The Daily Free Press is governed by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a Massachusetts 501(c) nonprofit organization. BBPC’s Board of Directors is made up of former Daily Free Press editors and is responsible for the publishing and general business management of the paper, as well as the appointment and oversight of the editorial board. The seat of president is filled by each semester’s editor-in-chief. All other positions are appointed via vote when members graduate or on an ad-hoc basis.
The board may be reached at board@dailyfreepress.com.
Executive Board – Spring 2023
Madhri Yehiya — Board Chairwoman (Campus Editor, Fall 2021)
Sam Kizner — Vice Chair (Campus Editor, Spring 2020)
Lydia Evans — President (Opinion Editor, Fall 2022)
Molly Farrar — Secretary (EIC Fall 2022 & Features Editor Fall 2021)
Smaran Ramidi — Legal Chair (Graphics & Layout Editor Spring 2022)
Lily Kepner — Standards Chair (EIC Fall 2021 & Features Editor Spring 2021)
Standards/Legal Subcommittee
Talia Lissauer (Campus Co-Editor, Fall 2022)
Jesus Marrero Suarez (Campus Editor, Spring 2022)
Nick Kolev — Treasurer (Campus Editor, Spring 2021
Board Members – Spring 2023
Justin Tang — Advertising Chair (Podcast Editor Spring & Fall 2020)
Sujena Soumyanath — Fundraising Chair (Opinion Co-Editor, Spring 2022)
Ava Berger — Alumni Chair (Features Editor, Fall 2022)
Cici Yu — Archival Chair (City Editor, Spring 2022)
Melissa Ellin — Audience and Engagement Chair (Campus Editor, Fall 2020)
Abbigale Shi — Career Development Chair (Opinion Editor, Spring 2021)
Colbi Edmonds — Diversity & Inclusion Chair (EIC Spring 2021 & Opinion Editor Fall 2020)
Mitch Fink — Grants & Awards Chair (Sports Editor Spring 2022)
Yvonne Tang — Public Relations Chair (Layout & Graphics Editor Fall 2021)
Katrina Liu — Staff Recruitment Chair (Lifestyle Editor Fall 2021)
Subcommittee: Haley Alvarez-Lauto (Layout & Graphics Editor, Fall 2022)
Tanisha Bhat — Staff Training Chair (Managing Editor, Fall 2022)
Emily Stevenson — Staff Development & Wellness Chair (EIC Fall 2021 & Features Editor Spring 2021)
Subcommittee: Clare Ong (Photo Co-Editor, Fall 2022)
Charles Fuss — Web Chair
Position Descriptions
Chair of the Board
Description: The Chair of the Board of The Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. is in charge of leading the Board of Directors and The Daily Free Press as whole from an administrative perspective. The Chair focuses on securing financial stability, hiring the next Editorial Board, data security and collection, alumni outreach, and more. The role involves much delegation, overseeing all other Board positions, and otherwise identifying ways to improve operations as a whole at The Daily Free Press.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain the Board email
- Check-in with the EIC and keep tabs on the responsibilities of and tasks assigned to other Board members
- Answer any questions and address concerns the EIC or other Board members may have
- Lead weekly Board meetings
- Lead the interview process for the incoming Editorial Board
- Lead deliberation process for incoming Board members
- Train the incoming Board Chair
- Monitor online accounts, passwords, and data security
- Handle resignations of E-board and Board members
- Maintain Tasks Deadlines spreadsheet
- Crisis/conflict management between staff members
- Assisting in financial decision-making
- Approve large and small decisions that affect Board and Eboard operations
Contact for:
- General questions, concerns and complaints regarding The Daily Free Press or the Board of Directors
Vice Chair
Description: The Vice Chair works in tandem with the Chair to lead the Board of Directors and The Daily Free Press from an administrative perspective. By acting as a generalist among Board members, the Vice Chair can assist all members in their various tasks and pursuits. The Vice Chair must also work with the Chair to ensure sound financial status, editorial excellence and a welcoming environment for all.
Responsibilities:
- Check in with the EIC and keep tabs on the responsibilities of and tasks assigned to other Board members
- Answer any questions and address concerns the EIC or other Board members may have
- Lead weekly board meetings
- Lead the interview process for the incoming Editorial Board
- Lead deliberation process for incoming Board members
- Train the incoming Board Vice Chair
- Crisis/conflict management between staff members
- Constant communication with Chair
- Assist in financial decision-making
- Approve large and small decisions that affect Board and Eboard operations
Contact for:
- General questions, concerns and complaints regarding The Daily Free Press or the Board of Directors
President
Description: The President also serves as the Editor in Chief of the Editorial Board. The primary responsibility of the president is to communicate between the Board of Directors and the Editorial Board. The President is a nonvoting member of the Board.
