Photo by Lauren Kelly
A long and intensive hiring ad for the ‘Other Press’
By Bex Peterson, Editor-in-Chief
Well, we’re at the close of another volume of the Other Press and gearing up for the general chaos of the staff turnover.
I was planning on making this Lettitor a classic farewell piece—maybe give it a snazzy and topical title like “So long and thanks for all the fish,” start with some lighthearted ribaldry before ending on a touching note about my time as Editor-in-Chief, but who does that serve, really, in the end? I’d get to feel all nostalgic and you might get some second-hand warm and fuzzies, but at the end of the day, we’re here for the news, so here’s some news: The Other Press is hiring, and we’re hiring for everything. Here’s about a million reasons why you should apply to work at the Other Press.
First of all, we’re an actual paying gig. We pay you to write for us. Even if you don’t get hired onto our staff, we still pay contributors for articles they send us. I remember trying to find paying work for writing during my first couple of years of university—it’s borderline impossible if you don’t have a portfolio. Working for a college newspaper is a great way to build that portfolio. The Other Press has everything; news, arts, features, opinions, funny stuff, reviews, creative writing, so on and so forth. If you like to write, we’ve got a section for it.
Outside of the actual “writing and getting paid” aspect, which is originally why I joined the paper if I’m honest, the Other Press offers a ton of amazing opportunities. As part of a student newspaper, you get the chance to attend conferences across the country and network with brilliant reporters and writers, not to mention fellow students. Over the past three years I’ve attended conferences in New Brunswick, Toronto, Calgary, and California, and I’ve met some incredible people who have become close friends during these trips. The paper pays your way, so if you’ve wanted to travel more but are a flat broke college student, getting hired on with the OP could be a chance to see more of the continent than you would otherwise.
The big reason why people stay with the Other Press, of course, is the social aspect. Memories are made and legacies forged within the blue walls of the Other Press offices. I started off knowing only one person in the newsroom—now, years later, these folks have become some of my closest friends. Hell, I even started playing D&D because the paper had a long-running campaign for a while, and it’s become one of my favourite pastimes. We have dinner together, play laser tag, host pizza nights, sing epic karaoke duets/trios/everyone just shouting the lyrics to “Mr. Brightside” with no regard for who’s on the mic, and generally try to have a good time while putting out a quality product each week.
Finally, why should you join the Other Press? Student journalism is one of the most important foundations of journalism in our country. We’re a mix of local news and campus news, focusing on stories that sometimes get left out of the larger media landscape. The Other Press has been kicking around since 1976—joining the team gives you a chance to shape what the next chapter in OP history will look like. We need good writers and passionate people more than ever in student journalism. This is a chance to make your voice heard in a major way.
So if you like writing, if you like money, if you like travelling, if you like making friends, if you like making a difference—even one of those things, or hopefully all of them, take a look at our hiring ads. We’ve probably got a space on one of our two ancient OP couches just for you.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Bex Peterson
