The rules and principles that content makers and editors adhere to are the foundation of any blog, media outlet, and other media. Requirements for materials help to clearly formulate the main idea, emphasize ideas, and adhere to a specific point of view. All this is the editorial policy of a publication, agency, or other organization.
Although the presence of some kind of charter is obvious, few engage in careful development of the EP. This also affects the results of promotion, so you shouldn’t ignore the importance of EP. You can get advice and learn how to apply them in practice right now: everything you want to know about the right approach is outlined below.
The components of the EP are the same, regardless of the type of information materials. A set of characteristics helps journalists follow a given plan, and editors – check articles for compliance. To understand how to create your own editorial policy, pay attention to all the mandatory components:
It is important to include in your list of “penalties” for violations of ethical rules. This improves quality control with the help of all participants in the process.
Work related to the creation of materials is necessarily accompanied by a set of rules. For copywriters, this is the required font size and line spacing, the design of headings, etc. In journalism – principles of fact-checking, stylistic requirements and respect for human rights.
Agencies providing publication writing services are also guided by a unique set of rules. Given the diversity of manifestations, it is necessary for all creative people – writers, editors, speechwriters – to know what editorial policy is and why it is needed.
Creating an editorial policy takes time and effort. Without them, it is impossible to imagine a detailed document that contains all current standards. It is important to start preparing norms and rules immediately, and not leave decision-making and their implementation for later. Thanks to the work done, you can quickly gain the trust of the target audience.
Offering readers relevant and up-to-date information without a thorough analysis is too difficult. Modern businesses prefer to know in advance everything their audience strives for. Analytics helps to identify demand. At this stage, data is collected on:
The analysis will help find answers to what is the best editorial policy, why a blog needs it, and how to build your strategy. Searching for ready-made instructions leads nowhere. It is better to spend time creating your own, taking into account all the nuances.
Planning begins with collecting information and structuring. You can already determine priorities, focus on important topics, and reveal your potential from the first days. Upon completion of this stage, you need to make:
General and weekly strategies should be separated. The first is edited as the company or site develops. The second revision can happen much more frequently to follow the general plan.
The perception of information and analytics is based on the correct presentation. To do this, authors use headings and subheadings, as well as lists, tables, and diagrams. Perhaps the project only needs a few components, and the rest can be abandoned. Decide on this “on the shore.” An example of good editorial policy: use detailed descriptions for each established standard. The goal is to make a quick read help to form a correct idea of the requirements.
Remember about editing. Correcting texts cannot be limited to a quick read. Require the editor to check the facts on several platforms, and the authors to indicate the original source. Thanks to such precautions, the work will not take too much time.
Discussion of requirements is the final part. Any kind of activity is associated with finding compromises and establishing rules. Changes are often necessary, but this does not affect previously made decisions. This creates an understanding of what editorial policy is and why the site needs it. Mistakes can be corrected by taking into account several opinions.
