Getting involved in Durham student journalism
Tuesday 01-12-2020 - 10:10
By Bartek Maj
As a part of Give it a Go Week, we organised a media panel of the leading editors in student journalism in Durham to give you an insight into the community and ways to get involved.
In my opinion, student journalism is one of the best extra-curricular activities you can get into at university. Durham has so many different interest groups and communities, whether it be drama, politics, writing, science, or art. Student journalism is a phenomenal way to engage with whatever community suits you, through writing articles or connecting with other likeminded contributors and editors.
Student journalism is an extremely accessible field with almost all publications requiring no previous experience. In most cases all you have to do is message the publication Facebook group and they’ll lead you to the editor who covers your interest area. The editor will then let you know how to get involved through content calls or pitching your own article. The skills you can learn range from enhancing your writing ability to possibly even editing a physical print copy of Palatinate, equipping you with abilities which could lead to further career opportunities, or just a fulfilling hobby outside of your degree.
The panellists at our event covered the wide variety of journalistic communities you can get involved with in Durham. Palatinate and The Bubble are both large publications which cover a wide variety of topics from politics, to art, to film. DST First Night and From the Lighthouse offer a home for avid fans of plays, writing, and reading. First Night is Durham Student Theatre's publication, which mainly focuses on reviews of student productions, while From the Lighthouse is the English literature society publication which features fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry sections, giving students who study all subjects a chance to get their writing published and read. The Tab, a larger publication, is featured at around 30 British universities, meaning the Durham branch offers national connections and the opportunity to be a part of a far larger community of writers and editors. The Definite Article offers an internationalist approach with sections covering linguistics, cuisine, current affairs, and other more global topics.
Journalism offers the opportunity to write about a wide range of interests whilst developing key skills and meeting new like-minded people. I recommend watching the panel itself as it offers far more quality insights and information than I could possibly summarise in this short piece. I think the biggest take away should be that editors want you to reach out, and student journalism is a very accessible field. A fresh idea for an article is a very exciting message to receive as an editor. So, if any of this seems even remotely interesting to you have a look at the panel or just look up the Facebook group of the publication you like the look of and send them a message.
https://www.durhamstudenttheatre.org/first-night/
https://www.palatinate.org.uk/
http://www.thedefinitearticle.org/
Watch the full panel
