THE STATEMENT HANDBOOK
[Revised Fall 2013]
Mission Statement
The Statement student newspaper provides the students of Middle Georgia State University with
“all the news that is news” around campus. It is the expectation of the University that the student
newspaper will be staffed with well-qualified and responsible editors and staff.
Staff Agreement
All staff members must be registered for at least 3 credit hours and maintain a 2.0 institutional
GPA. Those in leadership positions must be registered for a minimum of 4 credit hours. All staff
members are expected to attend mandatory training sessions scheduled by the Student Media
Coordinator. In order to validate your application, it is necessary for the Student Media
Coordinator to check your GPA and Middle Georgia State University Student ID number. For
payment purposes, we must also have your Social Security number and a completed W-9 form.
Completion of a staff application gives the Student Media Coordinator permission to review this
information for business purposes only. Your Middle Georgia State University student ID and
Social Security numbers will not be shared with students.
You must also read and agree to abide by our Plagiarism Policy and Ethics Statement below. By
signing and submitting this Staff Agreement, you signify that you have read and understand all
these materials including Plagiarism Policy and Ethics Statement, as well as the Middle Georgia
State University Student Handbook, the Middle Georgia State University RSO Handbook and
the Middle Georgia State University Student Media Bylaws. You may not work for or receive
payment for the student newspaper until you have done so.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions concerning the information within these
documents or any aspect of Middle Georgia State Student Media, please get in touch with the
Acting Student Media Coordinator, Dr. Andre Nicholson at [email protected] or 478-
471-5789.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism at Middle Georgia State University student media shall be defined as submitting
another person's work, whether previously published or not, as your own, or taking portions of
another person's work, whether published or not, and presenting them as your own in your work
without properly attributing them to the person who created the work. In terms of the law, if the
plagiarized work is then published in the newspaper, on the Web or broadcast, it is called
copyright infringement. These rules apply to staff of the student newspaper, both the newsroom
and advertising.
Any person caught committing plagiarism and/or copyright infringement will face the following
disciplinary action:
1. The employee will be immediately fired from the student media and will never be permitted
to work for any Middle Georgia State University student media again.
2. The Editor-in-Chief or any other editor or coordinator may submit the student's name to the
University's judicial system for adjudication and punishment.
3. A person who commits copyright infringement must pay all costs related to settling with any
aggrieved party. For example, if the writer of a previously published piece demands payment,
[Revised Fall 2013]
the student who committed the plagiarism must pay the requested price to the Student Media,
which will then pay the person to whom payment is owed.
4. Any student refusing to fulfill the financial obligations incurred from copyright infringement
will have his/her records and registration frozen by the University until the debt is settled.
Job Descriptions
All staff members
• Shall represent the student newspaper in a professional and positive manner
• Are at liberty to work with, or in, other club organizations on campus, as long as there is
no conflict of interest (see ethics guidelines), nor conflicting work hours
• Are encouraged to write columns, generate story ideas and editorial ideas.
Payment stipend for this position is a minimal sum for volunteer participation in student
publications work that is not considered an employment relationship by the U.S. Department of
Labor.
Managers and Editors:
1. Assist the Editor-in-Chief in all assigned duties
2. Create and facilitate an open and inviting atmosphere
3. Attend regularly scheduled meetings and training sessions
4. Be available and a resource for all staff
5. Meet regularly with the Editor-in-Chief to keep him/her updated on progress and any
potential problems or concerns
6. Assist Editor-in-Chief in the recruitment of new staff members
7. In conjunction with the executive staff, assist in the determination of content and general
layout of the newspaper
8. Act as a liaison between the newspaper and the University community
9. Take pride in and accountability for your area of responsibility
10. Maintain a minimum (but announced) schedule of office hours in order to address all
potential concerns of the staff and Middle Georgia State University community.
Editor-in-Chief Application and Appointment Process
The list of qualifications and the application process is designed to promote participation from all
members of the student body and to secure the services of an individual who is motivated to
provide positive leadership to the members of the staff:
1. Be enrolled at Middle Georgia State University for a minimum of 6 credit hours and have a
minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5.
2. Have successfully exited all Learning Support requirements.
3. Be willing to complete training as assigned, including the Middle Georgia State University
Recognized Student Organization training session and mandatory student newspaper
fundamentals training sessions.
