The Jefferson Independent is recruiting ambitious, career-minded students for paid newspaper staffing positions.
About you:
You’re a current UVA student who wants to get involved, be part of a community, and gain hands-on experience for your career.
Maybe you’re interested in politics and would agree that conservatives and liberals want the same things but disagree on how to get there. You want to positively impact the conversation through your writing while upholding the values of free speech and civil discourse.
Or maybe politics isn’t your thing, but you want to write for a living and value the opportunity to build a portfolio. We’re a newspaper and happy to publish quality writing on a variety of topics; bring your passion, and we’ll create a space for you.
What’s most important is that you’re motivated and flexible. We’re a small outfit, so a willingness to take on varied tasks and learn on the job will be important.
About the opportunity:
Our faculty advisor, Mary Kate Cary, authored over 100 addresses as President George H.W. Bush’s speechwriter. Working for TJI means she and other alumni will actively mentor student writers. She began her career at The University Journal, UVA’s alternative student newspaper in the 1980s, and had this to say about how her college experiences lead to The White House:
“By working as a writer and editor at the University Journal, I made lifelong friends and learned how to write quickly and accurately. I graduated with a portfolio of published clips to show employers. I was never once asked for my grade transcripts; instead, employers read my clips and judged for themselves whether I was a good writer or not. Newspaper writing also showed that I could meet a deadline. Speechwriter for the president was only my fourth job out of college, and writing for the UJ had a lot to do with landing that job.
My best career advice to UVA students is to join The Jefferson Independent.”
Available positions:
- Writers:
- TJI was founded as a conservative opinion newspaper, but we’re actively looking for writers of all viewpoints who believe in journalistic excellence. The more perspectives, the better the discourse.
- We’re also looking for staff writers from across the spectrum of traditional newspaper fare – news, opinion, sports, and covering the Charlottesville community.
- Humor, news, life; if you’re motivated and interested, we’d love to have you.
- Directors of photography
- Graphic designers
- Social media managers
- Website managers
Compensation:
One of the following:
- $1500 stipend for the semester with a weekly submission of one article ~1000 words long
- $70 pay-per-article ($50 writing & $20 editing) on an ad-hoc basis
Frequently asked questions:
Do I need to have experience?
- No. This is a college student newspaper, it’s where you get experience.
Do I need to have a specific major?
- Nope!
How much time should I expect to work as a TJI staffer?
- We’re flexible – you can commit to being paid per article, to a semester-long leadership role, or something in between. We’ll compensate you for your time no matter which you choose.
How to apply:
- Reach out to Landon Epperson, our editor-in-chief, and introduce yourself. He’ll follow up with questions and next steps.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 434-221-6277
Our First Meeting:
We will be hosting our first meeting of the semester Thursday, August 24th, at 6pm. Please contact Landon (email & phone listed above) if you are interested in attending. He will follow up with exact directions to our office on the Corner.
I am so excited to see this as an educator. I am also excited in that I have a granddaughter writing and backing up her viewpoints. So exciting.