The Gazette Editorial Workflow

There are two primary Workflows that we are using on the Gazette: The Gazette Editorial Workflow, and the Gazette Letters/Member Submissions Workflow. They are virtually identical, with ONE important difference: at the very beginning of the Letters/Member Submissions Workflow, posts are assigned slightly differently than they are in the Editorial Workflow. (Letters/Member submissions have no reporters assigned to them, so the Development Editor is technically the “assignee.”) We’ll get into the details of that later. For now, here is a breakdown of the Gazette Editorial Workflow in simple terms. For more in-depth and detailed descriptions of the tasks required at each step, see that step’s individual article page.

The Linewaiters’ Gazette Editorial Workflow

The Linewaiters’ Gazette Editorial Workflow is divided into a total of eight steps. Once an article reaches the eighth step in the workflow, it’s ready to be published.

The Gazette Editorial Workflow steps are as follows, with a brief description of each step:

1. Article Assignment. This is the first step in the Workflow. A new post is created in WordPress and assigned to the person responsible for writing it (usually the reporter). The reporter then sends it along to the Development Editor and the Development Art Director (DAD) for a review. Click here for an in-depth description of the Assignment step.
2. Development Editor/Art Director Review. This is the second step in the Workflow. Once the article has been written, the Development team (the Development Editor and Art Director) review it and make comments. The DAD uses this step to communicate with illustrators and photographers (unless they have already been apprised of the content) to generate art for the story. If the article needs work, it can be rejected and sent back to the reporter. If the Development team is satisfied, they “Approve” the story and move it forward in the Workflow for review by the Coop Coordinators. Click here for an in-depth description of the Development Art/Editor Review step.
3. Coop Coordinator Review. This is the third step in the Workflow. This step gives the Coop Coordinators a chance to review the article for fact-checking. Once they have reviewed it, they sign off and send it forward to the Traffic Manager and the Content Editor to begin the “Pre-Production” process. Click here for an in-depth description of the Coop Coordinator Review step.
4. Pre-Production. This is the fourth step in the Workflow. During Pre-Production, the Traffic Manager takes responsibility for the story, and does a preliminary proof read. The Content Editor prepares the story for production, setting metadata, categories, tags, etc., as well as reviewing the story for style. If art is available in the Media Library, the Content Editor may place relevant art. Once the Traffic Manager and Content Editor are satisfied, they sign off on the story and move it forward to Production by assigning it to the Production Editor, Production Art Director, WordPress Producer and the Traffic Manager as well. Click here for an in-depth description of the Pre-Production step.
5. Production. This is the fifth step in the Workflow. During Production, the the Production team does all necessary fine tuning to prepare the story for publication. The Production Art Director (PAD) and WordPress Producer reviews the story and collaborate on placement of art, captions, layout style and pull quotes. The Production Editor reads each story for copy. And the Traffic Manager makes sure all the work is done before moving the articles along to the next step, Post-Production proofing. The Final Proofreader and the Traffic Manager are included in the sign off at this stage. Click here for an in-depth description of the Production step.
6. Post-Production Proofing. This is the sixth step in the Workflow. At the Post-Production Proofing step, the final proofreader reads each story carefully for any errors that may have been introduced or missed during production. The Traffic Manager may be helpful here in noting what if anything may have changed from the story’s initiation point to final proof. Once Traffic and Proofing are satisfied, they “approve” the story and pass it along to a final review by the Coop Coordinators. The Traffic Manager’s responsibilities end here. Click here for an in-depth description of the Post-Production step.
7. Final Coop Coordinator Review. This is the seventh step in the Workflow. This step allows the Coop Coordinators one final look before sending the articles on to publication. Once they have reviewed each story, they “sign off” and move the stories on to the Publish step. Click here for an in-depth description of the Final Coop Coordinator Review step.
8. Publish. This is the eighth and final step in the Workflow. The Coordinating Editors arrange and publish each story in the order it is to appear on the Gazette site. In this step any stories or announcements that should be “stuck to the top” of the blog are selected. Click here for an in-depth description of the Publish step.

Once articles are published, they “complete” the workflow, and no longer appear in the “Pipeline.”