# Editorial Charter Workbook

Define why an editorial program exists, whom it serves, what it may publish, and who has authority when priorities, standards, or responsibilities conflict.

## Usage note

Complete this workbook with the people who fund, operate, review, and depend on the editorial program. Treat the signed charter as a working agreement, not a ceremonial statement. It should settle recurring questions while leaving subject experts, legal reviewers, and channel owners responsible for decisions that belong to them.

## How to use this template

1. Convene the program sponsor, editorial lead, key channel owners, and representatives of required review functions.
2. Draft the mandate and scope from current audience needs and actual organizational responsibilities.
3. Assign decision rights for commissioning, standards, approval, exceptions, escalation, and maintenance.
4. Test every clause against recent requests or disagreements, then revise language that allows competing interpretations.
5. Record approval, publish the charter where contributors can find it, and schedule the next formal review.

## Blank template

### Charter identity and mandate

- **Program name:** [Enter the editorial program name]
- **Charter owner:** [Name one accountable role]
- **Executive sponsor:** [Enter role or name]
- **Effective date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Review date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Primary audiences:** [Describe the people served]
- **Mandate:** [Explain the durable problem this program is authorized to solve]
- **Desired outcomes:** [List outcomes the program can reasonably influence]

### Scope and boundaries

- **Owned content:** [List products, content types, channels, regions, or journey stages]
- **Advisory role:** [List work the team may advise on without approving]
- **Out of scope:** [List excluded work and the receiving owner]
- **Required standards:** [Link editorial, accessibility, privacy, and evidence standards]
- [ ] Every owned surface has a named maintenance owner.
- [ ] Every exclusion has a practical handoff destination.
- [ ] Temporary campaign work is distinguished from the permanent mandate.

### Decision rights and escalation

- **Commissioning authority:** [Who may authorize work?]
- **Editorial approval:** [Who makes the normal publish decision?]
- **Stop-publish authority:** [Who can pause or remove content?]
- **Exception authority:** [Who may approve a policy departure?]
- **Factual dispute path:** [How are unresolved claims escalated?]
- **Urgent response target:** [State an achievable response time]
- [ ] Conflicts of interest require an alternate decision maker.
- [ ] Legal, safety, or privacy review remains with the qualified owner.
- [ ] Material decisions are recorded in a durable log.

### Agreement and maintenance

- **Approved by:** [Names, roles, and dates]
- **Publication location:** [Internal URL or repository path]
- **Amendment process:** [Who proposes, reviews, and approves changes?]
- **Change communication:** [How contributors learn about revisions]
- **Next review trigger:** [Date, reorganization, product launch, or another event]