Configuring Assignment Desk

You can configure the content types available in Assignment Desk as well as the default assignment types.

If your version of Brightspot is missing this feature, contact your Brightspot representative.

To configure content and assignment types:

1. Click menu > Admin > Sites & Settings
2. In the Sites widget, select the site for which you want to configure Assignment Desk, or select Global to configure Assignment Desk for all sites.

3. Under Main, expand Assignment Desk.

   

4. From the Content Types list, select the content types for use with Assignment Desk. Team members can create content only from the content types you select.
5. From the Default Assignment Type list, select the default assignment type. When you create a new assignment, Brightspot uses this value as the initial assignment type. You can select a different assignment type when you actually create an assignment.
6. Click Save.

After saving the configuration, Brightspot:

• Adds an Assignment Desk tab to the content edit pages for the content types selected in step 4. Editors use this tab to associate items with pitches and assignments.
• Adds the content types selected in step 4 to the Content tab in the Assignment content edit page. Editors can use this tab to create content for an assignment.

Pitches often require roles and personnel that are not part of your routine publishing effort. For example, if you operate a general news site, and you want to publish a specialized series about electron microscopes, you may need to hire freelancers for some of the content generation. You can group the freelancers, and your staff reporters, into roles limited to Assignment Desk pitches.

Referring to the previous illustration—

• Gus is a staff reporter with a Reporter role in Brightspot.
• Amy and Edwin are freelancers hired to work on the series about electron microscopes.
• Gus, Amy, and Edwin are assigned to the team roles Science writer, High-speed photographer, and Scientist for the purposes of this pitch.

To create a team member role:

1. In the header, click add.
2. From the Create list, select Team Member Role. A content edit page appears.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the role.
4. Click Save.

Referring to the illustration in Team roles and members, Amy Bolton and Edwin Abacus are freelancers, so they do not have logins into Brightspot. You can add them as team members so that they receive notifications Brightspot sends regarding their assignments.

To create external team members:

1. In the header, click add.
2. From the Create list, select External Team Member. A content edit page appears.
3. In the Name field, enter the member’s name.
4. From the Role list, select one of the team member roles you defined as described in Creating team member roles.
5. From the Contact Information list, select Set, and enter the member’s email address, phone number, and Slack name.
6. Click Save.

This section applies to editors who have a login into Brightspot.

To associate a team role to a Brightspot editor:

1. Click menu > Admin > Users & Roles
2. In the Users widget, select the user with which you want to associate a team role. A content edit form appears.
3. Toward the right of the widget, select more_horiz > Assignment Desk.
4. From the Team Member Role list, select the team role.
5. Click Save.