Pictures Editor

Basic Function:
The photo editor is responsible for organizing and editing all images for Activate. The position includes running a team of photographers, providing them with training and constantly striving to improve the quality of photographs and graphics which appear in the newspaper. The photo editor maintains close ties with all other section editors in order to stay up to date with stories requiring photographs, thereby ensuring that photos are always relevant and appropriate to the stories in Activate.

Experience:
The photo editor needs to have experience in various different areas of photography, should take photos regularly, and must be familiar with Adobe Photoshop and photographic editing and formatting. The photo editor should ideally have fairly good knowledge about photographic equipment and technique, as he/she should be able to answer questions the team members may have and is expected to train and guide the team throughout the year.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:
1. Responsible for the quality of photographs that are provided for Activate.
2. Ensures all required photographs are brought in on deadline and are ready for the designers during paste up weekends.
3. Responsible for all editing and formatting of photographs for Activate before they are handed to the designers.
4. Responsible for running a successful photo team, which includes providing training in the form of regular workshops and critiques aimed at improving the skills of the team members and thus the quality of images produced. This responsibility means it is not acceptable for the photo editor to be the main photographic contributor to the newspaper, but he/she should rather build a team which is capable of producing images of publishable quality.
5. Responsible for passing duties on to the assistant photo editor and always ensuring there is a reasonable and apt distribution of work load between the assistant and oneself. This involves fostering a good relationship of communication with the assistant photo editor, and aiding the assistant in developing their skills and knowledge of photography and post-production editing.
6. Responsible for conducting a weekly photo team meeting, attending the weekly Activate staff meetings, being present for dummies every second week and being available during the entire paste-up weekend.
7. Responsible for creating graphics and organizing cartoons as well as photographs.
8. Responsible for keeping close contact with other section editors in order to ensure photographers are assigned to last-minute stories and other events which may crop up.
9. Responsible for responding to readers’, sources’ and colleagues’ calls and emails immediately and always representing Activate professionally.
10. Responsible for maintaining high ethical and journalistic standards, and abiding by university and student publications’ laws and policies.
11. Expected to be an active photographer, thereby keeping practiced in the field of photography.
12. The photo editor should act as a mentor, trainer and advisor to the photo team and should be active in putting forward photo ideas and developing ideas for photographs alongside the other section editors.