The Independent Florida Alligator is looking for its next team of reporters, editors, photographers and more for the Summer semester.
The Alligator is an entirely student-run and editorially independent newspaper covering the University of Florida and greater Gainesville community. The staff is made up of reporters, editors, photographers and designers from UF and Santa Fe College with varying levels of journalism and college experience. Each semester, The Alligator hires a new staff for the duration of the semester. We’re hiring for Summer 2022. A new staff will be hired for Fall 2022 in August.
The Alligator will continue to offer remote positions this Summer. All mandatory events, such as our weekly staff meets on Sunday, will take place over Zoom.
The Alligator is a digital-first newsroom. We strive to deliver engaging online content to our audience, and we highly value innovative ways to tell stories and integrate multimedia components to our work. Staff are expected to produce daily content for the website and newsletters. In addition to our online content, The Alligator prints once a week on Sundays, with plans to maintain weekly print-production during the Summer semester.
Alligator reporters regularly cover high-profile, national events. Over the course of the past year, we covered abusive behavior in the athletics department, academic freedom scandals, the search for a new university president and sexual assault on campus. The Alligator’s work has been referenced in national outlets such as CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
We want to continue this long record of notable coverage –– and we want to grow it. Our newsroom fosters the fundamental ideals of journalism: Not accepting things at face value, answering tough questions and telling important stories.
Being part of The Alligator staff connects students to a large, diverse and distinguished alumni network. Alligator alumni have gone on to positions, fellowships and professional internships at The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post and more. Our alumni include this year’s New York Times fellows, Kalia Richardson and April Rubin, as well as at least four Pulitzer Prize Winners.
Beyond joining an expansive alumni network, working at The Alligator is a great opportunity to meet other passionate student journalists and make lifelong friendships. Hundreds of successful journalists, authors, writers and more started their careers at The Alligator. We’re ready to continue that tradition and build the next generation of Alligator journalists. Now’s your chance to join!
Please read through the positions we’re hiring.
Application tips from the Editor-in-Chief
All applications are due Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m.
Please submit one application per section. For example, you can apply to be an editor, a staff writer and a photographer, but don't do two applications if you want to apply for two reporting positions. There will be space to declare your preferences in the Google Form.
Submit your Google Form. If you have difficulties uploading your resume, clips or class schedule, you can email them to jcoin@alligator.org.
Only submit three to five of your best clips.
If you're applying to a multimedia position, submit or send us your portfolio.
Pay attention to your grammar and our directions. Read everything twice.
If you’re on the fence about applying, let us know. We’d be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. You can reach the Editor-in-Chief by emailing jcoin@alligator.org.
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m. We recommend you apply well before the deadline.
Multimedia Editor
The multimedia editor is responsible for working with photographers and illustrators to provide multimedia content for the newspaper and The Alligator website. The editor is responsible for producing some media content while assigning daily and enterprise photo and video assignments for staff photographers and videographers. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about multimedia and is willing to collaborate with reporters to create content. Journalism and communications majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 per week
Copy Desk Editors
Copy editors are in charge of proofreading every story and print pages with copy editors to check for factual errors, grammar and AP style. This person will work one print night remotely, along with a couple nights a week to copy edit online content. Prior experience on copy desk preferred but not required. All majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $20 per night
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m, We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
University General Assignment Reporter
These reporters will be the jack-of-all-trades in the newsroom. They’ll cover any UF-related breaking news and stories. They’ll be led by the university editor, who will teach them how to quickly write briefs and breaking news. They’ll also learn the basics of reporting in a multimedia age across digital platforms. These reporters will be expected to write daily briefs, two to five stories per week and at least two enterprise stories per semester. Previous contributing writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6 per story.
Metro General Assignment Reporter
These reporters will be the jack-of-all-trades in the newsroom. They’ll cover breaking news alongside any metro and community stories. They’ll be led by the metro editor, who will teach them how to quickly write briefs and breaking news. They’ll also learn the basics of reporting in a multimedia age across digital platforms. This reporter will also have a focus on covering Santa Fe College events and news. These reporters will be expected to write daily briefs, two to five stories per week and at least two enterprise stories per semester. Previous contributing writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6 per story
News Assistant
News assistants will be the first people who our desk editors go to when a breaking news story happens and a staff writer needs backup. These positions allow The Alligator to bring in more people willing to work and learn who may not have the same experience as a staff writer. News assistants will learn how to pitch, write and pursue their own stories. They’ll be expected to write one to three stories per week. Previous contributing writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $3 per story.
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m, We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Photographers
Photographers capture the details stories cannot tell on their own. Through speeches, protests, features, sports and daily events on campus, photographers are on the front lines to preserve the history of the community. Photographers are expected to take three to four photos a week that would accompany daily stories. Photographers are also required to complete at least one photo story per month. Although a photographer’s priority is to shoot photos, knowing how to shoot and edit video is also recommended. Previous contributing experience is preferred but not required. Photojournalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $5 per assignment.
Podcast Producer and Host
This producer will be in charge of planning and producing at least one bi-weekly episode of an Alligator news podcast to interview reporters, editors, sources and more to give students an in-depth look at how stories are produced. This would provide a different way for students to consume The Alligator’s news on-the-go and contribute to the expansion of our digital products. This producer should be creative, have skills in recording and editing audio and working with a Spotify or Apple system. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $5 per episode.
Visualization Producer/Graphic Designer/Illustrator
The graphic designers will be visual communicators to make it easy and fun for readers to interpret hard-hitting stories. This position is aimed at pushing our digital and online content further. Flexible applicants are preferred, but the graphic designer and data visualizer can work at their leisure. The Alligator is looking for someone who would seize the opportunity to get creative and have their work published. Knowledge of data visualizations, graphics, Adobe programs, coding and an eye for great design are pluses. We’d love someone who can also code unique story packages. Journalism and communications majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply, especially those with a computer science background. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $5 per assignment.
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m, We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Translator
This translator will be responsible for translating stories and visual content from The Alligator’s coverage to El Caimán. Experience in covering news in Spanish is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $3 per story.
Reporter
This reporter will work on original stories for El Caimán and serve the Spanish-speaking community of Gainesville. This reporter should be familiar with the community and the issues that members of the community care about. We’re looking for someone with experience covering news for the Spanish-speaking community in Gainesville. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6 per story.