4. Work with the Student Media Coordinator to schedule staff training sessions in the various
aspects of newspaper production.
5. Have strong communication skills and ability to motivate staff.
[Revised Fall 2013]
6. Be computer literate and willing to learn additional computer skills.
7. Maintain office hours (19.5 hours per week).
8. Be willing to work closely with the Student Media Coordinator and the Student Media
Advisory Board.
9. Understand that Dean of Students will be asked to provide information related to the
candidate’s disciplinary history.
It is preferred that candidates have previous experience with the student newspaper or
other newspaper (high school, college, or other)
Application process
1. Candidates are required to submit three examples of previously published work. All writing
samples should be submitted in hard copy. One sample should be a graded paper from a
class.
2. Candidates must submit a statement describing his/her vision for the student newspaper.
3. Candidates must submit a current resume.
4. Résumé, copies of previous work, and vision statement must be delivered to the attention of
Andre Nicholson, Acting Student Media Coordinator, [email protected] by the
posted deadline.
5. The chair of the Student Media Advisory Board will convene a meeting of the Board for
review and selection of the successful candidate. The Student Media Coordinator will advise
the successful candidate in writing of his/her appointment.
* The successful applicant will receive a stipend roughly equivalent to the salary of a student
assistant working 19.5 hours per week.
Editor Statement of Understanding and Acceptance
Let it be known that ___________________________ has been appointed by the Student Media
Advisory Board of Middle Georgia State University to the position of Editor of the student
newspaper. The term of this appointment will be from ______________ to ________________.
This position is directly advised by the Student Media Coordinator.
http://www.mga.edu/arts-sciences/docs/mca/student_media_bylaws_MGSC_2013.pdf
With the signing of this “Statement of Understanding and Acceptance” the person named above:
1) Has read and agrees to abide by Middle Georgia State University Student Media Bylaws
(http://www.mga.edu/arts-sciences/docs/mca/student_media_bylaws_MGSC_2013.pdf)
before the term of appointment begins.
2) Has read and agrees to follow the position description for this position.
3) Knows that attendance at board meetings, retreats, and/or training sessions may be required.
Has read the established procedures for organizations receiving allocations from student
activities fees.
4) Will enforce all deadlines as established by staff and contracts.
5) Understands that the payment for this position is a minimal sum for volunteer participation in
student publications work that is not considered an employment relationship by the U.S.
[Revised Fall 2013]
Department of Labor. The successful applicant will receive a stipend roughly equivalent to
the salary of a student assistant working 19.5 hours per week.
Commission payment for advertisements sold and for reimbursements is permitted but the
Editor cannot accept payment for doing the work designated for any other positions, whether
filled or unfilled.
6) Clearly understands that Middle Georgia State University publications are published for all
students and other segments of the University and not just a small group.
7) Is expected to have read and to abide by the laws of libel, right of privacy, obscenity, and
similar existing laws, as well as the current staff manual and Student Media Bylaws.
Signature: ___________________________________________________ Date: ___________
Editor Position Description
The Editor is responsible for the overall operations of the newspaper. The Editor oversees
production of newspaper, develops and implements production schedule, determines and
implements budget, recruits and trains staff, and selects/hires/fires editorial staff. The Editor
must keep staff/managers/editor information confidential and secure according to the HIPPA act.
The Editor may receive college credit for work, under internship guidelines. It is the Editor’s
responsibility to ensure that all tasks, from planning to distribution, are completed.
The Editor must be familiar with and meet the requirements of the Student Media Bylaws, the
application and appointment process and statement of understanding and acceptance.
The Editor is a Middle Georgia State University student leader and represents the student
newspaper at any and all functions.
Specific Duties:
1. Motivate and maintain entire staff by assisting the other editors and managers in creating and
facilitating an open and inviting atmosphere.
2. Oversee the organization of the staff and the assignment of tasks so that the paper is
published in an orderly manner and by deadline.
3. Supervise all positions to ensure the fulfillment of job responsibilities, explaining and
enforcing all deadlines and policies with the staff.
4. In conjunction with the executive staff, determine procedures for the submission of press
releases
5. Hold regularly scheduled meetings for all staff and act as chair at these meetings.
6. Meet regularly with the Student Media Coordinator to keep him/her updated on progress and
any potential problems or concerns (i.e., legal, ethical, internal discipline, budgets, equipment
needs, etc.). Provide a bi-annual report (or specifically a semester-by-semester report) of
duties and send to Student Media Coordinator.
