Jobs @ UCSD Guardian

Who We Are


The Guardian is the University of California at San Diego’s award-winning independent student newspaper, published by UCSD students for the UCSD community. We publish Mondays and Thursdays during the regular academic year, with the exception of summer session, university holidays and final examinations. The Guardian is a student-run organization funded by advertising sales.


Current Openings


Currently Seeking:

Writers (news, opinion, features, lifestyles, arts & entertainment, sports)
Photographers
Advertising Assistant
Marketing Assistant
Layout designers (intern)
Illustrators (staff illustrators, cartoonists, etc)
We accept editorial applications throughout the year on a rolling basis and business positions only when advertised. For business positions not listed under current openings, we may retain your application for future openings. For all work-related inquiries, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To Apply


We accept applications on a rolling basis during the academic year, and positions may be filled at any time without notice. Please note that you must be eligible to work in the U.S., a registered student at UC San Diego, and pay UC registration fees for each quarter working at the Guardian. All positions are paid unless denoted otherwise.

For all positions with the exception of photographer, designer or illustrator, please download and fill out the relevant application below, then email the completed form to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please reference the position you are applying for, as well as your first and last name in the subject line (Ex. Marketing – John Doe, News Writer – Hailey Martin).

If you are applying to be a photographer, designer or illustrator, download the application and return a hard copy of the completed application, with portfolio, to the “Completed Applications” bin at the Guardian office on the second floor of the Old Student Center, above Hi Thai. Aside from these positions, we do not accept hard copies of applications.

WARNING: These applications are in form-fillable PDF format. Because features vary depending on the browser and program you are using, we recommend downloading the form before filling it out, as information filled in directly on your browser may not save.


Applications


Editorial Positions

The editorial side puts together the paper that brings you the news—editors, writers, photographers, print layout designers, illustrators/cartoonists and copy readers. All editorial positions are unpaid.

Writer (PDF): Conduct interviews and necessary research to draft articles at the discretion and guidance of their section editor. Writers may work for News, Opinion, Focus (features), Leisure (lifestyle), Hiatus (arts & entertainment), and/or Sports. New writers are restricted to contributing to one section only.

Photographer (PDF): Take photo assignments on a regular, as-needed basis. Access to a reliable form of transportation is preferred, but not required.

Illustrator/Cartoonist (PDF): Illustrate for the Guardian under the direction of the art editor and section editor. Includes visual representation of articles, editorial cartoons, and comic strips.

Copy Reader (PDF): Proofread articles for publication for grammar, spelling, and punctuation as dictated by the AP Style Guide and Guardian style. Availability on a production day (Sunday or Wednesday) is required. This position is unpaid.

Design Internship (PDF): Draft and lay out articles, headlines, photography, art, and infographics as required for the Guardian’s print edition under the direction of the design editor and section editor. Proficiency in Adobe InDesign is highly recommended. Availability on a production day (Sunday or Wednesday) is required. Must be able to work efficiently and effectively. The application for the design internship is due Tuesday, Oct. 4. (Info)

 

Business Positions

The business side handles advertising sales marketing and promotion, website development and distribution of the newspaper. These are paid positions.

Advertising Assistant (PDF): The advertising assistant will work under the direction of the Advertising Directors to build the Guardian brand and sell advertising to clients. The advertising assistant will be expected to meet deadlines, attend meetings as necessary, work in a team environment, contribute ideas, and deal with clients in a professional and cordial manner. Fundraising and event planning experience strongly preferred.

Marketing Assistant (PDF): The marketing assistant will work under the direction of the Marketing Directors to build the marketability of the Guardian through a variety of platforms including social networks and media applications.  The advertising assistant will be expected to meet deadlines, attend meetings as necessary, work in a team environment, contribute ideas, and deal with clients in a professional and cordial manner. Fundraising and event planning experience strongly preferred.

Webmaster (PDF): The webmaster will work with the Advertising Director and Editor to update and maintain the website.  Experience in HTML and CMS software is encouraged, but not required.

