LEADERSHIP: In fall and spring terms, the enterprise desk is typically led by an enterprise editor and, at times, an assistant engagement editor. In summers, this desk typically is absorbed into the news desk.
STAFF: In fall and spring terms, the enterprise desk typically has no other dedicated staffers.
PLANNING: This desk should hold one meeting a week with all newsroom editors to plan the next two to three weeks of higher-level enterprise and maintain progress on Crimson Quarterly, Living Guide and other special publications under its umbrella. Organizationally, you need a master budget/calendar system for upcoming coverage as well as major projects.
COMMUNICATION: Leaders of this desk should regularly check the main enterprise email, monitor key newsmakers’ social media accounts and read competitors like The Norman Transcript, The Oklahoman and others. Communication should be a blend of in-person where possible and in Slack for broader transparency and understanding throughout the broader group of newsroom editors and their respective desks. Often, that manifests in a Slack channel for CQ and other pop-up channels if needed beyond existing channels the enterprise editors can visit. It’s especially important for the enterprise editor to communicate and coordinate with editors of other desks about story needs, progress and possibilities. The enterprise editor also must communicate effectively with and be a liaison among the editors of the design, photo, video and copy desks as the work they shepherd draws on all those areas and often demands more dedicated production/editing/design time.
MINDSET: The most successful enterprise desks are on their toes, actively seeking out ambitious, explanatory, investigative, creative avenues for our journalism, rather than ones on their heels, waiting for and reacting to major news events. Additionally, editors should keep in mind the varied audiences – on campus, in the city/state and beyond – our work can serve.
DAILY REPORTING: This desk doesn’t have “day reporting” shifts, but it should aspire to produce, or help produce, a steady diet of work that goes beyond the creation of special publications and a few bigger projects in a semester.
FULL STORIES AND ENTERPRISE: These are pieces worked on for longer periods – weeks or months – that add deeper value to our news report. In particular, the enterprise editor should be integral in helping execute this level of work. Be they news or features, these are longer and more rigorous to produce in terms of sourcing, word count or run time, general complexity, etc. They are must-read/watches that provide our audience deeper value on our core topics than our competitors often might, and they also are the types of pieces hiring editors want to see in candidates’ portfolios.
BUILDING BLOCKS FOR DESK ORIENTATION: TK