7. Maintain a minimum of 19.5 scheduled office hours per week in order to address all potential
concerns of the staff and Middle Georgia State community and for the on-campus production
of the newspaper.
[Revised Fall 2013]
8. With the Student Media Coordinator, organize workshops for students, staff writers, editors
and managers and organize campus and off-campus events for The Statement staff and
recruits.
9. Represent the newspaper at all Student Media Advisory Board meetings, or provide a
substitute. In conjunction with the editorial board/executive staff, determine content and
general layout of the newspaper.
10. Employ techniques that ensure accuracy (fact checking/verification) and since this is a
learning environment, meet with the Student Media Coordinator weekly to go over the
previous week’s issue.
Layout/Design Editor
The Layout/Design Editor for the student newspaper is responsible for all production functions
and operations of the newspaper. It is the Layout Editor’s responsibility to ensure that all tasks of
the production assistants, from planning to deadlines, are completed. The Layout Editor is
responsible for all layout and design responsibilities as defined by the Editor-in-Chief. While not
involved in editorial/news value decisions, the Layout Editor may be asked for input by the
editorial staff.
Specific Duties:
1. Consult and work with the Advertising Manager and Editor-in-Chief to determine space
reservations for advertising and ensure that advertising commitments are accounted for.
Based on advertising, determine the number of pages of the paper, in consultation with the
Editor-in-Chief.
2. Motivate, train, and maintain production staff; create and facilitate an open and inviting
atmosphere; supervise production positions to ensure the fulfillment of job responsibilities.
Actively participates in layout and design workshops.
3. Oversee the photo cropping and placement and layout and paste-up of editorial and
advertising copy so that the paper may be completed and published in an orderly manner and
by deadline. Makes final decisions for story and picture layout with consultation from EIC
and proofs pages for grammar, word usage and spelling according to the Associated Press
Style Manual. Writes headlines. Makes corrections to proofed pages.
4. Maintain regular contact with Publishing Company. Ensure the newspaper is properly
formatted and delivered to Publisher on time.
5. Collaborate with the Managing Editor in terms of receiving articles in a timely manner and
general layout of content and graphics.
6. Meet regularly with the Editor-in-Chief to keep him/her updated on progress and any
potential problems or concerns
7. Maintain a minimum schedule of office hours in order to address all potential concerns of the
staff in production manager capacity
8. Act as a liaison between the Editor-in-Chief and production staff.
9. The Layout & Design Editor will be offered a monthly stipend of $125. Bonuses or
additional pay is at the discretion of the EIC, with consultation and approval from the Student
Media Coordinator.
[Revised Fall 2013]
Managing Editor/Copy Editor
The Managing Editor oversees staff including Photo Editor/Art Director, section editors, writers
and cartoonists. The Managing Editor works closely with Editor-in-Chief on content, writes
editorials, assist writers with feature stories, and makes story, beat and photo assignments. The
Managing Editor duties also include working with EIC, advisers and Student Media Coordinator
in the training staff in the proper usage of grammar and AP style as used the newspaper; training
staff in writing skills; assisting Editor-in-Chief and section editors in final copy review, editing,
and alterations (to include AP style, grammar, spelling, correct titles and fact checking).
The Managing Editor shall attend at least one meeting a week and must notify the Editor-in-
Chief by e-mail or phone if he/she cannot attend. The Managing Editor is required to write only
two stories a month. The Managing Editor serves on the editorial board and acts as Editor-in-
Chief, when Editor-in-Chief is not present. The Managing Editor is paid a monthly stipend of
$100. Bonuses or additional pay is at the discretion of the EIC, with consultation and approval
from the Student Media Coordinator.
Art Director/Photo Editor
Duties of the Art Director/Photo Editor include supervising and ensuring completion of photo
assignments for the newspaper. He/she is responsible for The Statement photo equipment;
training photo personnel; processing digital photos through applicable software; creating and
maintaining photo files. Art Director/Photo Editor and Photographers will receive e-mails from
the Managing Editor and/or Editor-in-Chief regarding assignments. Story ideas are welcome and
photographers are encouraged to attend meetings, workshops and off-campus events and
activities. Art Director/Photo Editor is paid a monthly stipend of $100. Bonuses or additional pay
is at the discretion of the EIC, with consultation and approval from the Student Media
Coordinator.
