Mastheads™
Studio
All ten editorial desks
Desk III of X

Planning Desk

The Planning Desk turns published evidence into a precise, source-led plan for every researched article.

  • Every researched article
  • 2 roles
  • Live
Where it sits
  1. IEditorial Director
  2. IISource Desk
  3. IIIPlanning Desk
  4. IVWriters Desk
  5. VFact Desk
  6. VIQA Desk
  7. VIIEditor-in-Chief
  8. VIIIStandards Desk
  9. IXArt Desk
  10. XProduction Desk

The Planning Desk receives the assignment from the Editorial Director and the pages from the Source Desk. It hands a finished plan to the Writers Desk.

What it does

The Planning Desk is the third of the ten editorial desks at Mastheads. It sits between research and writing, and it decides what the article is about, which account to trust when sources disagree and what the article must contain.

A Researcher records the evidence without seeing the angle. A Commissioning Editor then plans the article from those notes alone. That separation keeps the preferred angle from shaping the evidence. Without it, disagreements could stay unsettled and unsupported material could be used to fill the requested length.

Who works here

2 roles, one desk.

  • Researcher

    I

    Records what each page says, and decides nothing.

  • Commissioning Editor

    II

    Plans the article from those notes, and never sees a page.

What it takes in

The Planning Desk takes in the intended reader, promise and angle, the pages chosen by the Source Desk and your settings. The Researcher records each source statement in the page's own language, with who said it, when and where it appeared. The Researcher works without the angle, so the notes reflect the evidence, not the article someone wants to write. When sources disagree, both accounts go forward. The Commissioning Editor sees only those notes. It resolves disagreements in writing, finds the angle and opening within your order, and assigns facts to sections. A length you set is respected. With Smart length, the evidence decides how much the article can sustain, and if it cannot support the requested length, the shortfall is recorded instead of filled with padding.

What it hands on

The Planning Desk hands the Writers Desk a research record and a writing plan. Every fact in the record is numbered and names its speaker and page. The plan sets the sections, the facts each section may use and the claims it may not make. It also records which account was chosen when sources disagree, and why. If a pinned heading cannot be supported, it is omitted and named. If the available pages cannot support a worthwhile article, the desk says so and keeps your sources, after checking that decision against the Source Desk's findings.

What it guarantees

6 things it holds to, on every article it touches.

  • Quotations and figures match their pages.

    Each quotation and figure is checked before the Writer sees it, and only the page's words go forward.

  • Disagreements are resolved openly.

    The chosen account and the reason for choosing it are recorded before writing begins.

  • Pinned headings stay fixed.

    Your pinned headings keep their wording and order. If the evidence cannot support one, it is omitted and named, not padded.

  • Local articles use local facts.

    Prices, rules, products and recommendations come from the reader's market, not another country.

  • Each article finds its own angle.

    An angle that repeats a recent headline is returned for a fresher one.

  • Evidence must carry the article.

    If the pages cannot support a worthwhile article, the desk says so and keeps your sources. It checks that decision against the Source Desk's findings.

One example

Two pages give different dates for the same fee change. The Researcher records both. The Commissioning Editor chooses April because that date comes from the body that sets the fee, and records the reason. The Writer receives a settled fact with a clear source.

On your article

The Planning Desk's work shows in sections that use only their assigned facts and avoid claims the evidence cannot support. A pinned heading without support is omitted and named, not filled with padding.

Live. It works on every researched article, which is the default.

Questions

What people ask about the Planning Desk.

What is the Planning Desk?
The Planning Desk is the third of the ten editorial desks at Mastheads, and it sits between research and writing. It records what the sources say, settles disagreements between them and produces the plan the Writers Desk follows.
What does the research record contain?
In the Mastheads research record, every fact is numbered and names its speaker and page. The Researcher records each source statement in the page's own language, with who said it, when and where it appeared.
How is an article outline built from source evidence?
At Mastheads, the Commissioning Editor works from the Researcher's notes alone. From those notes, it finds the angle and opening within your order and assigns facts to sections. The plan also states which claims each section may not make.
What is the difference between the Researcher and the Commissioning Editor?
At the Mastheads Planning Desk, the Researcher records the evidence without seeing the angle, so the notes reflect the pages. The Commissioning Editor then plans the article from those notes alone.
What happens when sources disagree?
When sources disagree, the Mastheads Researcher records both accounts and sends both forward. The Commissioning Editor resolves the disagreement in writing, chooses one account and records the reason before writing begins.
How does Smart length affect a blog post outline?
Smart length in Mastheads sets the article's length according to how much the evidence can support. If the evidence cannot support the requested length, the shortfall is recorded instead of filled with padding. A length you set yourself is respected.
What happens when a pinned heading lacks evidence?
The Mastheads Planning Desk omits a pinned heading the evidence cannot support, and names it. Pinned headings otherwise keep their wording and order, and nothing is padded in their place.
What does the Planning Desk hand to the Writers Desk?
The Mastheads Planning Desk hands the Writers Desk a research record and a writing plan. The plan sets the sections, the facts each section may use, the claims it may not make and which account was chosen when sources disagreed.
Does Mastheads check quotations and figures against their pages?
Yes. Each quotation and figure is checked against its cited page before the Mastheads Writer sees it, and only the page's words go forward.
What does Mastheads do when the sources cannot support an article?
If the available pages cannot support a worthwhile article, the Mastheads Planning Desk says so and keeps your sources. It checks that decision against the Source Desk's findings.
Does Mastheads use local facts for local articles?
Yes. For a local article, the Mastheads Planning Desk takes prices, rules, products and recommendations from the reader's market, not from another country.
How does Mastheads avoid repeating a recent headline?
The Mastheads Planning Desk returns an angle that repeats a recent headline and asks for a fresher one. Each article then finds its own angle.
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