Interested in joining The Argus this semester? Fill out this form for more information!
There is no application to join The Argus as a writer. Interested members should come to our weekly Sunday meeting or reach out to a current editor or staff writer. They can then take on responsibilities depending on what area of the paper they would like to work for. For example, interested writers must take on an article assignment to become a contributing writer.
Staff writers are those who have contributed to the Argus three or more times. These writers are encouraged to write for multiple sections or take on a reporting beat, which focuses on a specific community or topic such as sustainability, Title IX, etc.
Toward the end of each semester, the current Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editor will open applications for editorial roles. To be considered for the roles of Assistant Editor, Head Editor, Managing Editor, or Editor-in-Chief, members must read the position descriptions for the positions they wish to apply for, fill out an application, and complete an interview with the current Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editor. The Community Manager position will be decided by a democratic vote, either at the end of the semester or the beginning of the next, depending on the turnover in the role. The next semester’s masthead will be emailed out to all applicants before the end of the semester.
Due to The Argus’ financial independence from the University, positions are by default unpaid, but students of color with demonstrated financial need may apply to the Argus Voices Fund, a program established in 2020 to create paid reporting positions for historically underrepresented voices in our newsroom.
If you have any questions about The Argus, please reach out to argus@wesleyan.edu. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Section Breakdown
News: The News Section provides up-to-date coverage of events and controversies on campus and otherwise affecting the Wesleyan community.
Features: The Features Section gives writers expanded creative license. Writers for feats are able to write profiles of individuals, clubs; in-depth and investigative coverage of campus trends and events; and much more.
Arts and Culture: The Arts Section covers campus events, from a cappella in basements to professional visiting productions in the Center for the Arts, as well as significant creative events in the world beyond Wesleyan. Music, movies, television, theater, dance, writing, performance, and visual art all fall into this section. This section also welcomes essays, poems, and written work that share more in-depth, personal stories or offer broader cultural commentary.
Sports: The Sports Section covers Wesleyan varsity athletics and occasionally editorials on professional sports.
Opinion: The Opinion Section crafts engaging arguments about current events, campus issues, and other related topics.
Ampersand: The Ampersand, a weekly column re-established in 2025, publishes satire and humor pieces with a playful take on campus happenings.
Argives: From The Argives, a weekly column established in 2024, explores The Argus’ extensive archives to identify the funniest, wackiest, and most significant articles in our paper’s history, and writes about them!
Photo: The Photo Section takes and edits pictures on and off campus for all sections of The Argus.
Layout: The Layout staff designs each issue of The Argus using Adobe InDesign.
Copy: Copy Editors’ main duty is to check and improve all written text. This includes copy, bylines, headlines, photo captions, and sometimes advertisements. With eagle-like precision and consistency, an Argus copy editor proofreads for mistakes in spelling, grammar, terminology, and punctuation according to the guidelines of The Argus Style Guide and the AP Style Guide.
Finance: The Finance team is responsible for planning, managing, and executing The Argus’ annual slate budget in conjunction with the Wesleyan Student Assembly’s Student Budget Committee, as well as establishing and maintaining relationships with our print advertisers.
Fundraising: The Fundraising team is is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with Argus alumni and other potential donors, hosting semesterly fundraising events, and managing The Argus’ newsletter.
Social Media: The Social Media team is responsible for planning and drafting content to go on the Argus’ official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. They communicate with readers and work with the Editors-in-Chief to get out breaking and developing news stories to the general readership.
