Tufts Daily Constitution

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Last revised: Dec. 2010

The Tufts Daily Constitution

I. Preamble In accordance with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, we believe that all members of the Tufts community should have the right to exercise freedom of speech and expression. It is the responsibility of the Tufts community to guarantee this freedom to all, regardless of gender, age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, physical disability, sexual orientation, or political belief.

The Tufts Daily editors and staff members may report and editorialize about controversial, crucial or otherwise newsworthy events in the university community, the nation, and the world. At the same time, The Tufts Daily must observe the same legal responsibilities imposed upon other news mediums. Thus The Tufts Daily must preserve its autonomy. Journalistic standards mandate that student editors and writers present news and opinion in a responsible manner: accurately and fairly.

The Tufts Daily is a recognized, nonprofit student organization at Tufts University. The Tufts Daily is entirely student-run, and there are no paid editorial positions. The Tufts Daily receives no regular financial support from Tufts University beyond rent-free office space. Authority and discretion over editorial, production, and business policies and practices rest solely with the student staff of The Tufts Daily, and, likewise, the staff is solely responsible for the said practices.

While The Tufts Daily seeks to maintain a degree of segregation and autonomy between its Editorial and Business operations, it recognizes the need for some overlap in authority and privileges and allows for such provisions within this document.

In addition to this document, The Tufts Daily will adhere to a clearly defined and written code of ethics and best practices. The ethics policy is required reading for all members of the Masthead when they assume their positions.

Published and distributed free of charge almost every class day of the academic year, The Tufts Daily provides: •

a source of news and information for the entire Tufts community

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a forum for expression and the exchange of ideas

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an historical record of events

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a means to cover and critique events, shows, and entertainment in the area

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a means by which students can gain experience in leadership, journalism, business, graphic arts, newspaper layout, desktop publishing, and other media-related skills.

At least two-thirds of the Masthead must vote in favor of approving amendments to this document.

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II. Composition of Staff A. The Tufts Daily is an entirely student-run newspaper with a primary responsibility to the Tufts community. Secondarily, it provides practical newspaper experience for Tufts students interested in journalism. The Tufts Daily’s Editorial Board has the sole responsibility for ensuring that both these functions are performed.

B. Any elected member of the editorial, production, and business departments whose name appears on the masthead of The Tufts Daily is considered a member of the body that will henceforth be referred to as the Masthead.

C. All members of the Masthead are eligible to vote at all editors meetings and elections, with some restrictions outlined in this document.

D. Any person enrolled as a full- or part-time student in any Tufts University school or degree program is eligible to contribute to The Tufts Daily as a staff or Masthead member.

E. The staff of The Tufts Daily is comprised of elected and unelected members of three general areas: Editorial, Production, and Business.

F. There can be no more than one Editor-in-Chief, two Managing Editors, one Executive Business Director, and one Production Director. There can be no more than two Associate Editors.

III. Elections A. Regular elections for Masthead positions are held twice a year, near the conclusion of each semester, within two weeks of the last day of classes. Any member of the Masthead, however, may call for a special election for any position at any time during the semester if another Masthead member seconds the motion.

B. If it is not reasonably practical to convene an in-person vote for a special election, an “opt-out� e-mail vote with a 41-hour timeframe may be substituted.

C. Only current Masthead members may nominate a student for a Masthead position or vote in an election.

D. All candidates for the Masthead are expected to make themselves available to current members of the Masthead and are required to answer all reasonable questions pertaining to the position for which they have been nominated.

E. Each position will have a separate vote and/or ballot and each member of the Masthead who is not a candidate for that position may cast one vote per available slot for the position.

F. There is no requirement that any position be filled except for Editor-in-Chief, Executive Business Director, and Production Director. Therefore, in order for an individual to be elected to the Masthead, the candidate must receive the support of the majority of all eligible voters present (that is, support from more than half the total number of eligible voters present). The Editor-in-Chief and Executive Business Director are elected by a plurality of the Masthead. That is, in a non-competitive election, there must be more votes for them than against them or, in a competitive election, the candidate with the most votes wins. Elections for these two positions will continue until a plurality is reached, and nominations may be re-opened by a vote of a simple

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majority of eligible voters present.

G. All votes will be tallied by the presiding chair (usually the most recently elected Editor-in-Chief) and will be witnessed by the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, or, if required by the circumstances of the election, one of the most recently elected Managing Editors or another appropriate editor.

H. The presiding chair may not vote in any circumstance other than a tie.

I. Those elected shall assume their new positions immediately or immediately after production of the final issue of the semester, whichever comes last. The masthead shall be changed online once new positions are assumed.

