Are you interested in growing your career in media and communications? Are you ready to join a network of alumni at organizations like the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal? The Independent Florida Alligator is looking for its next team of reporters, editors and photographers for the Spring 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 Spring 2021. A new staff will be hired for Summer 2021 around May.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, The Alligator will operate remotely for most of the Spring. A majority of communications will take place over Zoom, including weekly staff meetings on Sundays. We expect all staff members to social distance and conduct their journalism safely: This means that the majority of interviews will be conducted over phone or video conference.
The Alligator prints once a week, with plans to maintain weekly print-production during the Spring semester. In addition to print, writers and editors are expected to produce daily content for the website and newsletters. As a digital-first newsroom, we strive to deliver engaging online content to our audience and highly value innovative ways to tell stories and integrate multimedia components to our work.
We’re excited to introduce an audience and growth team to bolster our social media presence and digital reach. We’re hoping this team will create an opportunity for students specifically interested in audience engagement, help develop The Alligator’s digital brand and build a stronger relationship with our audience.
Alligator reporters regularly cover high-profile, national events. Over the course of 2020, they’ve been instrumental in providing daily, in-depth coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. They covered white supremacist Richard Spencer’s speech at UF and the Women’s March in D.C. They’ve investigated sexual violence on campus and the COVID-19 outbreak within UF’s football team. Reporters have also completed an ambitious project about the racial and socioeconomic divide in Gainesville. 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. That’s why we’re adding a projects and investigations desk to our staff. This small team of reporters will foster the fundamental ideals of journalism: Not accepting things at face value, answering tough questions and telling important stories.
Being part of The Alligator staff also 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 back-to-back Alligator editors-in-chief who were the first two New York Times fellows from UF, as well as at least four subsequent 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 have 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
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All applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 4.
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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.
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Submit your Google Form. If you have difficulties uploading your resume, clips or class schedule, you can email them to kelwood@alligator.org.
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Only submit three to five of your best clips.
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If you're applying to a multimedia position, submit or send us your portfolio.
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Pay attention to your grammar and our directions. Read everything twice.
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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 kelwood@alligator.org.
Editor Applications
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Senior News Director
This position is designed to ensure the overall quality of Alligator stories. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of news writing, reporting and editing. The senior news editor will be responsible for maintaining the overall quality of Alligator stories by working with desk editors and staff writers to edit daily news and identify enterprise stories to expand coverage. The director will ideally have a strong sense of news judgement along with some previous reporting and editing experience. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 a week
University Editor
The university editor will lead The Alligator’s coverage on all things related to the University of Florida. This editor will manage the general assignment reporter, Student Government reporter, the university administration reporter, the health reporter and a couple news assistants. The ideal candidate is someone who is organized, passionate and committed to watching over the powers of the university administration and Student Government. This editor will edit stories for The Alligator’s weekly print product and daily online content. Stories assigned and edited should range from daily to enterprise news. Alligator staff writer or editor experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 a week
Metro Editor
The metro editor will lead The Alligator’s coverage of the greater Gainesville and Alachua County community. This person will manage and edit the general assignment reporter, criminal justice reporter, city commission reporter, education reporter, east Gainesville reporter and a couple news assistants. Stories assigned and edited should range from daily to enterprise news. The ideal candidate is creative, organized and eager to dive into the Gainesville community outside UF. This editor should be prepared to find interesting and important local stories to deliver to Alligator readers. The metro editor will edit stories for The Alligator’s weekly print schedule and daily online content. Alligator staff writer or editor experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 a week
Projects and Investigations Editor
The projects and investigations editor will be responsible for working with a small team of reporters to produce long-form and investigative stories for the paper. This editor will understand the importance of investigative reporting and uncovering new information. The ideal candidate should be ambitious, organized and prepared to utilize Florida’s open record laws. This editor should be a problem solver with creative ideas to work around reporting challenges. The projects and investigations editor should have some investigative reporting experience and will be expected to identify, assign and edit 2 to 3 stories over the course of the semester. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 a week
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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $50 per week
Audience and Growth Director
This position is designed to grow The Alligator’s audience by utilizing social media platforms. This director will lead a small team of reporters to analyze the paper’s social presence and strategize ways to improve that presence. They will be expected to develop creative campaigns, and new ways to cater information to our audience. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of news, social media strategy and audience engagement. The ideal candidate is creative, innovative and passionate about the future of journalism. Journalism, advertising and public relations majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $35 per week
The Avenue Editor (Entertainment Editor)
The Avenue editor is responsible for maintaining the entertainment section of the Alligator, choosing writers to work for the section as well as editing any work that is sent in. The Alligator is looking for someone with creative ideas who is in tune with local and national entertainment and pop culture. This position is flexible, but the editor must be present in Zoom meetings every Sunday night. Previous Avenue or entertainment writing experience is preferred but not required. Applicants must be a current UF or Santa Fe College student. All majors are encouraged to apply.
Pay: About $25 per week
Copy Desk Chief
Copy desk chiefs are responsible for running the copy desk and selecting and working with copy editors. Copy desk chiefs 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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $20 per night
Opinions Editor
This section editor is responsible for maintaining the opinions section of The Alligator, choosing columnists and cartoonists to work for the section and editing any work that is sent in. The opinions editor is also responsible for consulting with the editor-in-chief and managing editors and writing editorials for the print paper. There will be an emphasis on seeking out diverse opinion pieces from public figures and concerned citizens in and around Gainesville and the UF community. Columnist and editing experience is preferred but not required. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $20 per week.
