DailySource.org is looking for an individual with a nose for news to help update our site with compelling content around the clock and lay out the front page. Volunteering is virtual via the computer so you can be anywhere in the world. Our online software is incredibly easy to use and automates most of the layout process. The Daily Source is truly a 21st century journalism site. Just drag and drop articles from one location to another and the page adjusts itself automatically. Editing the headlines is as easy as using Microsoft Word or sending an email. You will receive guidance from our senior editors who are some of the top newspaper journalists and reporters in the U.S. Besides laying out the front page, you will find articles, videos, columns and other material from around the Internet for use on the site and make the final decision of what goes on the site.
We are happy to provide references from our current very satisfied volunteers, some of whom work at full-time news jobs for places like NPR and IDG Publishing. You will be doing real stuff that directly impacts our front page and the public. You will also gain invaluable experience that will build your skills and look great on a resume. Two of our volunteers started their own non-profit organization after eight months of volunteering with us. The front page layout editor position is a minimum of 15 hours per week for a minimum of six months. If you can volunteer 20 hours or higher a week, then the minimum is only five months. All editors are credited at the bottom of the site each day, and daily editions are archived so your friends, family and future employers will see what you were part of creating.
To view our front page, visit -
http://dailysource.org/
To read more about us, view the links here -
http://dailysource.org/about/site
To apply, see the Skills section below. We prefer some degree of experience or school study in news or layout for the layout editor position. We also have the following openings that require no experience (minimum hours per week are in parenthesis). All volunteers telecommute. If you are in school, volunteering with us can function as an internship. Interns can usually receive credit with their school for their internships.
LAYOUT EDITOR (minimum 12 hours for five months) Chooses all items for the front page including stories, editorials, columns, photos and videos. Works with story editors and photography editors to find the best content possible. Lays out the page, edits the headlines and summaries to meet our style guidelines, and makes sure the layout meets all our criteria. Makes sure the site looks great. This requires layout experience, copy editing experience, basic knowledge of AP style and grammar, attention to detail, communication skills, and strong understanding and judgment of the news.
CONTENT EDITOR (minimum 12 hours for a minimum of five months) - does almost the same things as the layout editor described above except for layout and photos. Searches for articles, video, audio, columns and editorials for potential use on the site. Rates them based on quality.
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR (minimum 11 hours for a minimum of six months) - must have an eye for photography to choose potential photos, crop them and add them to our content repository and draft captions for the photos. You must have a strong visual aesthetic sense when selecting a photo and pay attention to detail.
COPY EDITOR / PROOFREADER (minimum 8 hours for a minimum of four months) - copy edit the front page to find potential improvements and corrections in grammar, style and layout.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT (minimum 6 hours for a minimum of four months) - Helps with various projects related to the site including our special sections, including finding potential articles for future use, finding items for our quote of the day section, and various other projects related to our site.
MARKETING (minimum 5 hours for a minimum of four months) – help research potential media outlets and blogs to cover our site, work in PR and public relations, email our press releases, and keep track of coverage of our site that has occurred.
PROMOTION AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS (minimum 5 hours for a minimum of four months) - Help promote the web site by posting fliers on public message boards, and/or interacting with your local community and online communities such as MySpace, Facebook and Craigslist. No experience required. Social networking skills a plus.
GRAPHICS/GRAPHIC DESIGN (minimum 5 hours for a minimum of four months) - This varies depending on what’s currently needed, though includes a range of items from Web page design, to business cards, to the development of icons to fliers. Some experience or training is required.
GRANT WRITER/ FUNDRAISING (minimum 6 hours for a minimum of four months) - help research grants, and write and send grant proposals to foundations to secure funding for the site. Also other fundraising activities.
SKILLS
Our website is incredibly easy to use, and we have designed easy to use guidebooks to train you. Some of our volunteers work for professional news organizations and say they can't believe how advanced, powerful and easy to use our software is. Volunteering is virtual via the computer so you can be anywhere in the world.
If you apply for this position, you should view your commitment to this the same as if it were a paid position. We treat volunteers like normal staff and rely on them like staff. Our site is 99% volunteer run and we all depend on each other to make it a success. Please do not apply if you are viewing this opportunity as "just a volunteer position" and would treat it as less important than paid positions or other commitments you have.
To apply, email us at volunteer (at) dailysource (dot) org with the following information:
1) What area or areas you are interested in volunteering for? If you have a resume, please include it. If not, describe your current work and your last two positions. If you have volunteered before and have references for your volunteer work, please include those. Also let us know what kind of Internet connection you have at home.
2) Why are you interested in volunteering?
3) What are the number of hours per week you can volunteer and the period of time (i.e. number of months)? We tend to favor applicants who can volunteer a strong number of hours.
Please feel free to let us know anything else you think would be useful. Thanks for your interest. We look forward to being in touch.