J. It is required that the Editor-in-Chief have at least one full semester on the Masthead prior to his or her election. It is recommended but not required that the Executive Business Director have at least one full semester on the Masthead prior to his or her election.

K. Assistant Editors and non-elected business positions may be appointed by the newly elected editors or department managers, subject to the approval of a majority of the Masthead.

L. There is no ceiling on the number of terms a student can serve on the Masthead of The Tufts Daily.

M. A quorum for an election will be defined as more than half the number of current Masthead members, except in cases where an amendment to the Constitution is required, which requires at least two-thirds of all Masthead members to be present.

N. All motions, other than Constitutional amendments, must receive the support of a majority of the voting members present. Constitutional changes require the approval of at least two-thirds of the Masthead.

IV. Authority of the Editor-in-Chief A. The Editor-in-Chief shall oversee all content of the newspaper and all day-to-day operations.

B. The Editor-in-Chief shall be the final arbiter between members of the community and The Tufts Daily, and of all disputes between staff members.

C. The Editor-in-Chief shall ensure through regular meetings that the input of the Executive Board is solicited on policy decisions.

D. The Editor-in-Chief, through the authority vested by the Masthead, ultimately will be the sole spokesperson and representative of the newspaper, and shall be responsible for acting in the best interests of the paper and its staff, and for reflecting the views of the majority of the Masthead, unless otherwise arranged.

V. Authority of the Managing Board A. In order to aid in the general management and leadership of The Tufts Daily, there shall be a Managing Board, chaired by the Editor-in-Chief or an acting designate, consisting of the Editor in Chief, all managing editors, all associate editors, the Executive Business Director, and the Production Director. The Managing Board shall convene regularly to discuss issues pertaining to the growth, development, and direction of the

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newspaper.

B. The Managing Board shall be consulted and informed of all significant Business, Editorial, and Production initiatives. The Managing Board will have ultimate responsibility and authority for establishing all policies and procedures that do not fall under the specific jurisdiction of any other Tufts Daily position or board, as established by this document. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, creating and enforcing general rules and guidelines for the design and appearance of the paper, establishing production deadline schedules, setting general staff policy, and prioritizing capital expenditures.

C. The Managing Editor(s) is/are second in command. In the event of any incapacitating circumstance or resignation, the outlined authority of the Editor-in-Chief shall be assumed by one of the Managing Editors, who shall be chosen by a simple majority of a secret vote by the Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

D. The Associate Editor(s) is/are third in command. In the event of any incapacitating circumstance or resignation, the outlined authority of the Managing Editor shall be assumed by one of the Associate Editors, who shall be chosen by a simple majority of the Executive Board. In the event that there are no associate editors, the current managing board shall nominate a replacement, subject to the approval of a simple majority of the Executive Board including the Executive Business Director.

E. In the event of any incapacitating circumstance or resignation, the outlined authority of the Production Director shall be assumed by a replacement nominated by the current managing board, subject to the approval of a simple majority of the Executive Board including the Executive Business Director.

VI. Authority of the Executive Board A. In order to aid in overseeing the Editorial and Production side of The Tufts Daily, there shall be an Executive Board consisting of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing Editors, the Associate Editors, the Production Director, and all heads of departments. The Executive Business Director is not a member of the Executive Board, but shall be included in its discussions as necessary and shall be included in any Executive Board vote that relates to the business operations of The Tufts Daily.

B. The Executive Board is responsible for editing and reviewing all copy and photographs/images, excluding advertisements, that are to be run in the paper to ensure that they adhere to journalistic standards, styles, and policies of The Tufts Daily, and to ensure that they are neither libelous nor malicious. The Executive Board reserves the right not to run any content. The Executive Board has ultimate discretion over the content and style of the paper.

C. Specific roles and responsibilities of members of the Executive Board, in addition to those outlined in this document, may be designated by the Editor-in-Chief.

VII. Roles of Editors A. All heads of departments shall be responsible for their respective departments.

B. Each member of the Masthead, where appropriate, shall have editorial authority over the content of articles or photos from his or her respective department, with ultimate editorial authority for the department’s content resting with the head of the department. The Managing Board shall have the authority to overrule the

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editorial decision of any member of the Masthead in a dispute over editorial content. If a controversial or substantial change is being made to a department’s page, every reasonable attempt must be made to notify the head of the department.

C. Heads of departments shall be expected to make every reasonable effort to ensure that their respective departments produce a pre-determined amount of copy, as determined by the Managing Board. Repeated failures to comply with this rule by a head of department may be used to commence dismissal proceedings against him or her.

