<p>I think I may want to get involved with the DP next year... I heard that when you start out, you're a general assignments reporter, and they can write as little or as much as they want.</p>
<p>To those who are involved/have been involved with the DP, I was wondering how time-consuming this is... Basically, how often do these beginning writers (general assignments reporters) write? Once a week? Once every 2 weeks?</p>
<p>Any insight into this would be greatly appreciate... Thank you.</p>
<p>Sorry to hijack your thread, but I've got a quick question about this too. Can anyone sign up for this thing? What if I don't have any experience at all with fancy newspapers?</p>
<p>I believe anyone can get involved initially, but not everyone will advance.</p>
<p>You guys might have better luck asking these questions on the Facebook group. I know at least a couple PHINS who work for the DP.</p>
<p>cooledge, the first step is to go to the information sessions at the beginning of the semester, and then apply. You don't need any experience most likely, but of course it can't hurt.</p>
<p>I was only a columnist for the DP so I don't know about being a reporter, but feel free to ask questions about columnists.</p>
<p>yep just attend the info sessions at the beginning of each semester</p>
<p>always looking for new people</p>
<p>i only have experience with dp photo, willing to answer questions on that</p>
<p>how do you land a spot as a columnist? how often do you write?</p>
<p>daveb, you submit an application, see </p>
<p>The</a> Daily Pennsylvanian</p>
<p>You usually write weekly, but you can also put express interest in writing biweekly.</p>
<p>Rudess,
I see you're a current student...</p>
<p>I was wondering if you could answer my original question -- How often do beginning writers write? </p>
<p>Any more insight would be appreciated. (What they generally write about, if they get to choose what they want to write about, etc.)</p>
<p>I've worked at the DP for two years now.</p>
<p>Beginning writers can write as much or as little as they like. In news, they start off as GAs (general assignments) who cover campus events (mostly guest speakers). So you can conceivably write every night if you want to. After a semester of being a GA, you can move onto a beat.</p>
<p>In sports, you're given a beat/sport right away. It's usually nothing glamorous (fencing/volleyball/field hockey, etc...), but good writers advance to the better sports quickly (much like good GAs can get their top beat choices). Sports also encourages its writers to submit story ideas, and if you have a good one, you'll get first dibs on writing it.</p>
<p>Not sure if news does anything like that; I've never seen a GA reporter write anything other than a GA story.</p>
<p>Cool, thanks for the response!</p>
<p>In general, how often would you say the GAs write? Perhaps the zealous ones write several times a week... But towards the lower end, would you say GAs write once a week? Once every two weeks?</p>
<p>I was an editor for my high school newspaper, and would like to contribute somewhat -- a couple times a month, maybe -- to the DP next year, but nothing too crazy... Just wondering if that's normal/feasible.</p>
<p>i dunno how the ga assignment system works</p>
<p>but if it's anything like the photographer system, you get an email each night with upcoming assignments - and if people don't fill all the slots, you get a phone call asking you if you'd like to take anything</p>
<p>so there's no pressure at all (and that's why i haven't taken any assignments in all of the last academic year)</p>