In newsrooms around the world, decisions are often made during editorial meetings. People pitch ideas, discuss developing stories, and plan their coverage. How do these meetings work and why are they helpful?

For our regular segment on news literacy, Latino USA producer Daisy Rosario takes you inside the weekly editorial meeting of The Mash, a teen publication put out by the Chicago Tribune.

Joe Hendrix is a junior at Daniel Hale Williams Prep School of Medicine, located on the South Side of Chicago. He joined The Mash earlier this year and has shown a strong interest in writing movie reviews—especially when he gets to share his thoughts on Marvel films. Joe’s most recent Mash article explained why teens feel the need to compare themselves to others and how social media affects self-esteem.

Elani Kaufman is a junior at Lincoln Park High School. Although this is her first year with The Mash, Elani has already worked on a wide range of articles, including a story about Thanksgivukkah, commentary for our regular fashion police column and a fun piece about cleansing your musical palate.

Phillip Thompson is the editorial director of The Mash. For five years, Phil has enjoyed working with teens (even though he’s slightly of afraid of them). A 16-year vet of the Chicago Tribune, he’s also a contributor to RedEye’s Five on Five sports comedy panel (a sense of humor comes in handy, especially if you’ve had a fantasy football year like he’s had.)

Morgan Olsen is The Mash’s managing editor. She moved to Chicago earlier this year from Los Angeles, where she worked for two teen entertainment magazines. When she’s not editing stories or roaming the Tribune Tower, Morgan is exploring Chicago and drinking way too much coffee.