UW student media and organizations

As a student at the University of Washington, becoming involved in organizations or internships related to your major can be a critical part to preparing for your future career. Employers often hire employees based on extracurricular experience, so joining a student group can provide a big advantage. Here at UW there are many opportunities to develop one’s knowledge and skills in various fields of interest.

Student media

The Daily

The Daily, UW’s independent student-run newspaper, is a trusted source for up-to-date news and information for the UW community. Students with enthusiasm for journalism prepare for work at The Daily by first applying for Daily 101, a ten-week trial program that “guides new writers toward becoming competent journalists through weekly meetings and one-on-one edits.” At the end of this experience, students showing promise begin work as a reporter for The Daily, and uphold its mission “to serve the UW campus community by producing the most fair and balanced newspaper possible.” To learn more about becoming part of The Daily team, visit the web site and fill out an application for Daily 101. Applications for Daily101 are taken toward the end of each quarter.

HuskyCast

Have a knack for video production? Consider joining HuskyCast, an appendage to The UW Daily. HuskyCast members provide news, features, sports, and opinion videos “that inform and entertain the students of UW and the surrounding communities.” There is a weekly mandatory meeting for group members, as well as an optional instructional meeting to help further production skills. No experience is necessary to join, but interest in video production or journalism definitely helps. HuskyCast is always looking for new members, so check out their Facebook page, or browse through some of their videos to get a sense of what they do. You can also contact Joel Shapiro (joelshapiro@dailyuw.com), HuskyCast managing editor, for more information.

Olympia Legislative Reporting Internship

Students with journalism experience can get their feet wet in the world of political reporting with the Olympia Legislative Reporting Internship. Every year a group of journalism students (as well as qualifying students from other majors) live in Olympia for the duration of winter quarter to cover Washington State Legislature news and events for a newspaper or radio network. Students can earn up to 12 credits working directly with an editor or news director throughout this intense, full-time job. Past employers include the Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Oregonian, the (Everett) Herald, the Kitsap Sun, the Lewiston Tribune, the UW Daily and Northwest News Network, which includes the public radio stations KUOW and KPLU. Students complete the internship with experience “covering a complex beat, clips and a strong sense of whether the rough-and-tumble world of political reporting is for them.” If you’re up for the challenge, contact Cindy Simmons (simmonsc@uw.edu), program coordinator, or check out the web site for more information. 

News Lab

Declared journalism majors practice their reporting skills working for a number of outside news outlets in the course COM362: News Lab. There are about two-dozen clients, ranging from community-specific papers (Queen Anne News, Capitol Hill Times, etc.) to specialty publications (the Northwest Asian Weekly, Jewish Transcript, etc.). Under the instruction of Karen Rathe, students meet twice a week to review basic skills, talk about story assignments, and participate in digital workshops on slide shows, photojournalism, audio, video, and web site creation. The class also enjoys visits from professional journalists, and a field trip to The Seattle Times. Throughout the course, students sharpen their journalistic skills, and build a portfolio that can help land newspaper and magazine writing jobs in the future. Check out some past student articles, or e-mail Karen Rathe (rathe@uw.edu) for more information.

Student groups

Diversity Community

Diversity Community is designed for Communication students who share a concern for diversity issues. The group’s mission statement is, “To create a safe space for University of Washington Communication students as well as members from other communities to work in solidarity to discuss and to address various forms of discrimination and marginalization.” Diversity Community plans to meet three to four times per quarter, plus special events and mentoring sessions “to help students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in academics to meet with possible mentors from within and outside of the university community.” To learn more, sign up for the mailing list, or contact Fahed Al-Sumait (alsumait@uw.edu), director.

Society of Professional Journalists

The Society of Professional Journalists supports journalism students in their pursuit of a deeper understanding of professional journalism. Meeting once a month, SPJ members participate in workshops covering topics on opinion, sports, political, and investigative writing. SPJ also invites working journalists to speak to members about their professional experience. Past guest speakers include journalists from The Seattle Times, Seattle Metropolitan magazine, and MSNBC.com. The Society of Professional Journalists is “dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.” The UW student chapter carries on this mission at the local level, educating student journalists, plugging them into professional networks, and offering free resources in the form of mentorship, contacts and specialized training. Check out the SPJ Facebook page, and e-mail President Will Mari (wtm2@uw.edu), or Vice President Chantal Anderson (chanta@uw.edu) to become a member.

Association for Women in Communication

Women find the Association for Women in Communication a great resource for developing professional relationships, and gaining knowledge about careers in communication. During chapter meetings, members engage in active discussions, plan work site tours, and hear presentations from women in a communication discipline. AWC also holds networking, interviewing and resume workshops throughout the school year. AWC’s mission is to “champion the advancement of women across all communication disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era.” Group meetings take place the first Thursday of each month during the school year in CMU126 at 6:30 p.m. from September to June. E-mail Alissa Wiley (awiley@uw.edu), vice president of membership, to become a member, and check out the national AWC web site, or the group's Facebook page to read announcements and messages.

Public Relations Student Society of America

If you’re interested in public relations, then Public Relations Student Society of America is the group for you. PRSSA offers the ability to network with PR professionals, guidance through mentorship, access to scholarships, and a career jumpstart through internship and job opportunities. The mission statement of PRSSA is, “To serve our members by enhancing their knowledge of public relations and providing access to professional development opportunities; and to serve the public relations profession by helping to develop highly qualified, well-prepared professionals.”

Members can expect to be active participants in this group of more than 70 students. There are many workshops and events throughout the year that require student collaboration. Last fall PRSSA participated in the “From Blue to Green” Denim Drive, a campaign that educates students about denim, a natural, renewable, and recyclable resource. The UW chapter received 850 pairs of jeans to donate to the cause of manufacturing natural cotton fiber insulation for houses for families displaced by hurricanes Gustav and Katrina. To find out more about this group visit the web site, the organization’s Facebook page, or send an e-mail to uwprssa@gmail.com or prssa@uw.edu.