Responsibilities:
- Act as representative and liaison between the Editorial Board and Board of Directors
- Protect the editorial integrity of the paper
- Manage writers and editors
- Determine the direction of the publication and coverage
- Decide which content to publish
- Oversee The Daily Free Press operations from an editorial perspective
Contact for:
- Concerns regarding coverage, staff and Eboard conflicts, general editorial questions and concerns
Secretary
Description: The Secretary is a veteran board member who can advise based on their experience at The Daily Free Press. They will conduct any and all secretarial needs, including the taking of meeting minutes and the scheduling of meetings.
Responsibilities:
- Organize the Board Google Drive and email
- Schedule interviews and takes notes
- Create weekly agenda and take meeting minutes at Board meetings
- Maintain shared Google Calendar
- Manage meetings ensure all talking points are discussed in a timely manner
Contact for:
- General questions, comments and concerns
- Help reaching other members of Board
Legal Chair
Description: The Legal Chair acts as a legal advisor to the Editor-in-Chief and paper at-large. They should have a good grasp of the law and ethics and journalism, and reach out to the Student Press Law Center when necessary to work through any issues that crop up.
Responsibilities:
- Act as point of contact for all legal needs of the Editorial Board
- Manage legal minutiae through meetings with the BU Law Clinic
- Monitor stories to ensure the paper is maintaining the ethics and standards of journalism
Contact for:
- Any ethical or legal questions/concerns regarding reporting
Treasurer
Description: The Treasurer is responsible for the finances of The Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., and by extension, The Daily Free Press. This includes advising on all financial decisions and keeping a detailed account of all income and expenditure throughout their tenure to ensure the newspaper is in good financial standing at all times. Other responsibilities include managing the bank account, filing taxes, making payments to vendors, and handling reimbursement requests.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain the budget spreadsheet throughout the financial year, beginning in June. Input all income and expenditure to ensure it accurately reflects the bank account
- Advise the Board on financial decisions and provide finance updates at weekly Board meetings
- File taxes each September through an accounting firm
- Make payments to vendors through the bank account
- Maintain the FreeP Venmo and PayPal to pay back purchases made on behalf of the newspaper as well as transferring funds in those accounts to the bank
- Hold onto bank debit card
- Hold onto the FreePhone for verification codes and other instances in which a general phone number is needed
- Keep the checkbook and write out any necessary checks
Contact for:
- Any financial questions/concerns regarding the newspaper
Advertising Chair
Description: The Advertising Chair is in charge of coordinating national ad sales with MediaMate and local/on-campus ads directly with interested partners.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain relationship with MediaMate to facilitate deals with national advertising partners
- Develop and maintain a CRM that tracks client relationships with local and on-campus advertisers
- Update and distribute media kit to prospective clients
- Provide design consulting to advertisers
- Work with layout and multimedia editors to implement advertising in newsletters and print editions
- Track and generate revenue via Google AdSense on dailyfreepress.com and implement web ads
Contact for:
- Potential advertising opportunities
- Concerns over any advertising partners
Fundraising Chair
Description: The Fundraising Chair is responsible for creating, coordinating and organizing fundraising events and campaigns to ensure the continual financial stability of The Daily Free Press.
Responsibilities:
- Plan regular fundraising events
- Execute special fundraising campaigns, such as Giving Day each November
- Work with the Alumni Chair to contact DFP alumni for donations
- Coordinate fundraisers with local restaurants
Contact for:
- Potential fundraising opportunities or collaborations
- Questions and concerns over fundraising campaigns and events
Alumni Chair
Description: The Alumni Chair is responsible for maintaining a relationship with and collecting data on past Daily Free Press writers, editors, and Board members. This position is in charge of maintaining the FreeP community, honoring its past members, and updating them on the paper’s progress.
Responsibilities:
- Producing and organizing a monthly newsletter of content including:
- Major story and coverage highlights, including section editor favorites
- Upcoming fundraising events and campaigns
- Promoting print issues when applicable
- Manage the Alumni Facebook page by posting monthly updates
- Organize and update the Alumni database with each graduating class, as well as consolidate a past E-Board database.
- Create an annual Alumni survey to update required information
- Contribute to potential fundraising efforts using alumni contacts
- Aid in the planning and organization of alumni panel events
Contact for:
- Subscribing to the alumni newsletter
- Questions pertaining to alumni relations or alumni fundraising opportunities
Archival Chair
Description: The Archival Chair is responsible for creating a digital and physical archive of print issues of the paper. The position also handles providing photos and articles requested by past Daily Free Press writers, editors and Board members, as well as posting monthly on the @dfparchives Twitter account to highlight past coverage.
