Staff Illustrator Job at The Official Student Newspaper of the University of Win

THE UNITER IS HIRING A FEATURES REPORTER

The Uniter is seeking an individual who is passionate about interviewing and showcasing interesting individuals in Winnipeg to fill the position of features reporter. This person should be comfortable speaking to people from a wide range of backgrounds and building trust within communities both on and off campus.

The successful candidate will possess strong writing and interviewing skills, and have their finger on the pulse of the many thriving scenes in Winnipeg.

Duties:

• Work closely with the features editor
• Pitch and write a recurring feature (Whose House, Origin Stories, Critipeg) once per week
• Pitch and write the PROFile feature once per week
• Work with the visual team to arrange for corresponding visual content (specifically collaborating with photographers for Whose House)
• Attend weekly pitch meetings, monthly section meetings and professional development workshops
• Pitch and write a cover feature once per semester

Relationship to colleagues:

• Reports to features editor
• Collaborates with managing editor, copy and style editor and photo team

Applicants should have a flexible schedule and be available for pitch meetings during the academic year (late August to early December, early January to early April).

This position pays $170/week. The features reporter will begin their term as soon as possible, following an orientation. Please send a resume, cover letter and two short writing samples to editor@uniter.ca with "Features reporter application" as the subject line.

THE UNITER IS HIRING A CITY REPORTER

The Uniter is seeking an individual who is passionate about our city, our communities and the many people who are working to make Winnipeg a better place to live.

The successful candidate will possess strong writing and interviewing skills as well as demonstrating a critical eye for news content.

Duties:

• Work closely with the city editor
• Pitch and write two 500 word news stories per week
• Work with the visual team to arrange for corresponding visual content
• Attend weekly pitch meetings, monthly section meetings and professional development workshops
• Review and follow all relevant policies and guides including Canadian Press style, the Canadian Association of Journalists ethics guidelines, the Uniter style guide and Uniter editorial policies.

Relationship to colleagues:

• Reports to the city editor
• Collaborates with managing editor, copy and style editor, illustrator and photo team

Applicants should have a flexible schedule and be available for pitch meetings (Thursdays at 1 p.m.) during the regular academic year (late August to December/January to early April).

This position is expected to take approximately 10 hours a week and pays $170/week. The city reporter will begin their term in late August. Please submit a resume, cover letter and two writing samples (maximum length for each: one page, single-spaced) to editor@uniter.ca, with “City reporter application” in the subject line.

THE UNITER IS HIRING A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

The Uniter is seeking an outgoing and organized individual to intake, mentor and train volunteer contributors. This individual will also be responsible for organizing and coordinating classroom presentations and leading writing workshops and seminars.

Successful candidates should have a working knowledge of The Uniter and at least one year of writing experience and an understanding of CP style. They should be available for an hour on Wednesdays as well as select evenings throughout each month during the regular academic year (late-August to early December/January to early-April). They should also be available to attend weekly editorial meetings.

Skill Requirements:

• Must demonstrate a proficiency in CP style
• Must have at least one year’s study in rhetoric or equivalent experience
• Experience editing is an asset
• Experience in mentorship, recruitment and outreach is an asset
• Training and experience in EAL is an asset
• Experience preparing and leading public presentations an asset
• Experience working with and presenting to a board an asset

Duties:

• Promoting and leading weekly volunteer orientations
• Following up and communicating with existing volunteers
• Liaising with section editors and ensuring all sections have adequate representation from contributors
• Continually developing a volunteer contributor mandate, including the completion of a work plan at the beginning of the specified term and a final report at the end of the specified term
• Working in conjunction with the Business Manager and Managing Editor to ensure all contributors have signed all necessary documents
• Preparing and coordinating classroom presentations with editorial team
• Must attend editorial board and staff meetings
• Review and follow all relevant policies and guides including Canadian Press style, the Canadian Association of Journalists ethics guidelines, the Uniter style guide and Uniter editorial policies

Relationship to colleagues:

• Reports to the managing editor
• Collaborates with the arts & culture editor, city editor, and campus editor

Please submit a resume, cover letter and two writing samples (maximum length for each: one page, single-spaced) to editor@uniter.ca with “Volunteer coordinator” in the subject line.

THE UNITER IS SEEKING A COLUMNIST

The Uniter is seeking proposals for a regular column contributor for the 2024-25 publishing year.

The selected columnists will create content on a rotating basis throughout the publishing year. Each columnist will be responsible for submitting five to six columns at 500 words each according to the schedule established by the managing editor. The columnists will be compensated by honorarium at a rate of $50 per column submitted.

In alignment with The Uniter’s goals to tell the stories that aren’t being told in other news outlets, we encourage and will prioritize column proposals from members of marginalized groups, such as Indigenous writers, Black writers, Writers of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ writers, disabled writers, newcomer writers, and others whose stories are not well represented in local and international media.

We also encourage University of Winnipeg students and alumni to submit column proposals. However, while reviewing proposals we will be considering chosen topics and storytelling skill more than levels of educational attainment. High school or university education is not a prerequisite for columnists. Columnists would be able to complete the work remotely, however, they should be primarily based in or around Winnipeg.

Columnists will be responsible for:

• Meeting with the comments and managing editor as needed to formulate and maintain the direction of the column
• Submitting five to six 500-word columns according to the deadlines set by the managing editor
• Making themselves available for editing and revisions within a preset editing window
• Responding to emails in a timely fashion

Skills that would be useful for columnists include:

• Storytelling that includes both personal experience and knowledge from other sources
• Some familiarity with opinion writing and journalistic standards
• The ability to link a personal story to a larger cultural story and/or the ability to focus on the local impact of a more broad social/cultural phenomenon or pattern
• Openness to receiving feedback and direction on their work
• Personal experience and/or formal training in the area of discussion proposed by the columnist

As part of the column proposal, please submit the following:

• A one-page resume, CV, or list of experiences you feel are relevant to the column topic and to writing for The Uniter
• Two writing samples (maximum of two pages, double-spaced, each) that reflect the theme of the proposed column or a similar writing style
• A 500-word explanation of your idea for the column, including:
• A general concept or outline of the topic area you’d like to write about for this column
• How your experience or expertise will contribute to the conversation on this topic
• Why your column is timely, local and relevant to Uniter readers
• Three examples of possible topics that your column pieces could focus on

Proposal packages should be sent to editor@uniter.ca with "columnist application" in the subject line. Please note that we will not be holding interviews for columnists - selection will be based entirely on proposal packages.

THE UNITER IS SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS TO JOIN OUR BOARD

We are seeking new members to join the Mouseland Press inc. Board that has the responsibility to oversee the affairs of The Uniter. Anyone who is familiar with The Uniter is welcome to express interest by sending a resume and cover letter to businessmgr@uniter.ca. We especially welcome applications from Indigenous peoples, women, racialized persons, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, and persons living with a disability(s).

*Mouseland Press strives to be an equitable employer and will prioritize qualified applicants who belong to marginalized groups. Qualified applicants who study at or are alumni of The University of Winnipeg will also be given priority*