D. Production and deadline schedules shall be set by the Managing Board at the start of each semester. Each department will have an opportunity to give its input; however, the final decision rests with the Editor-inChief.

E. Each head of department, where appropriate, can give input into the production process for copy from his or her department. The Production Director has final say over the look and layout of the paper. If a dispute should arise, the Editor-in-Chief or the Managing Editors will serve as arbiter.

F. After copy is sent to production, members of the layout department shall be solely responsible for the layout of the paper, barring any disputes, for which the Editor-in-Chief or the Managing Editors will serve as arbiter.

G. In the event of any incapacitating circumstance or resignation, a head of department shall be replaced by a candidate chosen by the Managing Board.

VIII. Roles and Responsibility of Business Staff A. The Business Managers of The Tufts Daily are responsible for the business operations and fiscal management of the paper.

B. The Business Managers shall ensure that payments are received, bills are paid, and accounts are maintained. In addition, they are responsible for providing all supplies required by the paper’s other departments.

C. The Business Managers, in consultation with the Managing Board, shall also negotiate contracts, determine the daily delivery route, manage the paper’s finances, oversee the operation of a subscription service, and establish advertising rates and regulations.

D. The Business Managers and the Managing Board are responsible for compiling a yearly budget outline for the paper. Once a semester, a written report on the paper’s financial status must be presented at a Managing Board meeting.

E. The business staff has a responsibility to promptly reimburse staff members who are making purchases from a department’s budget. Once a department has been allocated an amount of money for the upcoming year, only the Managing Board may intervene in how a department spends its money.

F. The Business Managers shall ensure that financial management of the paper is sound and responsible. It shall alert the staff of potential financial problems, or recommend changes, and will protect the business interests of the paper.

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G. Any ads that are deemed controversial or potentially libelous shall be subject to review by the Executive Business Director and brought to the attention of the Managing Board.

H. Specific duties of members of the Business department: a. Executive Business Director: The Executive Business Director is elected for a one-year term, which, as of Spring 2012, will begin at the start of the spring semester, but a vote of confidence must be taken at the midpoint of the Executive Business Director’s term. The Executive Business Director oversees all aspects of the Business department, including office workers and business staff, as well as the office itself, and is responsible for preventing fiscal mismanagement by any Tufts Daily staff. Other duties include communicating weekly with the Business Manager for the Campus Life Financial Office, overseeing all monetary transactions into/out of The Tufts Daily’s accounts, setting prices and policies regarding advertising, settling contracts with the publisher, maintaining the office equipment, organizing the office, organizing the Commencement Issue mailing, and other miscellaneous jobs. b. Business Manager: The Business Manager is responsible for communicating with national advertising agencies and other national advertisers in order to organize and facilitate advertising campaigns, and aiding Advertising Managers in any and all necessary ways such as ad preparation, and customer complaint resolution, among others. The Business Manager is also responsible for planning and delegating responsibilities for ad and food-ad campaigns, and the subscription services, including adequate maintenance of records for both programs. The Business Manager is second in command of the Business department. In the event of any incapacitating circumstance or resignation, the Business Manager shall assume the outlined authority of the Executive Business Director. c. Office Manager: The Office Manager is the head Ad Manager and is responsible for the general supervision of the office and office staff. Duties include hiring, training, scheduling, monitoring office staff performance, completing weekly payroll forms, and scheduling office meetings. In conjunction with the Executive Business Director, the Office Manager is responsible for maintaining office supplies. If the position of Office Manager is unfilled, these duties shall be assumed by the Business Manager. d. Ad Managers: Duties include all aspects of print advertising preparation. If there is not a sufficient number of Ad Managers to be in the office during business office hours, the rest of the Business staff will assume responsibility for remaining times. Ad Managers are also responsible for handling phone calls and mail related to display advertisements, and they should aid the Business Manager with ad drives. e. Receivables Manager: The Receivables Manager is responsible for both on- and off-campus billing, including creating weekly invoices for billable production orders, maintaining the tearsheet system, and tracking on-campus payments through the weekly processing of Interdepartmental and Tufts Community Union requisition forms. The Receivables Manager is also responsible for submitting the weekly payroll to the Business Manager for the Campus Life Financial Office.

IX. Removal of members of the Masthead A. The grounds for removal of members of the Masthead include: academic or disciplinary expulsion or suspension from the university; misuse, abuse, and/or theft of funds or materials from the paper; misrepresentation of self or publication; plagiarism; violation of the principles set forth in this document, including negligence of duties; and violation of principles set forth in the ethics policy.

