Things Everyone Needs To Know
Our goal is to produce a weekly newspaper that gives informative, interesting and accurate accounts of events and issues relevant to Trent students.
Arthur has an anti-oppressive mandate. This means we seek to participate in redressing historic injustices and oppressions in all aspects of what we do. We seek voices from a diversity of communities and perspectives and provide space for them in our pages.
As regards hiring, this means we welcome and encourage applications from all people. Your past experience should not be a factor in your choice to apply. If you can do the job and are willing to do the job, and most importantly, if you are passionate about doing the job, you should apply for the job.
If you’re applying for a writing or photography position you should really volunteer with us before the application deadline. We almost certainly won’t get in touch with you if you don’t.
We don’t view working at Arthur as “just some job.” It’s an opportunity for people passionate about journalism, people who believe in the power of the written word, people who have things to say, and people who take pride in what they do. Volunteering with us is a great way to demonstrate that you fit that description. (Of course, we acknowledge that it’s not always possible for everyone who fits that description to volunteer, and therefore it is not the only criterion we use.)
We have story meetings on Wednesday August 27, Thursday September 4, Wednesday September 10, all at 4pm. Attending one of these meetings is important for potential contributors since it’s where we assign stories and get everything figured out for the next issue.
Most of Arthur’s jobs are subsidized by either the Trent International Program or Trent Work Study Program. This means we hire at least one reporter who is an international student, and most of our staff must be in receipt of OSAP or their province’s student loan equivalent. TWSP students must also not be working another TWSP job that isn’t with Arthur, or else it messes up our funding. You are still welcome to apply for any position if you are not receiving OSAP or if you’re working elsewhere. We do have non-funded positions, but there are less of them.
If you are a TWSP student you have to go to financial aid and get a card that indicates this to us before we can actually hire you. This is a simple process: just go and say “I’m applying for a TWSP job and I need an eligibility card.” They’ll reply “ok, here” and give it to you. Then you just have to give it to us when we hire you.
All applications must be sent to editors@trentarthur.ca and include everything we ask for in the job descriptions below.
You can email us for more information anytime. You can also phone the office and hope we’re in it at 705-745-3535. We have an answering machine if we aren’t.
You probably have a specific job in mind, so here are some quick links:
Reporter (includes Weekly and Bi-weekly, and explanation of Bureau Model)
You will edit stories submitted by Reporters and Volunteers, and communicate with the writers about their articles and general writing. You will edit stories for grammar, clarity, flow, and overall effectiveness of the article. You will make note of articles that require massive editing or restructuring. You will come into the office at a regular time each week to conduct your work.
You will work with the staff to ensure that all stories are accurate and that authors’ meanings are clearly conveyed. You will do basic fact checking to ensure quality and reliability of material. You will maintain clear lines of communication with Editors and Staff. You will work on maintaining the style guide in conjunction with the Editors and Proofreader.
To apply, email us your cover letter and resume. Deadline for applications is September 2.
This job pays $11.40/hour, 7.5 hours/week for 24 weeks.
You will correct all spelling mistakes, typos and errors in the newspaper text after the newspaper has been laid out. This includes the paratext of the newspaper (headings, publication dates, table of contents, etc). You will come into the office at a regular time each week to conduct your work. You will maintain clear lines of communication with Editors and Staff. You will work on maintaining the style guide in conjunction with the Editors and Copy Editor.
To apply, email us your cover letter and resume. Deadline for applications is September 2.
This job pays $11.40/hour, 5 hours/week for 24 weeks.
You will be responsible for contributing to the newspaper every week. The type of news you will be covering will be discussed during the interview process, according to your preferences and strengths (see bureau model below). Your articles must be original work, and they must be handed in on time. Some reporting tools will be provided as required.
Attendance at story meetings is a requirement. These meetings are where we review the previous issue, discuss what articles are going in the next issue, and decide which contributors will cover them.
Arthur is primarily a volunteer-based organization. As a paid writer you will also be a mentor to volunteers. You will be responsible for liaising with volunteers (especially at story meetings) by suggesting or providing contacts and resources, and facilitating a welcoming atmosphere. We encourage collaboration between staff and volunteers in the writing process.
Covering a story includes:
- conducting interviews
- conducting research
- persistent attempts at retrieving information
- attendance at meetings and events
- developing a list of contacts
To apply, email us a cover letter, resume, and writing sample. Deadline for applications is September 12.
As stated above, typically applicants selected for interview have submitted to the newspaper as a volunteer prior to this date.
This job pays $11.40/hour, 7.5 hours/week for 22 weeks.
Bi-weekly Reporter (2 positions)
Same as Weekly Reporter except you write every other week. You also only get paid for 11 weeks for reasons that should be obvious.
Bureau Model
For Volume 49 Arthur staff writers will have formalized roles regarding what coverage they are expected to produce. This will also help volunteers know which writers to contact for guidance and mentorship. Writers will fall into either a News Bureau or a Culture Bureau. The News Bureau will focus on news–especially Campus and Local news, but also National and International where relevant. The Culture Bureau will focus on local and campus Arts, Life, Academics, and Sports. Of course, boundaries between these topics can be quite vague, and will include some overlap and collaboration between bureaus.
If you’re hired, you’ll be assigned a bureau based on your strengths and interests. Bureaus will likely be split evenly with 3 weekly and 1 bi-weekly reporter each, so keep in mind that what you’re willing to contribute may impact our hiring decisions.
Photographers at Arthur are equal parts photojournalist and creative voice. You will be required to contribute photographs weekly to be printed in the paper, as well as posted online. You will photograph events, meetings, individuals and other happenings in accordance with the articles that are to appear in the paper. On occasion you may do a larger project, such as creating a cover image or a photo essay, which involves extensive planning with other Photographers and the Editors. Rather than pairing with an article, these projects tend to be in conversation more broadly with the contents of the week’s issue, or be independent stories in their own right. If it’s within your skill set you may also produce short documentary-style videos for our website. This is an option, not a requirement.
During weeks where fewer than average photos are required you may be tasked with creating stock or multi-use photos (such as pictures of buildings on campus or downtown), or you may be asked to assist with the layout and design aspects of the paper. This will depend on what you’re interested in and what we need.
Regular attendance at story meetings is mandatory. These meetings are where we review the previous issue and discuss the content for the next issue. This is the best place to get a sense of what we need for photos. You will be working closely with Reporters as well as the Editors.
This is one position where experience is necessary, whether it’s as a hobby, from school, or as a job. You must also own your own DSLR camera. It would be an asset if you were familiar with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and/or Illustrator. We still use CS5.
If you are interested, please email us a cover letter, resume, and portfolio. Your portfolio must consist of at least 5-10 photos, taken from at least 3 different sets (i.e. send us examples from an array of your projects). Portfolios can take up a lot of data, so please consider hosting it online on something like Flickr, Google Drive, Skydrive, etc and sending us a link rather than attaching all of your photos. Deadline for applications is September 12.
Typically applicants selected for interview have submitted to the newspaper as a volunteer prior to this date.
This job pays $11.40/hour, 7.5 hours/week for 22 weeks.