OFFICIAL
MEMBER BRIEFING

CONSTITUTION
& BY-LAWS

Newsbytes — Official Publication of ICCT Colleges

“The pulse of campus, delivered in bytes”

INDEX TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tap any section to jump straight to it.

ARTICLE VI GENERAL ASSEMBLY ETIQUETTE

The Do’s

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Arrive on time and settle in before roll call starts.

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Raise your hand and wait to be recognized before speaking.

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Keep your phone on silent for the whole session.

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Let one person speak at a time and give nominees your full attention.

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Stay for the entire General Assembly unless you’ve been excused.

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Follow the presiding officer’s instructions during voting.

ARTICLE VI GENERAL ASSEMBLY ETIQUETTE

The Don’ts

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Don’t talk loudly or hold side conversations while someone has the floor.

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Don’t leave your seat or wander around during voting.

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Don’t heckle, boo, or badmouth any nominee.

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Don’t use your phone for calls, games, or scrolling during the General Assembly.

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Don’t speak or vote on behalf of another member.

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Don’t interrupt or talk over the presiding officer.

ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Name & Publication

OFFICIAL NAME

“Newsbytes – ICCT Colleges,” shortened to “Newsbytes,” is the official student publication of ICCT Colleges Foundation Inc.

LANGUAGES

English and Filipino are the official languages, chosen for accessibility and inclusivity across the student community.

Official Mottos

ENGLISH

“The pulse of campus, delivered in bytes.”

FILIPINO

“Pulso ng paaralan, boses ng bawat ICCTnian.”

ARTICLE II DEFINITION OF TERMS

Know your title — every member fits one of these categories.

Editorial Board

Sets policy, approves content, and ensures ethical compliance.

Editorial Staff

Writers, editors, photojournalists, artists, and technical members.

Regular Member

Full voting rights; eligible to hold leadership positions.

Probationary Member

New applicant under a 30-day evaluation period.

Ordinary Member

Trains without voting rights or decision-making authority.

Contributor

Submits work voluntarily, subject to editorial review.

Correspondent

Field reporter for a specific campus, college, or beat.

ARTICLE III WHO WE ARE

Vision & Mission

VISION

To be the foremost and most trusted source of truth, integrity, and excellence in journalism within ICCT Colleges Foundation Inc., fostering an informed, empowered, and critically engaged student community.

MISSION

To promote responsible and ethical journalism, preserve the highest standards of accuracy and fairness, and provide relevant and unbiased information that serves the student body’s interests.

Objectives

  • Provide truthful, timely news to the student community
  • Train aspiring journalists and media practitioners
  • Uphold journalistic ethics and press freedom
  • Reflect and amplify the voice of the institution
ARTICLE III GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Click a card to see what each principle means in practice.

ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP AT A GLANCE

Click a card to flip it and see voting power.

ARTICLE IV WHO CAN JOIN

Qualifications

  • Currently enrolled ICCT student
  • Strong commitment to campus journalism
  • Proficient, clear, and responsible communication
  • Must pass recruitment and screening for regular status

Recruitment Window

WHEN TO APPLY

Aspiring members apply during the Recruitment Period — Social Week, OSO Membership Day, or as set by the Editorial Board.

OPEN TO ALL

Open to every year level, college, department, and campus — no discrimination on any basis.

ARTICLE IV RIGHTS & DUTIES OF REGULAR MEMBERS

Rights

  • Participate in editorial activities and programs
  • Vote and be voted upon for positions
  • Access training and capacity-building opportunities

Duties

  • Adhere to the Constitution and By-Laws
  • Uphold the ethics of journalism
  • Participate actively in meetings, training, assignments
ARTICLE V OFFICERS OF THE PUBLICATION

School Publication Adviser

Guides editorial content, has final say on disputed matters, trains staff, and approves budget use.

Co-Adviser

Assists the Adviser, offers alternative perspectives, and stands in when the Adviser is unavailable.

