THE PITT NEWS COLUMNIST APPLICATION Dear prospective columnist,

Thank you for your interest to be a columnist for The Pitt News! I am Ankur Sakaria, the Opinions Editor for The Pitt News, and I am excited to receive your application to be a columnist for the Opinions section. But first, let me tell you a bit about being a columnist.

Writing for the Opinions section at The Pitt News is a great opportunity to contribute to the forum of ideas on campus. Columnists for the Opinions section are typically people who are committed to raising the quality of the section by addressing issues that will not only provoke thought, but perhaps also start a discussion in our community.

This job is demanding. As a columnist, you will be required to meet strict deadlines, with column quality as the top concern. You will be expected to turn in clean, well-edited copy and be available to meet with editors to discuss your work. When you commit to being a columnist, you commit to meeting your deadlines.

Columns vary in focus and style. We have had a number of writers make names for them in the past simply by being funny or satirical. Others have received attention for their strong political stances. Still others enjoyed writing about issues in daily life. Our goal is to organize a group of strong writers with differing views that will serve to incite discussion at Pitt.

We encourage ideas from all spectrums of thought, and encourage our columnists to entertain trains of thought that vary from campus occurrences to research and development across the nation. The Opinions section offers columnists and readers a place to engage in a diverse perspective of topics and issues.

Please see below for more information in regards to applying to be a columnist with us. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us by visiting us at our office or sending us an email. We are located at 434 William Pitt Union and our email address is [email protected].

Thanks so much for your time and interest. Hail to Pitt!

Regards,

Ankur Sakaria Opinions Editor – The Pitt News University of Pittsburgh

Ellie Petrosky Assistant Opinions Editor – The Pitt News University of Pittsburgh Expectations for columnists

Columnists write on a weekly or biweekly basis and offer opinions on student life, University affairs, local/state/federal politics or other specialized areas. As a columnist, you will have the following responsibilities and expectations:

1. Submit a complete column by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before the week of your column is set to print. A Wednesday column, for instance, must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the past Thursday. This will change for columns that discuss more timely topics. Note: Inform opinions editors of any difficulty in meeting deadline 2. Attend several mandatory meetings with the editors during the course of the semester. 3. Contribute to any special issues if needed.

A first failure to submit a column on time will result in a warning. A second failure will result in a meeting and new deadline before your scheduled publication date (submission on Tuesday for a Monday column). A third failure will result in termination. Provided a week's notice is given, weekly columnists have two break weeks during each semester; biweekly columnists have one break week. This policy can be amended depending on the circumstances.

Columnist application

To apply, attach:

1. Cover letter and résumé 2. Two sample columns 3. Responses to the following questions/prompts: a. Please describe three column ideas different from your submitted pieces. b. Describe at least one of the worst columns you have ever read (including in The Pitt News). Be specific about why they were weak. c. Write an opening paragraph to a fictional column about why Pitt should stop using Sodexo as its sole food service provider.

For your application, the two columns should include:

1. One column concerning a current event 2. The second column about a more general interest story that is not as time sensitive.

Requirements for columns are the following:

1. Contains between 4000 and 5000 characters (including spaces). 2. Includes links to any sources directly within the body of your column, preferably underneath the paragraph containing the relevant information. 3. Includes nothing libelous.

Guidelines for Columns

Style

When evaluating applications, in addition to judging writing quality and argument formulation, we will consider several style points specific to column writing:

1. The first paragraph should be short and engaging. 2. Short paragraphs are better than long paragraphs. 3. Column writing is more efficient than fiction writing. 4. Column writing is livelier than technical writing. 5. Column writing is simpler than academic writing. 6. If you don’t have an opinion, but just want to ruminate on a topic, you better write like Oscar Wilde.

Originality

Our final criterion is originality. We are looking for writers with clear, unique voices on campus. Make a concentrated effort to find a unique voice.

1. Think about a common belief/opinion to which you hold an opposing opinion. 2. Search the following general interest websites for inspiration: a. Try www.thebrowser.com, www.chronicle.com, or www.slate.com. 3. Try grasping some inspiration from a writer you admire or read frequently — while it sounds counterintuitive, piggybacking off great writers will force you to think more deeply about your writing. Obviously, any plagiarism will void your application.

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form

Upon completion of your application, please do not forget to complete the Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form and attach it to your application. It is essential that you complete the form with diligence and thoroughness. In essence, please disclose any and all possible commitments you have on campus.

These forms, once turned in, are confidential to anyone except the applicant and the Opinions Editor. It is again stressed that any commitment an applicant has on campus or off is disclosed in the attached form.

Thank you again for your interest with The Pitt News! Once the application is received, a decision will be made in the next few days. For any questions or concerns you may have, you may contact us at [email protected] or visit us at 434 William Pitt Union.

Hail to Pitt! Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form The Pitt News

The following information is vital to helping The Pitt News maintain the standards of ethical integrity important to the credibility of a newspaper. Omitting information from any question on this form could result in dismissal from the staff. Membership in campus or area organizations does not bar an individual from becoming a contributor.

1. List any University or community extracurricular, social or academic organizations that you take part in now, have taken part in previously, or that you plan to join. This includes volunteer groups, charities, fraternities, sororities, advocacy groups, political campaigns, student organizations and honor societies. Please indicate your position within these organizations. 2. List all jobs in the Pittsburgh area that you currently hold or have held within the past year, or that you have held at any point during your time as a student at Pitt. Please list your hours for any current job or internship you may have.

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By signing this form, you have agreed to disclose any and all commitments you may have at the University of Pittsburgh and the surrounding community. With your signature, you will have committed yourself to being both truthful and thorough, and will alert the Opinions Editor or Editorial Staff of The Pitt News if any concern or issue arises in the future.

Signature: ______Date: ______