Proposal for Red + Black

Hello. I have decided to compile my comments on comrade JucheGang's proposal as well as draft my own into a single document.

The basis of my proposal comes from looking at publications and news sites in general, as well as my own experience as a writer for a news site. I will be tackling the following:

1. Editorial Board composition (committee system)
2. Scope of content
3. Content categorization
4. Publication Format

That said, let's dive right into it.

Editorial Board Composition

Based on discussions on the Discord, we have reached a consensus where editors would not be pigeonholed to write about certain topics. This is certainly well and good. Given as well the small size of our team and its relative infancy, this should be of no problem.

We must, however, have an Editor-in-Chief, as well as editors for news articles and feature articles. The role of these three will be to ensure the quality of all submitted articles, as well as create a style guide for all R+B works. In some cases, the EIC also takes on the role of editor for both news and features.

I propose we start with at the minimum, an EIC and slowly work our way towards having separate editors for news and features, based on whoever shows aptitude and quality in writing them.

Now, as for the other people - what will they do? Let us consider the people in the editorial committee to be equal to our regular staff. This means they have committed to writing for the Red and Black and can thus be expected to consistently contribute for the publication.

That said, and taking from my own experience, I propose that each writer take up beats, i.e. topics that they would particularly excel in. This does not mean a writer is confined to writing only about that particular beat. Nor does it mean that they are the only ones who can write about it. Think of a beat as a preference, or a pet issue they want to cover.

For example, I am interested in NS updates in my local region. That can be my beat. Thus, if something happens in my local region, I can be expected to write about it. But if not, no biggie.

A distinction should be made as early as now between members of the editorial committee and contributing authors. Contributors are those who simply wish to write one-off pieces; stringers, op-ed writers, and the like. Contributors are welcome, obviously.

To summarize:

• EIC and editors have the task for final say in how the article is read
• Each writer should state which topics they'd like to cover
• Long-term: Actual committees, but only when the situation demands it

Scope of content

Obviously, we are a publication focusing primarily on NS affairs as it affects the Left. That shouldn't mean we're only focused on the Left.

Looking at comrade JucheGang's proposal of "proximity scope", I fail to see why this is necessary. I think this falls more on categories under sections. What I mean by scope is "what is deemed by the Red and Black as newsworthy"

In that sense, I'd like to state that all NationStates events are newsworthy to the Left. With particular importance, of course, to NSLeft regions and occurrences, but something like the recent COCD implosion, for example, is still newsworthy.

Why? Because the goal of a revolutionary publication is not only to inform cadres but also to arouse, organize, and mobilize the masses. That means we're not simply preaching to the choir (reporting on NSLeft news) but also providing analysis on other events, allowing the casual reader to understand the Left's position better, and in that way, help them agree with it.

It should also go without saying that we must also write about international events as they happen, and provide analyses on them, especially as it pertains to the Left. We could all do well with reading about theory, and about updates on revolutionary movements worldwide.

Content categorization

In this regard, I mostly agree with comrade JucheGang on what kinds of content should appear. I only wish to define some terms to standardize our language:

Sections: by which I mean the type of article that is being written.

• News articles
• Feature articles
• Commentary/Opinion pieces
• Cultural works

Categories: The topics that fall under the sections. I have no qualms with JucheGang's proposal in this respect. All the categories they have stated can actually fall under any given section. (e.g. news articles about NSLeft events, feature interviews about a member of the NSLeft central committee, op-ed on recent NS events, poems, etc.)

Publication format

Synthesizing the discussion on Discord, we have agreed to have a semi-regular monthly schedule for issues, with breaking news coming in as they arrive. I would like to propose scheduling for this:

• 1st week: Issue planning. Define what topics to be written (editors pitch ideas and bounce them off each other). Assign topics to editors (based on what we pitched to each other). Begin call for submissions for contributors (we allow contributors to contribute what they want).
• 2nd week: Writing. Literally the hardest part.
• 3rd week: First round of edits. Submit articles to editor(s) and see if anything needs to be edited. Cut off submissions for the month.
• 4th week: Final round of edits. Polish up any articles that still need to be edited. Begin work on building the publication for release.

In this way, we have a consistent cycle that we can work around. We are all volunteers with our own lives, so it would help if we have some sort of schedule. That also said, we shouldn't be too hard on editors who couldn't submit at least one article on a given issue (if their reason is valid).

The fact that we're also doing a semi-regular schedule lends itself to a more relaxed approach in writing the news. We could focus on more long-form pieces, written with the idea that by the time this gets published the news isn't "that hot" anymore, but still relevant.

That also means less pressure on having to write the news right away. Though, if anybody wants to break the news, then they're more than free to do so.

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Alright, I think that's all I have to say on this topic. Hopefully this isn't too long of a document.