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B. Any member of the Masthead from the editorial or production sections, excluding the members of the Managing Board, may be removed by the unanimous approval of the Managing Board, without the participation of the Business Director. Any member of the Masthead from the business section may be removed by the Executive Business Director; any such decision may be appealed to the Editor-in-Chief.

C. Any member of the Executive Board, seconded by another member of the Executive Board, may call for a vote of no confidence to remove any member of the Managing Board. Removal of said individual requires a three-quarters majority approval of the Executive Board, including the Executive Business Director. The election shall be held by secret ballot, exclude the individual in question, and be held as soon as reasonably possible.

X. Editorial Policy A. The Daily’s editorials and editorial cartoons will be produced by the editorialists and cartoonists, respectively, in conjunction with the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors and Associate Editors.

B. While reasonable efforts shall be made to solicit the views of members of the Masthead during the editorial process, the editorials and editorial cartoons represent the official position of The Tufts Daily and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual members of the Masthead.

XI. Op-Ed and Letters to the Editor Policy A. The Op-Ed and letters sections of The Tufts Daily are open forums for the discussion of issues relevant to the campus. In addition, Letters to the Editor must discuss issues previously covered in The Tufts Daily.

B. All submitted op-eds and letters must contain the name and contact information of the author(s). A member of the Masthead must verify the authenticity of all letters and op-eds before they may be published.

C. Members of the Op-Ed department or the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Associate Editors must check facts within an op-ed or letter before the op-ed or letter can run.

D. Except for extreme circumstances, up to the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, or Associate Editors, the author’s name shall accompany the printed op-ed or letter.

E. The Tufts Daily reserves the right to edit or not to run any submitted op-ed or letter.

F. Op-eds or letters responding to coverage in other campus media will not be printed in The Tufts Daily unless another publication’s coverage has become a newsworthy issue which has been previously covered by The Tufts Daily.

G. The sole purpose of op-eds or letters, as determined by The Tufts Daily, may not be to advertise.

H. No libel may be printed in any op-eds or letters.

I. Op-eds or letters shall not be used to attack the personal traits of individuals, but may be used to attack their actions.

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J. All op-eds and letters must be timely. After the first mention of a subject in the paper, an approximate twoweek deadline for any response shall be observed. Otherwise, The Tufts Daily shall exercise editorial discretion with regard to timeliness.

K. Addenda shall be attached to the op-eds and letters of all public or elected officials, present and former editors of other campus publications, professors and senior administrators. These notes shall also be applied to members of other campus organizations when applicable, as well any other individuals at the discretion of The Tufts Daily.

XII. Columns A. Columns will appear on the same day every standard production week throughout a semester. Each column must be written by the same person each week, unless otherwise approved by the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors or Associate Editors. No more than one column per section may run on the same day.

B. To be eligible for a standing column, prospective columnists must submit three sample columns and a short description of their column, which is encouraged to include a list of future column ideas, to The Tufts Daily no later than at a specified time on Wednesday of the week columns will be selected.

C. Selection Procedure.

1. The same day that column submissions are due, a packet of all columns, organized by department at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors or Associate Editors, shall be distributed to the Masthead. Every member of the Masthead shall have the opportunity to read each column and give feedback. All feedback the Managing Board receives shall be shared with the head of the relevant department. Likewise, all feedback shared with members of departments shall be forwarded along to the Managing Board.

2. After the column packet has been distributed, the Masthead members of each department shall, through a procedure of the department’s own choosing subject to the approval of the Managing Board, select which columns to endorse.

3. Prospective columnists are not allowed to formally present their column in person to the Managing Board or members of departments deciding on his or her columns. In the event that sections require additional information or clarifications from prospective columnists to make a decision, the section head is free to contact the columnist in question. If a Masthead member that is not the head of a department has submitted a column for his or her department, that individual shall recuse himself or herself from all deliberations regarding column endorsement.

4. On the Friday or Saturday of the week that column submissions are due, the head of each department to which columns have been submitted shall meet with the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Associate Editors to discuss the columns submitted to his or her department. To that meeting, the department head must bring a list of which columns his or her department has endorsed.

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5. The Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Associate Editors shall have final say over which columns are selected to run in each department, and a final decision for each department shall be made shortly after meeting with the head of said department. If the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Associate Editors cannot come to a unanimous agreement on which columns to select, the Editor-in-Chief shall have final say.

D. Columns will last for the duration of the semester for which they are approved. If it is deemed that a columnist is failing to fulfill his or her duties, it shall be within the power of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Associate Editors to remove his or her column and, if they so choose, replace it with another column for the remainder of the semester.