Applications
The UCSD 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 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. Inquire about openings with the appropriate editor or send any general questions you may have to [email protected].
The Guardian accepts applications at the beginning of each quarter from Week 0 to 2, with interviews scheduled during Week 3. The cycle for fall quarter applications closed on Friday, October 11, at 11:59pm.
Please note that you must be eligible to work in the U.S., a registered student at UC San Diego (undergrad or graduate), and pay UC registration fees for each quarter working at The UCSD Guardian. All entry-level positions are unpaid. Editors are paid a weekly stipend and advertising representatives are paid on a commission model. Distributors are paid hourly.
Writing Teams
Apply for up to three sections of the writing team here!
Arts and Entertainment: The Arts & Entertainment section celebrates the many ways that media (from movies to books to concerts) can bring people together. The section provides an ideal community or anyone with a passion for consuming and discussing all forms of media from any time period. A&E writers have the opportunity to gain access to early screenings of films and plays and interview directors, screenwriters, actors, and musicians.
Features: The Features section writes long-form articles on issues and individuals relevant to UCSD students. Features writers delve into the details of whichever topic they choose, conducting interviews and research to create a piece that reflects the voices of UCSD. This section allows writers the chance to develop their skills from any level of experience or writing skillset. A lot of work goes into producing a feature, but the product is something all writers are proud of.
Lifestyle:The Lifestyle section is perfect for those looking to be creative and experiment with their work. Writers focus on the student experience with the freedom to explore and build a relationship with the San Diego area. Lifestyle-writing is for the creatives looking to express themselves and connect to a community.
News: The news section reports on the most important and pressing issues on campus, in San Diego and across California. Writers will connect with esteemed professors, student community leaders and activists, famous alumni, Nobel Prize recipients, notable political figures, and even Emmy award-winning filmmakers. Our team strives to dig deep into the important community issues within our present reality and help record the stories that will become a part of UC San Diego’s history. Writers will receive training in journalistic writing, work with a diverse and skilled team, and develop a professional portfolio. Prior news writing experience is encouraged, but not required.
Opinion: Opinion writers formulate and express opinions on everything from global politics to student life issues. With the opportunity to write their own personalized column, writers will gain experience forming coherent and concise arguments based on research, interviews, personal insight, and more.
Sports: Writers for the Sports section can follow sports they are passionate about, while getting free tickets, courtside access, and post-game interviews at UCSD matches. The Sports section reports on local sports, offers commentary in columns, and covers events in athletics worldwide.
Creative Teams
Apply for the creative team here!
Art: The art team works as a group to create the best visual product for the physical edition of the newspaper. Artists collaborate with other sections to produce unique pieces of art to accompany that week’s content. Artists have the freedom to practice a variety of styles while building a portfolio to show to future jobs.
Data Visualization: Data visualization is a flexible section that collaborates with other sections to produce informative and interactive graphics. Staffers for this section will aggregate and interpret large data sets to support other sections and to do their own investigative reporting. Experience will data science or coding is encourage but not required.
Design: Hires for this section will work with a team of experienced designers to develop the physical layout of the paper. Designers gain valuable experience in both newspaper and magazine design while building a portfolio for future jobs.
Multimedia: The multimedia team produces a broad array of content from live reporting to podcasts and anything in between. Videographers, photographers, audio engineers, and sound editors work with staffers from other sections to diversify the content that the publication produces. This section is an ideal way to improve production skills across formatting while building a portfolio for future jobs.
Photography: The photography section covers a diverse range of content to provide photos for every section of the publication. Photographers can collaborate with other sections to produce content that will accompany articles, or they can create their own projects using photos to highlight people and issues in the UCSD community.
Backend Teams
Apply for the backend team here!
Copy: Copy readers review content from all editorial sections of the publication. Readers will get a holistic feel for the content that all other sections create while receiving training in editing, formatting, and writing. This section requires only a small time commitment so it is the perfect place to start for those who are not sure which section to join.
[FILLED] 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 Monday mornings is required, preferably beginning at 8 a.m. A valid driver’s license and ability to lift loads of reasonable weight is also required.
Marketing: The marketing team manages the social media and the event planning for The UCSD Guardian. A position on this team is ideal for someone looking to gain media experience while working to build The Guardian’s online presence. The ideal candidate will have a background in event planning, as well as leadership and communication skills.
Web: The web team will work to update and maintain the website, including publishing articles and making improvements to the interface. Experience in HTML and content management software is encouraged, but not required.
Advertising Team
Interested in joining the Advertising Team? Email [email protected] with your name, grad year and a brief introduction.
The Advertising team is our liaison to the local community. Advertising representatives will work under the direction of the Advertising Director to build The UCSD Guardian brand and sell advertising to clients. The ad rep 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 but not required.