Driver/Distributor: Responsible for distributing the newspaper across campus using an electric cart, as well as updating and maintaining newsstand visibility. Additional related duties may be assigned. Availability for a continuous four-hour block of time on either Monday or Thursday mornings is required, preferably beginning at 8am. A valid driver’s license and ability to lift loads of reasonable weight is also required. For more info, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need previous journalistic experience?

No. It's a plus, of course, but it's not a requirement; plenty of our staff are first-time writers. As long as you have some form of writing experience and are willing to learn, we offer on-the-job training to fill in the gaps.

What design experience is required?

We use InDesign, so it is necessary to have a basic familiarity with that program. However, we do train our designers in Photoshop and the more advanced aspects of InDesign, so if you spent most of your time learning on another program we can accommodate you.

What art styles are you looking for?

We prefer those with a strong grasp of digital art and line art, though hand drawn is also acceptable. We are especially interested in editorial cartoonists.

Once I apply as a writer, what happens?

The editor will contact you and tell you whether or not you have been accepted, and invite you to a section meeting to discuss story grabs, the editing process, and any other questions you may have. At this point you are a "contributing writer," on probation. From there, you will write three stories (at your convenience – it's possible to get them done in a week, if you really want to) and once this has happened, you will become a full staff writer.

Can I write or apply for multiple sections at once?

Yes and yes. You can apply for as many sections as you wish, and each editor will respond to your application individually. However, in order to ease new writers into the process, we ask that you pick one section to start off in. Once you have become a full staff writer, you are free to branch out (for example, if you apply for News and Opinion and both sections accept your application, you have to temporarily pick one. After your first three articles, you may write for both).

What is the time commitment like?

You are required to write three articles, of any length, per quarter – beyond that it is up to you. We encourage our writers to get more involved.

For designers, you are asked to design one section per week. Artists typically do one illustration per week, depending on availability, and those who have comic strips or editorial cartoons have a more regular publishing schedule. Photographers are required to shoot at least three events per week.

Do I get paid?

As a writer, illustrator, designer or photographer: no. We do have paid positions available for those looking to join the editing side of things or for those who become "senior staff writers," but otherwise the Guardian is an opportunity to get published, make contacts in the industry, and receive journalistic training.

How often would I get published?

The Guardian comes out every Monday and Thursday, so there are plenty of opportunities to pick up an article or two. It does, however, depend on the section you write for – News runs twice a week with many smaller articles, compared to Focus (our "features" section) which runs every other week, generally with a few long, in-depth articles.

As a designer, do I get to choose what sections I design for?

Not necessarily. Your preferences are taken into account, obviously, but there are a lot of factors that mean we can't guarantee anyone their first choice all the time.

What do copy readers do?

The Guardian uses AP Style, which is a set of grammatical rules that are uniform throughout the paper. Copy readers review completed articles to make sure they meet this standard, as well as fact checking, verifying name spelling, and coming up with headlines.

What are the different content sections?

We have six different sections at the Guardian, each with its own distinctive style. You may write for more than one section at a time.
  1. News: Runs twice a week; covers current events on a campus, state, local or national level as applicable to UCSD students.
     
  2. Opinion: Runs twice a week; contains op-eds, personality columns and editorials about current events, whether or not they directly apply to students.
     
  3. Arts & Entertainment (Hiatus): Runs once a week; reviews movies, albums, plays and television shows, as well as containing artist or actor interviews and personality columns.
     
  4. Features (Focus): Runs every other week; has one or two in-depth stories (magazine style) that are either profile pieces or covering a non-breaking, ongoing issue.
     
  5. Lifestyles (Leisure): Runs every other week; focuses on non-breaking, magazine-style pieces relating to lifestyle topics like food, clubbing, drinks, or fashion.
     
  6. Sports: Runs twice a week; covers all sporting events at UCSD, and also has personality columns that discuss national teams and tournaments.