Section Editors/Copy Editors
Assist Editor-in-Chief in determining story coverage; supervise, train, and motivate section
writers; actively and aggressively seek and assign stories for respective section; enforce and meet
deadlines; format and design assigned section; review, edit, proof, and take responsibility for all
copy in assigned section. Attend staff meetings including virtual meetings. Let Managing Editor
or Editor-in-Chief know if you cannot attend. Each editor is paid a monthly stipend of $70.
Bonuses or additional pay is at the discretion of the EIC, with consultation and approval from the
Student Media Coordinator.
Online Editor
The Online Editor is responsible for updating the student newspaper website and placement of all
Web content. The Online Editor will also assist as needed with other aspects of newspaper
production as needed, including graphics, building ads and other duties as determined by the
Editor-in-Chief.
Specific Duties:
1. Oversees production and maintenance of newspaper’s website.
2. Ensures all stories and images are posted in a timely fashion.
[Revised Fall 2013]
3. Helps to establish online-only content, including contests, multimedia presentations, surveys
and other appropriate components and spearheads all website endeavors.
4. Ensures that important breaking news stories are updated between editions.
5. Responds to e-mail related to the newspaper’s website.
6. Serves as a member of the editorial board, assisting in developing opinions and researching
editorials, and attends all editorial staff meetings.
7. Keeps in consistent contact with the Editor-in-Chief, informing him/her of changes
implemented to the website.
The Online Editor is paid a monthly stipend of $100. Bonuses or additional pay is at the
discretion of the EIC, with consultation and approval from the Student Media Coordinator.
AP Stylebook Policy for all editors
All editors will be given an AP Stylebook, have to sign for it and are expected to return it at the
end of the school year or once no longer an editor. The books are property of the Middle Georgia
State University student newspaper and are for use by editors and staff. Editors may purchase
their books for $10 at any time, and staffers may purchase any remaining books at the same
price, with the money going to the purchase of new AP Stylebooks. Additional copies will be
available for use by student newspaper staffers, who also have to sign the books out and be given
the option to purchase. At least one copy should remain in the office at all times. There also are
older volumes available as reference materials in the office as well. Those who sign out, but do
not return the books will be fined $20 and all stipends/reimbursements will be held and/or
garnished to recoup the fine. A hold will also be placed on academic records until the fine is paid
or the book is returned.
Staff Reporters
Cover beats regularly, providing ongoing story ideas and stories on a regular basis by deadline.
Reporters are responsible for improving the quality and content of all stories, as directed by
supervising editors. Reporters are paid a stipend of $7 per on-time story (no cap). All staff
reporters report regularly on campus news, on assigned beat (department/division/office) and
meet regularly assigned department/division/office chairs and/or directors. Reporters may be
paid more for taking a regular beat (at the discretion of the EIC).
All staff writers must generate story ideas, attend one meeting a week or notify editor why not;
participate in workshops and training provided by the student newspaper and Student Media
Coordinator; participate with collaborating media organizations. Senior Staff Writers work
closely with Managing Editor; work closely with Junior Staff Writers; and act as a mentor for
assigned Junior Staff Writer. This includes providing feedback to Managing Editor regarding
mentorship; Senior Staff Writers participate in aiding Managing Editor and Student Media
Coordinator with writing workshops.
Cartoonists
Cartoonists shall contribute both ideas and art for the publication. Cartoonists shall consult with
the Editorial Board. Pay is $7 per cartoon published. Cartoonists may submit work for any
publication and as often as possible; however, there is NO guarantee that the work will be
[Revised Fall 2013]
published, unless otherwise stated. Content is at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and
Managing Editor.
Photographers
Photographers shall contribute both ideas and art for the publication. Photographers shall consult
with the Editor, Managing Editor and Photo Editor as well as writers for assignments. Pay is $7
stipend per photo assignment published. Photographers may submit work for any publication and
as often as possible; however, there is NO guarantee that the work will be published, unless
otherwise stated. Content is at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor.
