Join the staff
Join The Cluster’s award-winning staff! All applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students at Mercer University on the Macon campus. Students of any class or major are encouraged to apply.
Most current staff members started as contributors. To get involved with The Cluster, attend a story meeting or contact a section editor. Story meetings currently take place Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Center for Collaborative Journalism (unless class is not in session at Mercer or otherwise noted).
Students who are interested in receiving updates about meetings and opportunities can join our Remind group for text notifications.
Current Opportunities
Staff Writers and Photographers: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Staff Writer
Responsibilities:
- Produce 1-3 stories every 2 weeks.
- Attend story meetings (Mondays @ 5 p.m. in the CCJ, if you have a class conflict, accommodations can be made)
- Work with editors to improve on reporting and writing skills.
- Engage with the Mercer and Macon communities to produce relevant and engaging content.
- A willingness to try new things, sometimes fail, learn, and have fun!
Compensation:
- Tentatively $200/semester
Staff Photographer
Responsibilities:
- Produce photo media for stories.
- Write captions by interacting with photo subjects and abiding by journalistic ethics.
- Attend story meetings (Mondays @ 5 p.m. in the CCJ, if you have a class conflict, accommodations can be made)
- Go to events on/off-campus on assignment.
- Engage with the Mercer and Macon communities to produce relevant and engaging content.
- A willingness to try new things, sometimes fail, learn, and have fun!
Compensation
- Tentatively $200/semester
Multimedia Editor: Applications will close when the position is filled.
The Multimedia Editor will:
- oversee and assist staff in creating multimedia works including podcasts, videos, and photo galleries
- ensure
that contributors responsible for taking photos complete their
assignments on time and submit them (with captions) by the deadline - take photos as needed
- help contributors check out equipment
- communicate with multimedia staff to assign a photo or take one themselves when covering Breaking News
- be comfortable working with reporters of all experience levels
- attend story meetings, editor meetings, layout meetings, and other staff gatherings (story meetings: Mondays @ 5, editor meetings: Thursdays @ 6)
Recommended Qualifications:
- experience taking and/or editing photos for publication
- leadership skills
- ability to meet hard deadlines
- ability to give and receive feedback
- familiarity with DSLR cameras and basic audio gear
- experience with the Adobe Creative Suite
Compensation
- Tentatively $40/week