Reporter Applications
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
University Administration Reporter
This reporter is responsible for remotely attending the University of Florida Board of Trustees meetings and writing about updates, changes or announcements dealing with the UF administration. This reporter is also encouraged to dig into demographics of UF faculty, staff and students. This reporter will be assigned stories related to this beat by the university editor but should also pitch their own daily and feature story ideas. This reporter will be expected to write an average of two to five stories per week and at least three 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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
Health Reporter
Health has been at the forefront of our coverage since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A health reporter would join our team as someone who focuses on how the pandemic affects Alachua County and the thousands of students in Gainesville. In this position, the reporter would cover COVID cases in Alachua County, UF Health Shands and related university health administrations, trends in cases, the effect the virus has on university communities, health care resources and safety guidance, how medical communities are responding and public health measures being taken. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
Student Government Reporter
This reporter is the sole watchdog of UF’s Student Government, which has a more than $20 million budget funded by student fees. This reporter will be responsible for remotely attending weekly Tuesday night Senate meetings, so applicants’ class schedule should not overlap. This reporter will also be responsible for covering SG elections for the student body president, vice president, treasurer and 50 senators. This reporter will be assigned stories related to this beat by the university editor but will also be encouraged to pitch their own daily and feature story ideas. This reporter will be expected to write an average of two to five stories per week and at least three enterprise stories per semester. Previous staff writer and/or contributing writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story
City + County Commission Reporter
This reporter will be a watchdog of the Gainesville and Alachua County commissions. This reporter will be responsible for looking at the agenda for commission meetings and pre-reporting stories that are important to the community. The reporter will attend commission meetings remotely, talk to local leaders and write on deadline. This reporter will also be in charge of covering local races and writing candidate profiles for the Gainesville regular election in March. Other general stories pertaining to the growth of the area or its needs will be assigned. This reporter is expected to write two to five stories a week and at least three enterprise stories a semester. This reporter should have a flexible Thursday schedule to be able to attend the remote commission meetings. Previous contributing or staff writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
Criminal Justice Reporter
This reporter is responsible for covering breaking news and writing about crime on UF’s campus and in the Gainesville community. This reporter will keep up with local breaking news, including serious car crashes that affect traffic and UF Alerts. The crime reporter will learn how to search court records, request arrest reports and contact law enforcement. This reporter is expected to respond quickly to breaking news, remotely attend law enforcement press conferences and update developing stories. The ideal candidate will have a sharp eye for detail, enterprise and compassion when speaking to victims and their families. This reporter is expected to write two to five stories a week and at least three enterprise stories a semester. Previous contributing or staff writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
East Gainesville Reporter
The East Gainesville community has long been underserved in many ways. Distant from the development clusters near I-75 and UF’s campus, East Gainesville does not receive the same coverage that UF communities do. The Alligator has reported on housing, food deserts and community programs as part of special projects in the past. This reporter is expected to develop and maintain contacts with community leaders and report on development in the area. Coverage may overlap with other beats including education, business and health. Preference may be given to reporters who are from the Gainesville area or who have lived in Gainesville for years. Previous staff writing experience is preferred but not required. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
K-12 Education Reporter
This reporter will cover the Alachua County school district, board and all topics pertaining to education in North Florida. This reporter will cover the reopening of public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, school board decisions and more. Educators, parents and students have expressed great concern about the health and safety of those returning in-person, the quality of education for those online and more. It’s important for this reporter to dive deep into this beat and write in-depth enterprise stories about all angles of Alachua County’s education while covering any workshops, meetings, protests, lawsuits and more. Previous contributing or staff writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story.
Investigative Reporter (multiple positions)
This reporter will work on longer projects that would have an impact on the university community and Gainesville. These stories are expected to take longer than our daily and weekly coverage. We’re looking for someone with an eye for enterprise stories, filing public records requests and sorting and interpreting data. Last year, staff writers filed investigative stories on sexual violence at UF, including a story on a university professor who was accused of sexual assault and inappropriate relationships with multiple women. Previous staff writer and/or contributing writing experience is preferred but not required. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $15 per story.
News Assistant (multiple positions)
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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $3.50 per story.
Multimedia Applications
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Photographers (multiple positions)
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 current 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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $5 per episode.
Visualization Producer/Graphic Designer/Illustrator (multiple positions)
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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $5 per assignment.
Audience and Growth Applications
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Social media manager
This position is designed to grow The Alligator’s social media presence and audience. The social media manager will work with the audience and growth director to track social analytics, build campaigns and better understand The Alligator’s audience. This team will also come up with creative ways to package and deliver Alligator content. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of news, social media strategy and audience engagement. The ideal candidate is creative, innovative and passionate about the future of journalism. Journalism, advertising and public relations majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $10 a week.
Newsletter manager
Since the newspaper is only printing once a week, many Alligator readers rely on the newsletter for news updates and information. This position is designed to grow The Alligator’s newsletter’s reach and content. The newsletter manager will design daily and weekly newsletters, edit copy and find innovative ways to package Alligator content. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of news and audience engagement. This person should be creative, innovative and passionate about the future of journalism. Journalism, advertising and public relations majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $10 a week.
El Caimán Applications
Click HERE to apply.
Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. We recommend that you apply well before the deadline.
Editor
The editor of El Caimán will be responsible for The Alligator’s Spanish section. They will oversee the translation of stories and assign stories aimed to cover the issues that matter to the Spanish-speaking community. The editor of El Caimán will choose which articles from The Alligator’s coverage should be translated to best fit the interests of the Spanish-speaking community. We’re looking for someone with previous experience reporting news in Spanish and someone who is familiar with the Spanish-speaking community in Gainesville. This editor will track stories being translated and original content for the section. This editor must be organized and passionate about covering news for the Spanish-speaking community and delivering it in creative ways. Journalism majors are preferred, but all majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: About $25 a week
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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $3.50 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 current UF or Santa Fe College students.
Pay: $6.50 per story
