So you want to be an Editor? How my time in Student Media Elevated my College Experience
By Features Editor Chloe Barrett
At this stage in my life, I would consider myself a bit of a veteran in the student media field. By this, I mean that I have worked in this area for three years while I pursued my studies at UCC, and truthfully, I have enjoyed every moment of it. Because of this, I thought it might be a good idea to write an article chronicling my time here, along with any tips that my journalistic brain can muster!
I started working for the University Express three years ago and took up my first position as Gaming Editor. Honestly, I loved it. Our beloved newspaper was still in print back then, in the olden days, if you will, so there have been changes in the universe of student media since. I love gaming, it has always been a major hobby of mine, alongside reading, so the articles were not incredibly difficult to write. It was reassuring, in a way, to have that entire industry to shift through, knowing that if I was getting a bit stuck on what to write I could simply look at games I had previously enjoyed or what was dominating the charts at the time. Towards the end, I did feel myself running out of steam, if you will, in terms of producing content, but thankfully I had some pre-written pieces to fall back on. I also think it is natural in that stage, both of article writing and in the college term, to feel like every bit of work is seemingly caving in on you, which is not exactly ideal, but we vibe, I suppose! Overall, if you are interested in an industry, whether it be literature or fashion, and have lots to say, definitely consider taking on a role.
To flip things around completely, when I was in my course’s final year, I found myself joining Motley Magazine. Due to the stress of finishing my undergrad and the pure uncertainty of what I wanted to write, I applied for the position of Deputy Entertainment Editor. I had a great experience and think that in the long term, changing over to a different publication that does things differently really helped me develop as a writer. In terms of the content I produced, I had greater flexibility in what I wrote, despite the monthly themes that the magazine employs. There was a lot more editing of other contributor’s work in the role as well, as the publication received a high amount of submissions, which I enjoyed editing. I most definitely learned a lot from my year working there, which I think benefited my journalism abilities in the long run.
Moving onto my current, and unfortunately last role in student media (I’m not dying, just graduating), the Features Editor. I made my return to the Express for a few reasons, but the main one was that I wanted to see if I could be paid for my writing after dedicating two years to it. It happened to work, so make sure you know your worth, I guess! I also love the consistent deadlines that the Express employs, as they really help keep me on track, and it also makes it easier, at least for me, to carve out spaces of time to work solely on the content. Now, I must say, and not to be biased, but the position of Features Editor has been my favourite. The variety of topics which I can write about is infinite, which is incredibly beneficial if you run out of ideas. Conducting interviews has been a new venture for me in the industry, and without being in this position I do not think I would have the opportunity to contact people as easily as I have done.
The variety of topics which I can write about is infinite, which is incredibly beneficial if you run out of ideas. Conducting interviews has been a new venture for me in the industry, and without being in this position I do not think I would have the opportunity to contact people as easily as I have done.
I will admit, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, as my mind swirls around the unlimited articles that I could produce, and then I am still left staring at an empty Word document, especially towards the end of semester two. To combat this, I have written down the most random article ideas that my brain spits out. Sometimes I go back and use them, other times they are discarded into the ether. It comforts me that I have something to fall back on, though. The word count is more than my two previous positions as it doubles and includes an editorial for every other issue, but once again, planning helps in the grand scheme of journalism-related things. I would suggest taking on a smaller editor role, such as Byline, before attempting a more demanding position, like News or Features. That way, you can work your way up and develop your ideal writing style without being too overwhelmed. At the end of the day, you have to prioritize yourself and your course before anything else.
If I could only choose one piece of advice to give to a future editor, no matter the position, I would have to say to plan out your articles in advance and write them if you can. Depending on the Editor in Chief, usually you find out if you have gotten the position you applied for during the summer before the college semester starts. This is the prime time to begin drafting some pieces for further down the line. Once the semester itself starts, the weeks fly and with the workload of your course, it will become continually more difficult to think of pieces to write. Your brain will thank you so much if it has one less thing to worry about. It also looks great during your interview if you happen to have a few article ideas swimming around your head beforehand, dedication and all that jazz.
I think that being a member of any student media publication is a brilliant way of both entering the industry and seeing if it works for you in a relatively stress-free environment. While the quantity of work that is asked of you is a lot less in comparison to working in the industry itself, you will quickly learn to research the area that your position revolves around to a specialized level. The word count may seem small at first, but if you are not passionate about the topic at hand, it will be like pulling teeth trying to figure out something to write about. Even if you do not want to have a position for the year but still have a desire to get experience, feel free to write an article and submit it! You can still use the publication and your piece as portfolio work further down the line. There are literally no downsides!
If you have any other uncertainties or queries, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any other members of the Express. I promise none of us bite, and we are always so excited to hear from readers and potential future editors. If you are nervous about applying, just put some trust in yourself and throw your hat in the ring. What’s the worst that could happen?