Editor-in-Chief

Highest-ranking officer. Leads editorial policy and holds final authority on content approval.

The Editorial Board sets policy and direction. The Editorial Staff carries out the day-to-day reporting, design, and production.

ARTICLE V ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
School Publication
Adviser
School Publication
Co-Adviser
Editor-in-Chief
Associate
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Circulation Editor
Section Head
Creatives & Web Dev.
Section Head
Scriveners
ARTICLE V CREATIVES & WEB DEVELOPMENT SECTION

Creatives Subsection

Graphics
Head Graphics
Asst. Head Graphics
Graphic Artist
Layout Artist
Photojournalism
Chief Photojournalist
Asst. Chief Photojournalist
Photojournalist
Technical & Video
Technical Director
Asst. Technical Director
Cinematographer
Broadcast
Head Anchor
Asst. Head Anchor
Media Anchors
Correspondents
Multimedia Support
Scriptwriters
Website Subsection
Web & Digital Operations Editor
Domain Manager
ARTICLE V SCRIVENERS SECTION
News Desk
Head News Editor
News Editor
News Writer
Feature Desk
Head Feature Editor
Feature Editor
Feature Writer
Editorial & Column
Head Editorial & Column Editor
Editorial Writing Editor
Editorial Writer
Columnist
Sports Desk
Head Sports Editor
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
Science & Tech Desk
Head Sci-Tech Editor
Sci-Tech Editor
Sci-Tech Writer
Literary Desk
Head Literary Editor
Literary Editor
Literary Writer

Support Roles

Scriveners Section
Copyeditor / Proofreader

Fact-checks & line-edits all copy before layout.

Researcher

Gathers & verifies background info before coverage.

Community Moderator

Moderates postings; fact-checks captions & graphics.

Staff Writers

Regular/Probationary members writing assigned beats.

Contributors

Voluntary submissions from enrolled students.

ARTICLE VII ATTENDANCE & EXCUSE LETTERS

The Mandate

Three (3) consecutive unexcused absences from general meetings or trainings is a disciplinary offense.

FILING WINDOW

Submit a written Excuse Letter with proof to the Managing Editor at least 24 hours before the meeting, or within 48 hours after an emergency.

Valid Reasons

  • Medical emergency or illness
  • Academic conflicts (exams, defense, class schedule)
  • Official school business or representation
  • Family emergency or bereavement
  • Force majeure or connectivity disruption
ARTICLE XVI OFFENSES & PENALTIES

3 consecutive unexcused absences from a meeting, or first missed training.

  1. Oral reprimand
  2. Written reprimand with warning
  3. Suspension of duties
  4. Dismissal from publication

Neglect of duty, bias in reporting, unverified publishing, undisclosed AI use, conflict of interest.

  1. Written reprimand + mandatory retraining
  2. Suspension of duties for up to 1 month
  3. Dismissal from the publication

Plagiarism, libel, defamation, harassment, fabrication, financial misconduct, retaliation against a whistleblower.

  1. Immediate dismissal from the publication
  2. Possible escalation to the Office of Student Affairs
ARTICLE VIII AI USE & DISCLOSURE

AI Is Auxiliary Only

AI may assist with proofreading, research structure, or code — never for writing full articles or generating fake images.

DISCLOSURE

Any AI-assisted work must be reported to your Section Editor before publication using an AI Disclosure Form.

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE

Undisclosed AI assistance is treated as a Major Offense under the disciplinary code.

ARTICLE XV OWNERSHIP & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Who Owns the Work

Works made for Newsbytes belong to the publication, held in trust for the student body.

CONTRIBUTORS

Outside contributors keep their copyright and may republish elsewhere once Newsbytes is credited as first publisher.

STAFF WRITERS

Original works made by staff writers follow the publication’s standard ownership rules.

CHECK KNOWLEDGE CHECK

KNOW IT. LIVE IT.
REPORT IT RIGHT.

“The pulse of campus, delivered in bytes”