Overview: The Creative Director reports to the Editor-in-Chief and oversees all visual identities for Mustang News, including Mustang News collaboration with KCPR. With the design team, the Creative Director helps journalists convey their stories in unique ways that also maintain a cohesive and identifiable Mustang News brand. They help present news to different types of audience members and continuously update the social, web, and news platforms.
Responsibilities:
- Execute the reporter’s visions as well as come up with their own ideas for laying out content in a way that is visually appealing and easy to read
- Follow Mustang News style guides, while pushing the boundaries of design in everything created
- Go above and beyond traditional layouts and create original graphics, art and more to add unique elements to a story
- Communicate with platform managers to design and create visuals across platforms for stories from all Mustang News sections (News, Arts & Student Life, Sports and Opinion)
- Use industry-standard software including Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
- Attend weekly Sunday editorial staff meetings and run section breakout meeting
- Run monthly print editing meetings
- Oversee brand identity between all platforms
- Constantly survey professional media landscape to find the most successful and engaging practices
- Teach and oversee the design team
- Communicate with section heads, journalists, photographers and designers to create the ladder for every print edition
- Promote team cohesion and run relevant trainings as needed
- Plan and coordinate essential coverage and training over the summer and be physically in the newsroom at least one week before fall term
- Further the goal of having all Mustang News staff members be multimedia journalists
- Understand the “big picture” when it comes to multimedia coverage at Cal Poly and add context to story assignments.
- Be enrolled/attend J455 weekly class during every quarter active in this role
Salary: Hours equaling around $400 per month