Get Involved
About the Herald
The Herald is an entirely student-run, independent media organization serving students at the University of Wisconsin. We support a staff of editors, copy editors, photo editors, designers, coders, advertising executives, social media coordinators and business staff, as well as a network of freelance reporters, writers, videographers and designers.
Chances are, if you’re interested in helping out, we have something for you to do!
Staff positions
Hiring for staff positions happens at the end of each semester. We do occasionally hire from outside the organization, but we more typically hire students who already have experience at the Herald. If you’re interested in eventually having a staff position, the best thing you can do is get involved in a contributor position today.
Advertising Associate – Are you looking to break into the advertising industry? The Badger Herald is looking for a new account executive. In this position, you’ll help both local and national brands coordinate advertising across digital, print and social media. This position is paid by commission. Additionally, account executives are eligible for performance-dependent bonuses.
Contact our advertising director →
Contributor positions
Almost all departments have non-staff contributor positions. We’re particularly interested in writers/reporters, copy editors, photographers, page/graphic designers and coders.
Anyone at the University of Wisconsin is eligible to become a contributor to The Badger Herald regardless of major, experience and background.
All positions have variable time commitments, depending on the assignment.
Writers/reporters – Whether you want to write about local events, Badger sports, new albums or pen your political thoughts on our Opinion pages, we have the spot for you.
Each section has a different workflow for assigning stories. ArtsEtc. writers float ideas for stories they’d like to write and get assignments from their editor, including covering concerts and other events in Madison. Sports writers are typically assigned a beat, such as women’s swimming or mens wrestling, which they’re responsible for covering throughout the season. News writers generally receive same-day assignments based on what days best fit their schedule to write (editors for state, city and campus send out stories around 12 p.m. every day). Opinion columnists are encouraged to write once a week on a local news topic or national issue that affects the UW student bod that they feel passionate about.
You’re more than welcome to write for more than one department! One exception: once you expose your bias by writing for Opinion, you may not write for News.
Contact our News editor →
Contact our ArtsEtc editor →
Contact our Sports editor →
Contact our Opinion editor →
Copy editors – Copy editors work one shift (about two hours) on a night of production every week. They’re the first ones to read our content from every sections and do the critical work of making sure our copy is clean in print and online. A working knowledge of AP Style is preferred, but no experience is required and our staff will teach you Herald Style.
The ability to move up to staff copy chief positions is available.
Photographers – We routinely send photographers out to campus and local events, ranging from protests to student meetings to sold-out concerts. Our photo editors will take your name and, when an event comes up that fits your schedule, brief you on the type of photos we need to fit the assignment.
Videographers – In recent years, The Herald has been increasing our digital presence, and videos are a crucial component. Our videos typically give a more in-depth perspective on stories and issues affecting campus and the Madison area.
We are interested in motivated videographers who are able to pitch ideas and deliver packaged video.
The position provides the opportunity to learn about shooting and editing and build a portfolio.
Designers – Much of what we do relies on talented designers. Our designers work in Adobe programs to design pages, graphics and create advertising campaigns in our creative department both in print and online.
It’s a great way for art and design students to develop their portfolios of real world work.
The ability to move up to staff design management positions is available.
Coders – Our site is built in WordPress with custom PHP plugins. If you have experience in HTML/CSS, JQuery, PHP, WordPress and/or MySQL, we have projects for you to work on.
The ability to move up to staff web developer positions is available.
Street Team – The Badger Herald takes part in various efforts throughout the year to encourage interest in our organization. This work takes place in person and on our company media pages. If you’re interested in working in public relations or communications, especially for non-profit corporations, the street team is a great place to start!
Contact our public relations director →
