When people who’ve never seen a newsroom see one for the first time, they typically react with some statement about its degree of disarray.
Our newsroom is no exception. Stacks of newspapers, computer print-outs, reporter notebooks and books cover most desks in the newsroom. And somehow, most of the time the chairs are pulled away from the desks and scattered between the long rows of desks.
But the truth is, nearly every department in the Daily’s office has some distinction from another. In the photo department, some of the shots that never make it into the paper are printed out and taped to the wall. This corner of the office is also home to one of the worn couches that made the move from our old building a little more than a year ago.
The design departments in both advertising and editorial are covered in work done by the staff during the past semester and year. Torn pages from magazines and design inspiration books are scattered around the desks.
In the copy desk department, remnants of Halloween decorations still hang from the ceiling, although the jack-o-lanterns and cobwebs have been removed.
In the arts and entertainment section of the office, quirky promotional material for movies and books stock the shelves like knickknacks found at a flea market. There’s even a faux-crocheted pillow with Ben Stiller’s face on it and the words “World’s greatest husband.”
These various sections of the office reflect the diverse group of students – yes, we’re all students – who work here and our different contributions to the organization to give you this newspaper every weekday.
It takes far more than even the reporters, photographers, editors, copy editors, videographers and designers to produce this newspaper.
Without other departments such as sales, distribution, finance and marketing, this newspaper wouldn’t get to you. Without our survey research department we wouldn’t be able to conduct campuswide surveys that enhance our projects and newspaper.
And certainly without our information systems department, we’d be lost about how to work the phone system or what to do when a file disappears. Our online department works constantly to update the Web site and create many of the internal applications we use, including our payroll system and the program we use to keep track of upcoming stories.
We have our own human resources department to help hire and train employees and a communications and development department to organize a mentorship program, scholarship and Daily-wide events.
The employees – yes, we’re all paid – at the Daily are students like you, from journalism students to IT students, from the art departments to Carlson, undergraduates to nontraditional students.
If you’re passionate about almost anything, there’s a place for you at the Daily. You could love computers or the environment and fit in, respectively in IS or the editorials/opinions section. Or maybe you’re good with numbers; you’d fit right in with our finance department.
We’re always looking for talented, passionate students. And with the end of the semester quickly approaching, positions throughout the Daily are opening. Visit mndaily.com/jobs to find out if there’s something for you here with us.
Please send comments to [email protected].
