Locking and Unlocking a Story
The iNEWS newsroom computer system has multiple types of locks, such as edit locks, segmented edit locks, easy locks and key locks. Locking a story makes it impossible for another unauthorized person to change a story while you are working in it. If a story is edit locked by another user, you can still navigate to that story and view it, but a warning message appears if you attempt to edit the story. The warning message states: Unable to obtain edit lock. Story is currently locked by another user.
Segmented edit locking allows for one user to change Story Form data while another user has a lock on the story’s text and cue list. This is beneficial for producers who might need to make modifications in the Story Form section of the Script Editor while a reporter is still working on the body of the story itself.
Easy locks and key locks can only be applied to a story from an iNEWS workstation, but the security measures are honored within MediaCentral UX. With easy lock, an iNEWS user locks the story to his or her user name, so that only that user or an iNEWS system administrator can access it. If any other user attempts to open an easy-locked story from MediaCentral UX, they will be denied viewing or editing access to the story. Likewise, an iNEWS user key locks a story by applying a password so that only those who know the password can view or edit the story. If a MediaCentral UX user attempts to open a key-locked story, the system will prompt that user for the password.
System administrators cannot supersede the edit lock of another user from MediaCentral UX. However, neither the easy locking feature nor the key locking feature apply to iNEWS system administrators. They can access any easy- or key-locked story in the iNEWS database at any time.
To lock a story, do one of the following:
Begin typing in the body of the story. An edit lock is automatically applied to the story body.
Click the Lock/Unlock button in the toolbar. An edit lock is manually applied to the story body.
When you have a story locked, the Lock/Unlock button is colored orange.
To lock the Story Form, do the following:
Begin typing in any field in the Story Form of a story. The segmented edit lock is automatically applied.
To unlock a story, do one of the following:
Navigate to another story in the queue. The story you edited is automatically saved and unlocked.
Click the Lock/Unlock button.
If you click the Unlock button, a confirmation dialog box appears stating the following:
Story has been modified. Do you want to save it before unlocking?
Choose Yes to save it and then unlock the story, No to unlock the story without saving modifications, or Cancel to return to the story with the edit lock still in place.
Navigating between the Story Form section of the Script Editor to the Story or Cue List sections releases any segmented edit lock you have on the Story Form. The reverse does the same for any edit lock you might have on the story body. All changes you made while having either lock are saved by the system before the locks are released.