Responsibilities:
- Organize archival collections stored in DFP office
- Maintain and digitize archives and records of each print issue
- Communicate with the Mugar Archivist about how the library kept our archives before COVID
- Scan each print issue from the past archive books to Issue
- Create monthly posts for @dfparchives
- Fulfill archival requests from past DFP staff and others
Contact for:
- Archive post ideas
- Archival requests for photos and articles
Audience and Engagement Chair
Description: The Audience and Engagement Chair is responsible for audience and community outreach as well as measuring data on the success of The Daily Free Press.
Responsibilities:
- Build engagement
- Promote Daily Free Press content
- Track website pageviews and search performance
- Track reader satisfaction and engagement with FreeP content
- Create merchandise for The Daily Free Press
Contact for:
- General feedback on DFP content
- Merchandise requests and feedback
Career Development Chair
Description: The Career Development Chair is responsible for researching and continually updating current staff on active internship and job opportunities in the field of journalism. This position is also in charge of planning career development events that will help set members up for success in The Daily Free Press and beyond.
Responsibilities:
- Find and curate an ongoing list of career opportunities and summarize the necessary requirements for each
- Plan semesterly interview workshops for the staff to attend, coordinating with the College of Communication’s Career Center as necessary
- Work with Alumni Chair to contact alumni for career and networking events (i.e. the Next Edition conference)
Contact for:
- Advice on resumes, interviews and applications
- Potential career opportunities for the staff (i.e. job listings, internships, workshops, co-ops, scholarships and networking events)
Diversity and Inclusion Chair
Description: The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair (DEI) aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment within The Daily Free Press and its affiliated spaces. This includes advising in hiring and interviewing practices and reaching out to partner with a diversity of groups in the community.
Responsibilities:
- Lead DEI trainings for staff and editorial board members
- Conduct demographic surveys culminating in an end-of-semester report
- Strategize to improve the DFP office and workplace culture to accommodate the varying needs of our staff
- Uplift the diverse voices of our student body, staff and readership through outreach and conflict resolution
- Approve use of the Editor’s Equity Fund
- Support the Eboard in making editorial decisions that reflect DEI best practices
Contact for:
- Suggestions on how to improve the diversity and inclusivity of The Daily Free Press
- Concerns about how one’s identity was misrepresented/disrespected in the paper, in the office or amongst staff
Grants & Awards Chair
Description: The Grants & Awards Chair is responsible for continuously searching, identifying, and applying for potential financial and award-based opportunities for the paper.
Responsibilities:
- Continuously research potential grant and award opportunities and evaluating the material required
- Ensure these grants and awards are in compliance with the newspaper’s ethos
- Apply for grants and awards (ex. New England Society of News Editors Journalism Awards, Hearst Journalism Awards Program, Pacemaker Awards, Mark of Excellence Awards) throughout the year
- Organize internal superlative awards for FreeP staff
Contact for:
- Questions and concerns on grant opportunities
- Questions and concerns on award opportunities
Public Relations Chair
Description: The PR Chair is responsible for long-term strategies pertaining to the newspaper’s communication and image. This involves social media management, event planning, and press releases. The PR Chair can be assigned tasks under this jurisdiction, but they should self-motivate to maintain long-term strategies. This position is not to be confused with the Multimedia Editor, who updates the social media platforms with the day-to-day articles.
Responsibilities:
- Nurture relationships between The Daily Free Press and other parties
- Monitor/manage Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn in promotional aspects excepting editorial content
- Write semesterly press releases on progress on a Board and Eboard level
- Plan events, campaigns, and strategies to engage those involved with FreeP
Contact for:
- Questions/concerns, crises, or epiphanies over the paper’s reputation or image
- Communication strategies with different parties (readers, writers, editors, BU, donors)
Staff Recruitment Chair
Description:
The Staff Recruitment Chair is responsible for the recruitment of staff every semester. The holder of this position must not only be knowledgeable of all aspects of The Daily Free Press, but be enthusiastic in ensuring success of the paper. They are the first step to ensuring a healthy newsroom environment by recruiting new members that are determined to do stellar work that adheres to DFP standards.
Responsibilities:
- Acting as the liaison and a resource between interested applicants, current staff and editorial board members throughout the application process
- Organizing application guidelines and deadlines, and reviewing and approving applications
- Ensuring the organization and completion of staff requirements (contracts, dues, etc.)
