Right - let's get cracking

I've just been tweaking the site in readiness for our perky and incredibly enthusiastic student team. We're in the process confirming who exactly they are...

In the meantime, I've drafted some editorial guidelines, which are also a kind of to-do list. It would be great if this was on a wiki, but it's not. So if you have any suggestions please add your comments instead. (Although obviously we don't have to take any notice. Only joking!)

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear Team,

In advance

- Before you arrive, familiarise yourself with the union's recent news through the NUJ website. You also need to look at the conference agenda (not the most entertaining read in the world, but it's essential) so you can identify what are likely to be the biggest issues. And it would also be very helpful to do some extra research of your own, which might be a posting about good local bars, some background to one of the conference's biggest discussion points or a few of this season's fash tips for the Saturday night event! (Joke. Probably...)

You also need to familiarise yourself with the blogger system (if you aren't already) so you know how to log in, post images and so on - as well as forwarding your mini-profile and a picture to Jemima for the 'about us' column. And then we'll get you to write an introductory post! Hurrah!

Please arrive on Thursday with three rough ideas for postings.

Check copy

- Check your copy before posting. And always ask a co-writer to double check it for content, tone and typos before it goes live.

Speed = essence

- Be quick! If you're writing about a motion that has just been voted on, don't wait until tomorrow to make it live.

Sharing is good

- There is no point writing for no-one, at least not for this project. So each of us needs to undertake a personal promotion campaign - email the site's address to everyone you know. I kid you not! Proper grown-up bloggers go to other relevant blogs, add their comments and then link back to their own sites - and that's a great way to build an audience. I'm not sure we've got time to do that really, but if you can give it a try, great!

Journalism is a con-ver-sa-tion, not a lecture, etc.

- Now you're signed up, log in and introduce yourself! Think of the blog as a conversation, as if you're talking one-to-one with a journalist friend that is kind of interested in joining the union but doesn't know anything about ADM. If you find something interesting or amusing, they probably will too. Did you hear a great joke in the lobby? See a celebrity journalist lurking in the bar? Were you really impressed by one of the speakers? Don't keep it to yourself - blog it!

Style

What we want to achieve is a mix of accurate, factual news reporting and an informal, personal tone that includes your own experiences. (Your own insights and observations at ADM - especially as first timers - are particularly valuable.) I imagine a few different types of postings - some might be straight news stories covering majorish events, some very short entries linking to conference coverage elsewhere (if it's picked up by a national, for example) and other, shorter, light pieces of observation. No ranty, wildly controversial opinion pieces please unless it is really strictly relevant.

And of course, if you are even slightly worried that something might be contentious or legally problematic - DON'T PUBLISH IT! Ask either Jemima or Chris first. It's all common sense...

Our mission

- Remember - if you feel you're losing the plot and aren't quite sure about what you're writing, refer back to our mission statement on the home page. The objective is to provide interesting, informative coverage about the conference. So is that shot of the general secretary falling off his bar stool really essential? (Jesting, Jeremy...)

* * * * * * * * * *