So you’re wondering what official positions we have here at the Medium, eh? Maybe you’re wondering if one day you could be the one with a title and/or salary. Or maybe you’re just curious how things work around here. Either way, here you go.
The Medium has two kinds of positions: paid and volunteer. Some of these are hired positions, which are posted on the Career Centre in the summer. Others are elected positions; for more on how our elections work, click here.
PAID POSITIONS
Elected
The editor-in-chief is in charge of the paper. His/her many duties include hiring the non-elected paid staff, managing the team, consulting about content and design, finalizing layout, meeting with the board, and writing a weekly editorial.
The four section editors (our sections are news, arts, features, and sports) plan the content of their sections each week, appoint associate editors, coordinate a body of writers, assign articles, edit the articles, and lay out their sections for publishing.
The photo editor plans the photos to go with the articles, manages a team of volunteer photographers by assigning them articles to cover, takes some of the photos, and prepares the photos for publication.
Hired
The design editor creates ads using the written copy we receive from advertisers, prepares a media kit, illustrates articles, and prepares template sheets for layout.
The copy editor goes over every article with a fine-tooth comb to fix mistakes of grammar, formatting, clarity, and concision.
The online editor leads the development of the website. This includes editing videos, preparing the print edition for online publication, and designing new content that differentiates our digital presence from our physical one.
The webmaster is in charge of the back end of our website, maintaining its functionality and working with the online editor to implement any changes. The webmaster is also responsible for the technical side of publishing online.
The advertising manager hires advertising associates, and this team sells ad space in the paper after preparing an initial price sheet. They also strategize sales with the editor-in-chief, prepare invoices, and receive commission.
The distribution manager receives the physical newspapers on Monday morning and delivers them to stands at both the UTM and St. George campuses.
Our finances are overseen by the board and the editor-in-chief, and the actual managing is done through an external hired bookkeeper.
Each election is overseen by a temporarily contracted chief returning officer.
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Appointed
Our writers are all volunteers.
A staff writer is a writer who’s contributed at least six articles in one semester. You can’t feed your family with this title, but it sounds fancy and you can put it on a resume!
The associate section editors (again, our sections are news, arts, features, and sports) are appointed by the section editors based on how well and how consistently they write. They’re expected to keep contributing regularly, and the title comes with a page on the website that has a photo and a bio. So professional!
The photographers apply to the photo editor, who assigns them articles to take photos for. This often involves travelling to events with a writer.
The videographers apply to the online editor, who assigns them articles to take footage for. This often involves travelling to events with a writer.
Elected
The board of directors, which comprises the editor-in-chief, a non-voting delegate of the university, a non-voting ex-officio member, and five elected undergraduate students, oversees the company finances and adherence to the constitution. They meet monthly to be updated on the company’s situation and to ratify any top-level decisions or amendments.