Marketing/Advertising Manager
The Advertising Manager of The Statement student newspaper is responsible for the advertising
operations of the newspaper. It is the Advertising Manager’s responsibility to ensure that all
advertising tasks, from sales to placement to collections, are completed. This position, unlike
editorial positions, is directly supervised by the Student Media Coordinator
Specific Duties:
1. Develop advertising/marketing projects for the newspaper. Target businesses within the
community and generate revenue for the newspaper in a professional manner. Work closely
with the Student Media Coordinator and Editor-in-Chief to ensure advertising revenue is
collected.
2. Train, motivate, and maintain entire advertising staff in creating and facilitating an open and
inviting atmosphere. Oversee the organization of the advertising staff and the assignment of
tasks and clients so that the paper is published in an orderly manner and by deadline.
3. Supervise all advertising positions to ensure the fulfillment of job responsibilities, explain,
enforce, and meet all deadlines and policies with the staff.
4. Proof all advertisements placed to insure accuracy in placement and production.
5. Regularly check message box and follow-up.
6. Know and instruct all advertisers of all newspaper and Middle Georgia State University
policies and procedures. In conjunction with the publications coordinator and the Editor-in-
Chief, determine advertising procedures. Meet regularly with the Editor-in-Chief to keep
him/her updated on progress and any potential problems or concerns.
7. Hold regularly scheduled meetings for advertising staff and act as chair at these meetings.
8. Marketing/Advertising Manager and staff are paid 30 percent commission for advertisements
sold and published. Payments are issued after advertising is published.
Circulation Manager
The Circulation Manager supervises and ensures the timely distribution of the newspaper;
distributes marketing materials as directed; performs/assists in strategy formulations as deemed
necessary. This position, unlike editorial positions, is directly supervised by the Student Media
Coordinator.
[Revised Fall 2013]
Specific Duties:
1. Collaborates with Student Media Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and/or Editor-in-Chief
regarding distribution routes.
2. Responsible for distributing newspapers on each campus and/or within the community (as
agreed upon between Student Media Coordinator, Editor-in-Chief and Circulation Manager),
replacing old publications with new ones, and returning old publications to the newspaper
office. Also provides reports on circulation and readership (number of papers taken from
each box/stand location).
3. The Circulation Manager shall represent the student newspaper in a professional and positive
manner, to include not driving on campus walkways.
4. The Circulation Manager will receive a stipend of $25 per issue for distributing papers to the
Macon Campus and other destinations as assigned. Additional duties may be required as the
year progresses.
Non-Competition
As an educational institution, the Middle Georgia State University student newspaper encourages
staff members to express themselves and to work to further their journalistic goals. This can
include publication in national magazines and interviews in local or national news sources or
other publications. It is not appropriate, however, for any Middle Georgia State University
student newspaper staff member to work or volunteer for an organization that may be seen as, or
actually is, a competitor. It is also improper for any staff member to publish materials in such
publications. The Student Media Coordinator will define competitor. Internships at professional
news organizations not considered competitors are acceptable and are encouraged. A Middle
Georgia State University student newspaper staff member’s primary responsibility and obligation
is with the Middle Georgia State University student newspaper; however, opportunities for
staffers to work freelance or full time for other media (and make better money) do arise.
Approval to work for an off-campus medium and/or any freelance work off- or on-campus
(External Affairs) must be sought from the Student Media Coordinator and Editor-in-Chief in
advance of the commitment. It is permissible only in noncompetitive media, on a staffer’s own
time, and should not conflict with the staffer’s obligations to the Middle Georgia State
University student newspaper.
Students who work or intern at other on- or off-campus news organizations must distinguish
between whom they are working for on each individual story. They cannot cover one event or
issue for more than one organization. KnighTVision is the only exception. Staff can write,
photograph, edit or perform any other duties for KnighTVision, as long as there is no conflict of
interest, and they identify themselves as working for both or the likelihood the story may appear
in both media.
Ownership of Work
Regardless if a staffer is paid or is a volunteer, the student newspaper, as represented by the
Student Media Advisory Board “owns” the published and unpublished work done by the staffers,
if the work was done as a staff assignment. All published work is copyrighted by the student
newspaper. Ownership of unpublished work may revert to the staffer upon petition to and
approval of the Editor-in-Chief and the Student Media Coordinator. The student newspaper has
[Revised Fall 2013]
unlimited use of the work. The act of voluntarily joining a publication staff indicates approval of
this policy.
