CONTRIBUTE WITH THE GRIFF

Contributing to The Griff can help develop your portfolio, further your network, and have an impact on MacEwan. Or just allow you to share an opinion. You can gain hands-on experience with the processes of the media industry, or just make something you’re passionate about.

How to get started

Fill out the following form and sign up to our Discord server. If you have any questions, email coordinating@thegriff.ca

where and when can you find us?

The Griff office is located in the Dorchester building across from SAMU. To reach our office, go up the stairs in the foyer and turn left. If you’d like to visit any of the editors, you can email any of them to set up a meeting.

We also host weekly contributor meetings every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Griff office. Our editors come prepped with pitches every week, so there’s never a lack of new ideas and stories for contributors to chat about or write/report on. We always encourage contributors to bring pitches of their own as well. Come get to know the editors and be a part of our newsroom!

DO I NEED EXPERIENCE?

Short answer: NO! Anyone can be a contributor. The only thing we need from you is curiosity and a conviction to pursue the truth. Whether that means getting to the bottom of an administrative mess at MacEwan or dissecting the latest film, we want our contributors to be asking piercing questions about the world around them. 

Our contributors should be ambitious and energetic in their work. Don’t be afraid to tread new ground in your reporting, opinions, or art.

what skills do i need? 

Anyone can be a contributor. The only requirement is having an idea. Don’t be afraid to present ideas to us, no matter how big or small. In terms of the content we publish, it tends to fall into four categories:

Writing: Anything from traditional journalism (news, opinions and culture coverage, sports) to humour pieces and movie reviews. If you have an idea that can go down on paper, we can help make it happen.

Illustrations: We are always looking for drawings and sketches to add to our content. Art, comics, design and more.

 Visual media: The Griff is always happy to add visuals to our contributors’ stories, or to give creators a chance to shine on their own. Photographers and videographers can pitch whatever comes to mind.

 Podcasts: “From The Vault” is The Griff’s accompanying podcast that will discuss the latest editions of the magazine and topical news. If you have a story you want to discuss in podcast form, we are more than happy to help.

Examples of past contributions:

expectations

For us to help bring your ideas to life, you’ll need to work in tandem with our editors to have things done in a timely manner. We have a set of policies and expectations for contributors. Here is a short list of the most important ones:

Communication with editors

• Stay in contact all throughout the process. We are here to help, but we also need your help to stay organized. 

Effort and initiative

• Your work is YOUR work. We are here to make it as good as it can be. But it is up to you to provide well-thought-out work.

Follow Procedure

• The process of The Griff is in our contributor Google Drive. Once you have access, read through the basics. It will make your life and your editor’s life easier.

• Code of Conduct and Ethics documents are also available on the Drive. Remember to be respectful of your fellow contributors and your editors.

Timeliness

• We have strict deadlines. Don’t set a deadline you can’t meet. Sticking to your deadline once again makes your life and your editors’ lives much easier.

For an in-depth list of expectations, read through our procedure documents in the contributor Google Drive. (maybe link it there)

PROCESS and resources

If you’re looking to contribute with us, we ask that you read through the following documents and use them during the pitching, writing, editing, and publishing process. 

From Pitch to Publishing

The Griff Code of Conduct 

The Griff Ethics and Standards

The Griff In-House Fact-Checking Guide

Informed Consent Guide

The Griff’s Publishing Process

Article Writing and Visual Guides

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You keep all the rights to your work. All we ask is that we get to publish your work first for one week. Any other work attached to yours (illustrations, photos, etc…) is owned by The Griff or its creator and won’t be available for personal use unless express permission is given. We will promote your work after it’s published to try and help you get as many eyes on it as possible.

HOW TO GET A JOB WITH THE GRIFF

Each year, we list all of our editorial positions for hiring. These positions are usually up by March with interviews taking place shortly afterwards. Keep an eye on our social media pages for when postings go live.