Michigan Daily Fall 2013 Opinion Blogger Application If you regularly find yourself having a unique take on issues that other people would find interesting and wish there was a place for you to voice your opinion, this is your chance to share your informed perspective with the Michigan Daily’s readership. Bloggers will be writing for The Podium, the Opinion Page’s blog. What are the duties of an Opinion blogger? Bloggers for The Podium are expected to turn in one post every two weeks. Each post should be around 350 words, but bloggers are encouraged to write longer pieces if they wish. Strong, well-written blog pieces may published in the print edition of the Daily. A master schedule will be made to determine what days your blog will run. Blogs are due at noon the day before they run. Bloggers may be asked to do a read-through with an editor. What makes a good blogger? It isn’t enough to have an opinion. Everyone has an opinion. What sets a good blogger apart is the following qualities: A unique argument: You’ve got better things to do than regurgitate New York Times’ opinion page. Instead, give the reader an argument they’ve never heard before. Tell them why this issue matters to you and why it should matter to them. As a student here at the University and as a general human being, you have a unique perspective. Share it. Utilize the wondrous power of the Internet: The Podium is an online project (duh), so make use of that. Include hyperlinks to relevant articles or research, as well as photos, embedded videos, etc. You’re not bound by the text-only rules of print journalism, so be creative! Sharing your blog: You’ve spent all this time working on your blog post. Now share it with the world! Keep the conversation going by sharing your pieces on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. One caveat: Remember that you are representing the Daily, so keep posts professional please. Strong writing: This includes the usual suspects – good grammar, smart word choice, and logical sentence structures. Beyond that, we’re looking for writers with clear, strong voices, who know how to use statistics or personal experiences to strengthen their argument. What sort of blogs are we looking for? Great question, blog applicant! This year, we want to The Podium to cover all sorts of issues that matter to students. We’re looking for applicants that are interested in writing about the following topics (Warning: blog titles tentative/terrible): Blogging Blue: Our liberal/progressive issues blog. We’re looking for someone to cover all things liberal politics. Is second-term Obama progressive enough? Did Glenn Beck get it wrong? Tell us about it, you bleeding heart! Seeing Red: The counterpoint to Blogging Blue. An ideal Seeing Red blogger is someone who’s passionate about conservative issues. If you dream of smaller governments, freer markets, and a world without Paul Krugman columns, apply to write for Seeing Red. Study A-Blog: Going abroad this semester? Wish someone told you about how terrible it is to apply for a visa? Write about it! We want someone to cover issues that come up when students study abroad — dealing with homesickness, living with a host parent, what college is like on the other side of the pond. Keep in mind, this isn’t exactly a travel blog. We’re looking for someone who can chronicle their experience as a Wolverine abroad, not just pictures from spring break in Paris. Weird Science/Technology: IP laws, privacy issues, animal testing here at the U — the weird world of science is full of issues to take a stand on. As one of the largest research institutions in the world, the University is a great source of science debate. Think we should be doing more stem cell research? Not enough emphasis on STEM education here in Ann Arbor? Cover it for our science blogs. Greek Life Blog: More than 18 percent of Michigan undergrads are involved in Greek life. About 0 percent of our blogs cover fraternity and sorority news. This blog isn’t an advertisement or a slam campaign for Greek Life — rather, we’re looking for bloggers who can take a stand on issues that affect this huge campus community. What’s it like balancing school and rushing? Have an opinion on the state of hazing? Let us know what’s going on in Greek life. Gender/Feminist Issues: Did Anne-Marie Slaughter get it wrong in “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All?” Is the campus’s Open Housing policy working? Let us know your views on gender, feminist, or LGBTQ issues. Did we miss your niche? Do you have another idea for the blog? Let us know! We’re open to your suggestions. How do I apply? A complete application MUST include all of the following: 1. A cover letter – Tell us about your background and experience, your interests, what subjects you would like to write about, etc. Tell us why we should hire you. Also, please include a paragraph that states your year, major, notable internship experience, etc. Essentially, your resume in paragraph form. Please keep this less than a page. 2. A sample blog post – This is the big one. Send us a brand new, never-before-published blog post that reflects the niche you’re interested in. This post should reflect the guidelines for blogs as listed above — so 350 words, with links or photos. --- If you know someone who may be interested in applying for a blogging position, please forward this message along. This application is due Monday, August 26 at 5pm. Please submit your finished applications to [email protected] and [email protected]. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at any time. We look forward to hearing from you! ● Melanie Kruvelis and Adrienne Roberts Co-Editorial Page Editors The Michigan Daily
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 10:15:07 +0000
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