Volunteer
Established at the University of Alberta in 1910 as the oldest western Canadian university paper, The Gateway is run by students, for students. Our entire staff is made up of students at the U of A who rely on a team of passionate and diverse student volunteers to generate our content. Anyone can join this team, no matter your skill level.
If you’re interested in developing your journalism skills, whether they be as a photographer, illustrator, designer, or writer, we’d love to have you join the Gateway team! Check out our FAQ on this page for additional information that might help answer any questions you have.
Fill out this form to get started!
Find information on our volunteer scholarships here.
The Gateway Volunteer Sections
News
If you’ve ever felt that there were so many cool student groups to join on campus that it’s impossible to pick one, this section is for you. Cover everything from fun student groups to groundbreaking astrophysics research to expert Q&As to politics on campus — all while gaining experience in the truth-seeking field of journalism. Volunteer for news, improve your communication skills as a writer, and contribute to making campus more transparent!
Section Editor: Kathryn Johnson [email protected]
Opinion
Sound off on what’s happening on campus, in the city, and beyond. Opinion volunteers are crucial for stirring up a little controversy or lending a cool perspective on current events. Write short hot takes about daily frustrations like traffic, or longer in-depth columns about the provincial government being terrible at that one thing.
Section Editor: Breckyn Lagoutte [email protected]
Arts & Culture
If you’ve got a flair for music, theatre, DIYs, food, or fashion, check out A&C. You can talk to famous people, go to concerts for free, and will probably be able to snag some free albums and movie passes too.
Section Editors: Liam Hodder [email protected]
Visuals (Photo & Design)
Calling all shutterbugs! Snap pics for our stories and see your work proudly displayed in print and online. And if photos aren’t for you, start your own comic series or try your hand at creating neat illustrated graphics to beautify our stories. Either way, you can’t go wrong in making The Gateway visually delicious.
Visuals Section Editors: Peris Jones [email protected]
Sports
Go Golden Bears and Pandas!
Shoot an email to [email protected] if you’re interested in interviewing athletes, recapping games, or providing commentary!
If you feel you need to speak to someone else, check out our contact page for a more detailed list of editor emails!
FAQs
Do I need experience to write for The Gateway?
No experience is required. Part of The Gateway‘s mission is to teach U of A students journalism skills that they won’t learn through coursework. Most of our volunteers start with zero experience. We will provide you with resources to get you started and guide you through the process.
Who can volunteer for The Gateway?
Any U of A student can volunteer for The Gateway, regardless of what level of study or faculty you are in.
How long are articles supposed to be?
Article length can vary from section to section, but typically most articles are between 400 and 750 words long.
How do I get started?
After signing up for our weekly pitch email, you can reach out to the corresponding editor to pick up one of the pitches from the email. Pitches are first come, first serve. The editor will give you some resources to get started and then you’re off!
You are also welcome to pitch your own ideas to The Gateway. Email the editor for the section you think the pitch is best suited for and give them a couple sentences about your idea. Keep in mind how it is relevant to the U of A and students.
What does the editing process look like?
Once you’re finished writing your draft, you will share it in a Google Doc with your editor. From there, they will leave edits as suggestions or comments in the doc. Our biggest rule is don’t delete or reject edits, if you aren’t sure about something just ask!
Once the section editor is happy with the draft, they’ll pass it on to the Managing Editor for their edits. Once the Managing Editor is satisfied, they’ll pass it on to the Editor-in-Chief for the final edits. Then it’ll be scheduled for publishing!
Editors watch out for things like flow, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, Canadian Press style, and more. Don’t be afraid to ask questions throughout the process — editing is a really great way to learn and build your skills as a writer.
I’m interested in taking photos for The Gateway but don’t have my own camera. Does The Gateway have one I can borrow?
Yes! The Gateway has a camera volunteers can borrow for a few hours or a few days. Simply fill out the sign-out sheet and get a staff member to sign off on it and you’re good to go. We ask that you be respectful of the equipment and take good care of it. Also, don’t borrow it for longer than you need.