Guide Scope
Use this page as the master reference for how editorial content is organized, related, surfaced, and reused across the full story system.
Web Guide
Editorial System
Editorial System Overview Guide
This guide connects the full editorial architecture: the home page, category pages, school editorial pages, academic area editorial pages, and story pages. It defines how those page types work together within the editorial system.
1. Overview
The editorial system has one main job: help users discover, understand, and move through stories in a clear way. The system already organizes content by five editorial categories. Schools and academic areas should layer into that structure as parallel editorial browse paths, not replacements for the current category model.
| Principle | Meaning | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Keep editorial categories stable | News, Students, Community, Resources, and Innovation remain the top-level editorial buckets | Protects the current homepage, category pages, and story system |
| Add schools as a parallel layer | Schools and academic areas become additional browse paths | Supports academic ownership without breaking editorial organization |
| Use one story model everywhere | The same story can surface on multiple page types | Reduces duplication and keeps content reusable |
| Use tags for cross-linking | Tags connect related stories across categories, schools, and areas | Improves discovery without creating too many page types |
2. Page Types in the System
Each page type has a different role. Together they create the full editorial ecosystem.
| Page Type | Main Purpose | Primary Organizing Logic | Typical Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Page | Front door to the editorial system | Five main editorial categories | Hero stories, supporting stories, video, social, FAQs |
| Category Page | Browse stories by editorial type | Main category plus editorial sub-categories | Featured story, latest stories, spotlight, archive |
| School Editorial Page | Browse stories by school or college | Academic unit plus connected editorial categories | Featured story, academic areas, latest stories, archive |
| Academic Area Editorial Page | Browse stories by department, program, center, or graduate area | Academic area plus connected editorial categories | Featured story, topics, latest stories, archive |
| Story Page | Deliver the full reading experience | Single story with metadata and related content | Headline, deck, body, media, related stories |
| Explore / Search Page | Support broader filtering and discovery | Search plus taxonomy filters | Story lists filtered by category, school, area, tags, and dates |
3. System Hierarchy
The system works best when editorial structure and academic structure stay separate but connected.
| Layer | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Main Category | Top-level editorial bucket | News, Students, Community, Resources, Innovation |
| Editorial Sub-category | Editorial lane inside a category | Research Updates, Student Life, Academic Support, Startup Support |
| Academic Unit | School, college, or campuswide academic group | College of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Education |
| Academic Area | Department, program, center, academy, office, or graduate program | Communication, Nursing, Honors, Center for the Study of Ethics |
| Tags | Reusable cross-linking descriptors | Research, Career Prep, Belonging, Public Voice |
4. Shared Story Taxonomy Model
Every story should be able to live in the editorial system once and then surface in multiple places based on shared fields.
| Field | Required | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story Title | Yes | Primary headline | Communication students expand public storytelling work |
| Main Category | Yes | Primary editorial placement | Students |
| Editorial Sub-category | Yes | Editorial grouping inside the category | Career Development |
| Academic Unit | Yes | School or college ownership | College of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Academic Area | Yes | Most specific academic ownership | Communication |
| Academic Area Type | Yes | Supports flexible academic modeling | Department |
| Topic Tags | Yes | Main subject terms | Media, Storytelling |
| Audience Tag | Optional | Who the story matters to | Students |
| Impact Tag | Optional | Why it matters | Career Prep |
| Content Type | Recommended | Editorial format | Feature |
| Published Date | Yes | Archive and freshness support | April 2026 |
| Area Type | Use For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Department | Standard academic departments | Communication, Chemistry, Music |
| Program | Academic or support programs | Integrated Studies, Pre-health, Concurrent Enrollment |
| Center | Research or mission centers | Center for the Study of Ethics, Center for National Security Studies |
| Academy | Academies and training units | Utah Fire & Rescue Academy |
| Graduate Program | Named graduate-level areas | Master of Social Work, Master of Business Administration |
| Office | Campuswide offices that participate in the editorial system | Office of Teaching & Learning |
5. Story Flow Through the System
A single story should be entered once and then surface in multiple places based on its taxonomy and promotion settings.
| Destination | Why the Story Appears There | What Controls Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Home Page | The story is strong enough for homepage promotion | Main category, promotion choice, freshness |
| Category Page | The story belongs to that editorial category | Main category and editorial sub-category |
| School Editorial Page | The story belongs to that school or college | Academic unit |
| Academic Area Editorial Page | The story belongs to that department or program | Academic area |
| Story Page | The full article is published | Core story record |
| Explore / Search Page | The story matches search or selected filters | Search terms, taxonomy fields, date |
6. Relationship Rules Between Page Types
Each page type should support the others instead of duplicating their purpose.
| Source Page | Should Link To | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Home Page | Category pages, story pages | Move users into the main editorial system |
| Category Page | Story pages, school pages when relevant | Move users from editorial browsing into specific academic and story content |
| School Editorial Page | Academic area pages, story pages, category pages | Connect academic ownership with editorial browsing |
| Academic Area Editorial Page | School editorial page, story pages, category pages | Allow upward and sideways movement through the system |
| Story Page | Related stories, category page, school page, academic area page | Support continued exploration after reading |
7. Promotion Rules
Not every story needs to appear everywhere. Promotion should be intentional and proportional.
| Placement Type | Best Use | Typical Story Qualities |
|---|---|---|
| Home Hero | Top-level promotion | Strong visuals, broad appeal, timely value |
| Category Feature | Category-defining stories | Strong fit with editorial bucket and current theme |
| School Feature | School-wide standout stories | Strong school relevance, broader academic visibility |
| Academic Area Feature | Department or program standout stories | Strong direct ownership and area-level relevance |
| Related Stories | Discovery support | Topical, academic, or audience relevance |
8. Governance Standards
Governance should keep the system consistent as more schools and academic areas are added.
| Area | Standard | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Main Categories | Do not change casually | They anchor the homepage and editorial system |
| Editorial Sub-categories | Keep stable and reusable | Supports consistent grouping across time |
| Academic Units | Match official school or college names | Keeps ownership clear |
| Academic Areas | Model by real organizational type | Avoids forcing all units into one label style |
| Tags | Keep concise and reusable | Improves filtering and related content |
| Media Standards | Reuse current 16:9 rule | Keeps visual consistency across the system |
9. System Checklist
Use this checklist before building additional schools and academic areas.
| Check | Required | Review Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The five main editorial categories remain unchanged | Yes | Schools and academic areas should layer in, not replace them |
| Every story has both editorial and academic placement | Yes | Main category plus academic unit and academic area |
| School pages remain editorial rather than institutional landing pages | Yes | Focus on stories, not school-site replacement content |
| Academic area pages remain editorial rather than directory pages | Yes | Focus on stories and topic browsing |
| Story records are reusable across all page types | Yes | One story should surface in multiple places without duplication |
| Page relationships are clear in navigation and related links | Yes | Support upward, sideways, and deeper exploration |
| Content rules stay consistent across the system | Yes | Do not create separate sizing systems for each page type |
| Tag and taxonomy standards are documented before expansion | Yes | Prevents messy growth later |
10. Summary
The editorial system should stay centered on the five main categories while expanding to include school and academic area editorial pages as parallel browse layers. That keeps the current system stable, adds academic context, and makes it possible to reuse stories cleanly across home, category, school, area, and story pages.
- Keep categories editorial
- Add schools as academic browse paths
- Add academic areas as the most specific editorial layer
- Use one shared story model everywhere
- Reuse current content rules and media standards
- Build expansion from the taxonomy first
