW Passat gains full marks too, with the inside getting a luxurious makeover, with both the front and rear seats having been improved for comfort, with the driver and passenger seats gaining active ventilation for heating and cooling. A new steering wheel featuring controls for the phone and entertainment systems sits behind new dials in the cowelled instrument pack. New finishes including the option of wood or aluminium are complemented by a subtle new ambient lighting system.
Now for the important stuff! Two engine choices are available to U.S. buyers. The first is a 2.0-liter TSI diesel delivering 200 horsepower at 5100 rpm and 206 pound-feet of torque starting from 1800 rpm. With this motor, VW says the Passat CC is capable of reaching 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. The more powerful engine is a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 FSI, offering 300 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2500 rpm. The Passat CC 3.6 V6 FSI is offered with full-time 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The European version is offered with a DSG dual-clutch transmission, while the North American edition is only available with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. Perhaps the greatest aspect of this new model is the control system, Dynamic Drive Control, which allows adjustment to the suspension settings, while also changing sensitivity of the power steering. Drivers can select Normal, Sport and Comfort settings depending on the conditions. And for the women out there…Volkwagens’s Park Assist addition will ensure stress free parking. Designed to automatically guide the Passat into parking spaces, this is sure to be a favourite with the ladies! Park Assist, available on both the Tiguan and Touran models, allows the vehicle to guide itself into a parallel parking space with the help of sensors placed around the vehicle. Long distance cruising is also hassle free thanks to an automatic cruise control which applies the brakes or accelerates according to the speed of the traffic in front of the CC.
The new Passat CC benefits from a comprehensive range of safety features including up to eight airbags and an advanced Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP).
Mixing aesthetical appeal with functionality, this stylish newcomer is set to be a hit, and will go on sale here in the UK in July, priced at around £19,500. For more information and exclusive images, live from the Detroit Motor Show, check out our website www.intersectionmag.co.uk.
This is the working subedited article. This article has been changed and improved through carefully looking at spelling, grammar phrasing and house style. Blue illustrates spelling errors, whilst red indicated punctuation or grammer errors which have been altered.Green indicates any addition wording which has been added to the article.
Fancy something sleek, sexy and fast to ride? Well look no further.......Intersection proudly brings you Volkswagen’s brand new Passat CC, recently launched at this year’s Detroit Motor Show. We can reveal the first new and exclusive snapshots of Volkswagen’s latest model, billed as a coupe, but with a smooth four door body, aping its classy Mercedes rival. This desirable newcomer has a rakish look, with a front grille and headlamp design, providing its buyer with the reliability of the standard Volkswagen brand, but with a luxurious and striking edge. With its stylish modern feel, the Coupe combines comfort with luxury, complete with a low sweeping roofline, and distinctive Panorama vent sunroof. Already causing a stir within the motoring industry, we, at Intersection are giving our readers the chance to appreciate this hi tech brand new Passat for the very first time. The sleek model is over an inch longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Passat sedan, with its overall height over two inches lower, most of which has been subtracted from the car's roofline to create a much sleeker appearance. Combining the virtues of desirability with practicality, the interior of this VW Passat gains full marks too, with the inside getting a luxurious makeover, with both the front and rear seats having been improved for comfort, with the driver and passenger seats gaining active ventilation for heating and cooling. A new steering wheel featuring controls for the phone and entertainment systems sits behind new dials in the cowelled instrument pack. New finishes including the option of wood or aluminium are complemented by a subtle new ambient lighting system.
Now for the important stuff! Two engine choices are available to U.S. buyers. The first is a 2.0-liter TSI diesel delivering 200 horsepower at 5100 rpm and 206 pound-feet of torque starting from 1800 rpm. With this motor, VW says the Passat CC is capable of reaching 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. The more powerful engine is a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 FSI, offering 300 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2500 rpm. The Passat CC 3.6 V6 FSI is offered with full-time 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The European version is offered with a DSG dual-clutch transmission, while the North American edition is only available with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. Perhaps the greatest aspect of this new model is the control system, Dynamic Drive Control, which allows adjustment to the suspension settings, while also changing sensitivity of the power steering. Drivers can select Normal, Sport and Comfort settings depending on the conditions. And for the women out there…Volkwagens’s Park Assist addition will ensure stress free parking. Designed to automatically guide the Passat into parking spaces, this is sure to be a favourite with the ladies! Park Assist, available on both the Tiguan and Touran models, allows the vehicle to guide itself into a parallel parking space with the help of sensors placed around the vehicle. Long distance cruising is also hassle free thanks to an automatic cruise control which applies the brakes or accelerates according to the speed of the traffic in front of the CC.
The new Passat CC benefits from a comprehensive range of safety features including up to eight airbags and an advanced Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP).
Mixing aesthetical appeal with functionality, this stylish newcomer is set to be a hit, and will go on sale here in the UK in July, priced at around £19,500. For more information and exclusive images, live from the Detroit Motor Show, check out our website www.intersectionmag.co.uk.