How are editors and authors selected and vetted before they are allowed to publish with CQ Researcher, particularly the pro/con features?
Answer
The pro and con authors are proposed by the freelance journalist who is assigned the report (main report’s author) and they are approved by the CQ Researcher editors. They are expected to be an expert on the topic, but the term “expert” is fluid in order to pull contributors from multiple environments relevant to the report’s central issue – pro and con authors can be an academic or from a thinktank or an NGO or government, depending on the topic.
The editorial process includes topic selection and report review. The topics are decided by brainstorming by the CQ Researcher editors (and our Sage colleagues) based on issues in the news, analytics showing what topics are popular, suggestions from librarians and faculty, and pitches from reporters. Editors assign topical reports to a seasoned journalist to write, and then they are reviewed by 2 in-house editors plus freelance sensitivity readers, fact checkers, and proofreader before they are published.
You can read more about the editorial process, and more about CQ Researcher on the resource’s FAQ page: https://cqpress.sagepub.com/cqresearcher/faq
Based on conversation with Kaitlin Ciarmiello; Meredith Schwartz (she/her/hers); Kayla Schoch