- Attending and organizing recruitment events (activity fairs, open houses, Splash)
- Posing an accurate representation of the culture and standards of The Daily Free Press
- Collaborating with and assisting the Staff Training Chair to ensure transparency
Contact for:
- Questions on applications for prospective writers
- Questions on Daily Free Press standards
- Invitations to promote the paper
Staff Training Chair
Description: The staff training chair is responsible for training all incoming staff of The Daily Free Press on AP Style, the functions of the paper and other editorial guidelines before they can begin contributing to the paper.
Responsibilities:
- Hold mandatory training at the beginning of the spring and fall semesters for incoming staff as well as a separate training for associate editors
- Update training materials each semester as editorial guidelines evolve
- Reserve spaces on campus to hold trainings
Contact for:
- Concerns regarding one’s ability to perform their duty as an editor or staff member under the standards of The Daily Free Press’ editorial guidelines
- Questions about roles and responsibilities of editorial staff
- Additional training if section editors deem necessary
Staff Development and Wellness Chair
Description: The Staff Development and Wellness chair is the primary contact and advocate for editors’, writers’, or associates’ wellbeing and performance at the paper to ensure it is a welcoming, respectful and safe climate for all. This includes monitoring and updating the Wellness Rules, the Editor’s Equity Fund and regularly checking in with staff about their experience at the paper, as well as being present to help facilitate conversations on coverage.
Responsibilities:
- Be a visible resource for The Daily Free Press staff and a friendly supportive force advocating for writer needs
- Visit the office once a week to check in, be available outside of FreeP hours to connect
- Monitor and update the Editor’s Equity Fund as needed
- Work with editors to identify and advocate for their needs in the office, remote work or in Wellness Rules at Board meetings
- Early intervention into any editor, writer or associate conflicts
Contact for:
- Wellness rules implementation or questions and concerns
- Writer, editor or associate interpersonal conflicts or questions
- Office improvement or suggestions
- Editor’s Equity Fund, reimbursement questions or requests
- Help to arrange time off
Standards Chair:
Description: The Standards Chair is responsible for formalizing any needed rules or workplace practices within the machinery of the paper. These rules can pertain to day to day operations of the paper, rigorous labor protections for editors and writers, and general rules pertaining to the running of the paper and its overall ethos. This includes both drafting and finalizing needed documentation of these rules and procedures, as well as properly informing all those involved of their existence.
Responsibilities:
- Codify rules as they arise throughout the semester in legible documentation
- reporting and ethics standards
- Structural, administrative and organizational documents
- Organize pre-existing and new standards in a central and easily accessible location, open to all Board and Eboard members
- Inform writers and editors of their right as workers through the Wellness Rules
- Update the document each semester
Contact for:
- Questions and concerns on reporting and ethics standards regarding our coverage
- Questions and concerns on the documentation/codifying of regulations or procedures
- Questions and concerns on labor rights
Web Chair
Description: The Web Chair is in charge of maintaining the online infrastructure that The Daily Free Press utilizes and depends on in order to operate. This includes the website, research databases, and back-end operations accounts. The Web Chair is responsible for resolving any potential issues regarding WordPress (the website management system), Name Cheap (the domain host), and The Daily Free Press G-Suite.
Responsibilities:
- Continually update The Daily Free Press website and create and maintain WordPress accounts as necessary
- Maintain website security by tracking unauthorized posts and users
- Reset passwords for each staff transition across all accounts
- Organize and maintain the DFP G-Suite by creating and updating emails and shared drives
- Track overall storage usage and act accordingly to maintain storage capacity
- Manage the dailyfreepress.com Domain and reapply as necessary, hold onto domain-associated information
Contact for:
- Technology related issues or concerns
- Website suggestions
- Data security concerns
Non-voting Subcommittees:
Recruitment Subcommittee
Description: Assist Staff Recruitment Chair in fulfilling duties.
Responsibilities:
- Run recruitment events including Splash, class visits, COM club fair
- Maintain Master Staff Database of personal information, training status, roles, etc.
- Other requested tasks
Standards and Legal Subcommittee
Description: Assist the Legal Chair and Standards Chair in performing duties.
Responsibilities:
- Act as point of contact for all legal needs of the Editorial Board
- Draft Standards documents to improve DFP operations
- Monitor stories to ensure the paper is maintaining the ethics and standards of journalism
- Assist with researching the history of the paper’s legalization, which may involve record-keeping and record-making
Staff Development and Wellness Subcommittee
Description: Assist Staff Development and Wellness Chair in fulfilling duties.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain the cleanliness and organization of the DFP office
- Improve the working conditions and aesthetics of the office space
- Act on feedback about office improvement submitted by editors
- Plan social events for staff bonding