FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I write for the Spokesman?

The Spokesman does not accept unsolicited articles, as content is carefully chosen by the Section Editors in collaboration with the Editors-in-Chief. However, you are more than welcome to submit Letters to the Editor, which will be published in the Opinions section, space permitting and with editorial review for content and style. (For our terms of submission, please see http://spokesman.pds.org/legal-privacy-policy/.)

If you’re interested in writing a regular article, please visit http://spokesman.pds.org/write/and use the form to let us know or apply to become a Staff Writer. Staff Writers can apply throughout the year and are chosen monthly. For more information on how to become a Staff Writer, please see below. We’ll be sure to contact you as soon as possible. Please note that although we love to have as many writers as possible, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to write in the soonest issue due to space restrictions.

For current writers, we have published a Writer’s Guide which explains the general process of writing for the Spokesman.

 

2. What qualifications do I have to have to join the Spokesman staff?

To become a member of the Spokesman, you must be a currently attending member of the Princeton Day School Upper School. The Spokesman is open to anyone who expresses interest in joining, but interested students must fill out an application. The Spokesman is comprised of the Editors-in-Chief, Section Editors, and Staff Writers. All current IXs through XIs are eligible for a spot on staff; no prior Spokesman experience is necessary. All editors from the 2011-2012 Editorial Board must reapply.A position as an editor of the Spokesman comes with much responsibility. The paper must be an editor’s primary extracurricular commitment, especially during production weeks, which require long hours of editing, rewriting, and laying out the paper. Editors must be strong writers, and should have written for the paper at least several times. Editors must be proactive in making deadlines, and exhibit strong leadership qualities among their peers. They must also have the ability to work closely with their co-editors, as each section requires the unwavering dedication and collaboration of its staffers to finish well and on time.

 

3. What is a Staff Writer?

The Staff Writer is an integral part of the Spokesman and the foundation of our very existence. We depend on our Staff Writers for strong, timely articles, and hold them to the same journalistic standards as any other member of our Editorial Board. Staffers must be dependable writers, proactive in meeting deadlines, and should exhibit impressive work ethic. They must also be ready to accept revision gracefully and show willingness to improve their work. Staff Writers should expect to be called upon at any time during the year to generate content for the paper, though not absolutely required.

Staff Writers are featured on the Spokesman Online as part of the Staff. Staff Writers are categorized upon a basis of contributions, and, upon the publication of ten articles, are automatically promoted to the position of Senior Staff Writer. Senior Staff Writers are granted increased privileges and are eligible both to run and to vote in yearly elections for Editor-in-Chief of the Spokesman.

 

4. When do you accept new staffers?

Positions for the 2012-2013 Editorial board begin in March 2012 and conclude in January 2013.