Photo Resale Rights
The Student Media Coordinator is authorized to permit reselling of a single copy of published or
unpublished staff-created photographs. Requests for multiple copies of published or unpublished
staff-created photographs must be approved by the Student Media Coordinator with the advice of
the photo editor and Editor-in-Chief. In all cases, copyright of reproduced published or
unpublished photographs remains with the student newspaper. Only the Student Media
Coordinator is authorized to sell or otherwise transfer copyrighted material.
Editorial Policy
Editorial policies are reviewed every term of office by the incoming Editor-in-Chief, but the
following general policies apply, unless amended by the Editor-in-Chief. The student newspaper
subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, which was adopted in
1926 and revised 1973, 1984 and 1987, and the Associated Collegiate Press Model Code of
Ethics for Collegiate Journalists, 1992. Although these codes generally will be enforced, the
Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Student Media Coordinator may decide in certain
instances to vary from the code.
Training & Workshops
The student newspaper requires attendance at yearly orientation sessions and quarterly/monthly
training updates provided by the Student Media Coordinator. The purpose of these meetings is to
provide essential, fundamental training in the skills required of newspaper management, ethics,
writing, computer production, layout and design, photography and advertising. This training also
permits clear discussion of policies, goals, and social activities. Training may be called by the
Editor-in-Chief and/or Student Media Coordinator as needed. Students join the publication with
the understanding that these staff workshops are required.
Editorial Board
The Student Newspaper Editorial Board is an eight-member* board which consists of the Editor-
in-Chief, Layout Editor, Managing Editor, Copy Editor, section editors, Online Editor and Photo
Editor/Art Director. Two staff members to represent general staff and reporters may be chosen
by the staff at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. The board will meet once a week to discuss
issues and the newspaper will take on these issues, news value, and future stories. Topic(s) will
be selected each week, with one person writing for the majority opinion on a particular issue (not
unlike the Supreme Court). These editorials will be the newspaper’s official stand on the issues
considered by the board. For that reason, representatives to the board must be representative of
the entire staff. Representatives are expected to spend extra time each week working with the
board. At least one more than one half of the members of the editorial board must be present
each week to warrant an editorial decision. A simple majority vote is need for the board to write
a specific opinion or make a decision.
*Actual editorial board size is determined by executive positions filled or utilized.
[Revised Fall 2013]
Opinion/Viewpoints Policy
The opinion section of a newspaper is, in its purest sense, an open forum for the community that
the paper serves. More so than any other section of the paper, the opinion section belongs to the
readers, and except for the unsigned staff editorial, should stay objective – or at least fair – and
allow readers to present their viewpoints. The section editor is responsible for actively seeking
guest columnists and expert opinion.
Letters to the Editor
Letters Policy: The student newspaper will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at
maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include full name, professional title, if a
Middle Georgia State University employee, Georgia resident, or year and major, if a student. An
address and phone number are required with all letters sent, but will not be published. The
student newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel, or length. The
newspaper will not withhold names under any circumstance. Please address all correspondence
to Letter to the Editor at editor@mga.edu. Priority will be given to those letters written by
students, faculty and staff of the University on current events. Staff members should not inform
writers as to whether the letter will run or when. The Editor-in-Chief and staff members should
not use the letters sections as a forum for rebuttal, although concise clarifications or correction of
erroneous material can be made if absolutely necessary. All student newspaper staff members are
strongly discouraged from using the letter to the editor forum.
Staff Editorials
The unsigned staff editorial of the student newspaper is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief,
who will supervise the writing of all editorials, commentaries and opinion columns. Unless
unusual circumstances are involved, reporters will not write editorials concerning their beats but
will advise the Editor-in-Chief about facts not readily apparent in a story. A reporter may write a
column about a story on his/her beat, but said columns should only give insight into the news
gathering process and should not be used to print what the reporter suspects but cannot prove.
Reporters and editors will be expected to meet the same standards of accuracy and proof in
columns and editorials that must be met in news stories. An editorial is defined as an article that
discusses a situation or event but does not suggest a course of action. In questionable cases, the
editor makes the decision on whether an article should be designated as a column or an editorial.
Working with the Editorial Board, the Editor will determine which editorial will be printed. If
there is strong disagreement on a particular topic, the Editor may authorize a column in the same
issue to defend the opposite point of view. The student newspaper does not run guest editorials,
but in some instances, the student newspaper will print editorials from other professional or
collegiate newspapers if the topic merits attention in the Middle Georgia State community. In
that case, the editorials will be attributed to the appropriate publication.
