What is an Editorial Board Meeting?

By Jennifer R. Farmer

The editorial board of a publication opines on a host of issues, and its perspective appears on the “editorial” page. Editorial boards write editorials, which represent the views of the publisher.

An editorial board meeting is designed to share information and influence public opinion. The meeting could include the publisher, editorial board writers and/or columnists of a media outlet. Editorial page editors may also invite reporters to the meeting, but this is not guaranteed. 

Who is on the Editorial Board?

An editorial board is comprised of the publisher, editorial page editor and editorial page writers. In some cases, columnists may be on the editorial board as well. 

The size of an editorial board can range from a few people to several people, depending on the size of the publication. Although the board can be vast, there is no guarantee all members of the board will participate in each editorial board meeting. 

Who Participates in Editorial Board Meetings?

If you request an editorial board meeting, you may meet with some or all members of the editorial board, as well as reporters who cover the subject area you wish to discuss. The editorial page editor determines who is in the room – editorial page writers or editorial page writers as well as members of the news department. 

Why Request an Editorial Board Meeting?

If an issue has dominated headlines, or will soon be in the news cycle, there is a good chance a media outlet will weigh in and write an editorial. There is no guarantee that when they weigh in, they will contact you to gain your perspective. And they can’t contact you if they don’t know you exist. To ensure that publications know your sentiments, consider requesting an editorial board meeting.

Possible Outcomes from Every Editorial Board Meeting

There are several possible outcomes for every Editorial Board meeting:

• The paper can write an editorial in your favor. 
• The paper can write an editorial opposing your issue.
• The paper may elect not to write anything at all.
• The paper may ask you to submit an opinion editorial, which would appear opposite the editorial page in a physical newspaper or in the “opinion” section on an online platform.
• The paper can write an editorial and the reporter in the room could write a news story.
• The news department could do an article explaining your position.

Format

Everything you say is on-the-record unless you request, in advance, and the board agrees, to go off-the-record. This means anything you say, can be used in an editorial, or news story if reporters are in the room. The only time comments are off-the-record is if you specifically ask for an off-the-record conversation (before you begin speaking, and the editors or reporters agree).