<p>So, from what I have seen the uni newspaper is pretty small. I was hoping to join next year, and I was also hoping someone could help me out and tell me how selective the publication is, do I need to officially apply or can I just come in and ask to be a staff writer. They also feature writers from other schools which I thought was kind of odd, but either way can any one tell me how to join?</p>
<p>You are very misinformed-- the paper is huge. It's distributed daily (Mon-Friday) at pretty much every building on campus-- the newspaper people have their work cut out for them. Pretty much every student reads it, or does the sudokus in it during class.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you need to apply:</p>
<p>California</a> Aggie // Jobs</p>
<p>Good luck!
fooshy</p>
<p>Wow you are right, maybe it was just the issue that I picked up when Davis had its decision day, but the staff looks huge.</p>
<p>It's a great newspaper :)</p>
<p>I'm currently a first-year and have been writing for the Aggie since October. It's really good if you're looking for real reporting experience. In my experience, if you want to write hard news (like on city government, ASUCD, local crime, campus events) then it's somewhat difficult to be a casual writer; it's more like a job. However if you want to write for arts, features, or sports, those writers usually only write like one article a week and are doing other stuff. </p>
<p>Getting to write for the Aggie is actually not too difficult, provided you know how to write. If you're able to write an essay that would get an A or a B, you probably have the all the writing skills you need to get hired. They are almost always looking for writers so you can apply at any time during the year, but at the beginning of fall quarter is probably best. You will get some coaching from your editor but it's largely up to you to make your articles happen. Being a reporter is really a job for someone who is independent, determined, and resourceful. Also, you'll have to figure out how to get things done on deadline. </p>
<p>I would estimate that the entire staff is about 100 people. This includes reporters, editors, columnists, photographers, cartoonists, layout artists, graphic artists, ad reps, and front office (secretarial) staff. So it's definitely a pretty big operation. Currently the Aggie prints and distributes 12,000 copies a day. This is more than many comparable schools, and it is also the highest circulation in Yolo County. </p>
<p>Unfortunately the Aggie has had budget problems in recent years, in part due to the general downturn in the newspaper industry. This means that the pay isn't very good. But the idea is that you're not doing it for pay, you're doing it for experience. If you're looking for a job because you need money to help pay for college, being a reporter at the Aggie is definitely not for you. This is because you are paid by how much you write. If you write 3 articles a week, and each article pays about $15 each, you're making $45 a week. That's about half what you could be making with a minimum wage job at only 10 hours a week. </p>
<p>However, there are positions such as copyreader and layout artist that are paid by the hour, and in those cases you make minimum wage and it's comparable to a normal job. </p>
<p>All in all the Aggie is a pretty awesome part of UC Davis. It certainly has its naysayers (mostly ASUCD people), but it really is an important and unique part of the campus community. </p>
<p>Oh, and it's all student-run, with the exception of a faculty adviser who is typically never around (he meets with the editors once a week and is available if reporters need him, but he tries to keep it as independent as possible).</p>
<p>Thank you very much for answering my question so thoroughly.</p>