Disclaimer
Required to be published on a regular basis: “The Statement is the recognized student newspaper
of Middle Georgia State University and is published biweekly (Mondays) during fall and spring
semesters. Opinions and ideas expressed in (the student newspaper) are those of the individual
artists, authors, or student editors, and are not those of Middle Georgia State University, its
Board of Regents, the student body or the advertisers. The Statement is paid for, in part, through
[Revised Fall 2013]
student activity fees. For a review of all Middle Georgia Statement policies, see The Statement
Handbook at http://www.mga.edu/arts-sciences/docs/mca/student_newspaper_handbook.pdf.”
Correction Policy
The Statement student newspaper never knowingly publishes inaccuracies. If any error is found,
the student newspaper is obligated to correct the error as soon as possible, regardless of the
source of the error. A consistent location, signature and style for corrections will be used.
Manipulation of Archives
The Statement and its website, https://mgamedia.wordpress.com/category/mgsc-news/, strive to
report the truth as accurately as possible on news events of the day. Online archives are a part of
the institutional memory of the newspaper and a historical record of our community. As such, we
will not remove nor attempt to hide from commercial search engines any material in our online
archives – news stories, story comments, editorials, opinion columns, photographs or graphic
illustrations. If an error in our archived content is brought to our attention and documented to our
satisfaction, we will append the original article with an editor’s note acknowledging the change
made to the original archive. That decision is solely at the discretion of the current student
editorial management.
To make a complaint that archived content is inaccurate, contact the Editor-in-Chief in writing
by letter or e-mail with the following information:
• Name, telephone number and e-mail address
• The URL address of the content in question
• The specific content with an explanation of how the information is inaccurate.
In the case of content published more than one year ago, the complainant must provide
reasonable proof to the Editor-in-Chief that the content in question is no longer accurate.
For example, a copy of expungement papers should be provided in case any criminal charges are
dropped. If published more than a year ago, contested quotes are highly unlikely to be amended
without written or audio documentation. If the contested content was published less than a year
ago, normal internal procedures for checking the material’s accuracy will apply, and you may be
asked to provide written documentation. Updates or corrections may be added if the material is
factually inaccurate, but nothing will be removed. In the event of a correction, a note detailing
the date and time of the change will be included. The request will be reviewed and checked by
the editor and if the editor determines it to be valid, an update or correction will be posted.
COMPLAINTS BROUGHT AGAINST STUDENT NEWSPAPER LEADERS
Editor-in-Chief
Charge
• When a charge is brought against the Editor-in-Chief, the Student Media Coordinator will
investigate the charge and determine if reasonable grounds exist to warrant a sanction. If
so, the Student Media Coordinator will provide the Editor-in-Chief a written sanction.
[Revised Fall 2013]
Appeal
• The Editor-in-Chief may file a written appeal of the Student Media Coordinator’s
decision to the chair of the Student Media Advisory Board within two University
business days following the date of the decision.
• The chair of the Student Media Advisory Board will schedule a hearing with the voting
members of the committee or designees.
• The decision of the Student Media Advisory Board in this matter will be considered final,
except that any student has the right to appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs
and ultimately to the President of the University if he or she believes that due process has
not been followed.
Student newspaper staff
Charge
• When a charge is brought against any other member of the student newspaper staff, the
Student Media Coordinator will meet with the Editor-in-Chief and the staff member to
determine if reasonable grounds exist to warrant a sanction. If so, the Editor-in-Chief will
provide the staff member a written sanction.
Appeal
• With the exception of a written warning, the staff member may file a written appeal of
the Editor-in-Chief’s decision to the Student Media Coordinator within two University
business days following the date of the decision.
• The Student Media Coordinator will arrange a meeting between the Editor-in-Chief and
the staff member to discuss the Editor-in-Chief’s actions, and seek to mediate any
disagreement.
• Subsequently, the Student Media Coordinator will issue a written opinion regarding the
sanction.
• The staff member may file a written appeal of the Student Media Coordinator’s decision
to the chair of the Student Media Advisory Board within two University business days
following the date of the decision.
• The chair of the Student Media Advisory Board will schedule a hearing with the voting
members of the committee or its designee.
• The decision of the Student Media Advisory Board in this matter will be considered final.
