The Daily Princetonian is the daily independent student newspaper of Princeton University. We’re one of the oldest college newspapers in the country, covering Princeton since 1876. But we’re also looking forward — with blossoming multimedia journalism sections, digital design and virtual engagement opportunities, and much more. You can read more about our different teams below.
The ‘Prince’ is dedicated to serving Princetonians past, present, and future through transparent, accurate, and empathetic reporting. We seek to inform and engage our readers by delivering reliable, timely, and truthful news and commentary that matter. We aim to drive campus conversation, uphold high journalistic standards, and innovate in how we tell stories.
To serve our readers, the ‘Prince’ seeks to build a team of student journalists who represent the diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives found at Princeton. We hope you’ll join us in furthering our mission and telling the stories that shape Princeton.
The Daily Princetonian application is now open! The process to apply is quick and easy. Apply HERE.
A note on selectivity: Princeton is notorious for very selective clubs. The ‘Prince’ is very inclusive: if you want to be a part of our community we want you. While a few individual sections may not have the capacity to take all applicants, there are always sections that need more staff. Specifically, we encourage applications to our Newsletter, Copy, Graphics, Print Design, and Audience sections.
The ‘Prince’ has 19 sections which can be really intimidating. We encourage you to start in one or two sections, but there’s always an opportunity to explore. The joining process is split into two groups. The reporting sections, namely News, Opinion, Sports, The Prospect, Features, Data, Podcast, and Video, will all undergo a training process split over two weekends. After, we will work with you to determine your best fit for a reporting section. If you are interested in a design-based section but aren’t sure which one, we encourage you to join Audience, which has an Undecided program.
All applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on September 12. Again, the application can be found HERE.
Note: This process applies to the ‘Prince’ editorial teams. The ‘Prince’ Business and Tech teams have separate application processes.
Applications open.
Open houses at The Daily Princetonian newsroom: 48 University Place.
Applications due.
News
Opinion
Sports
The Prospect
Copy
Features
Data
Photo
Podcast
Audience
Print Design
Cartoon
Newsletter
Puzzles
Humor
Archives
Research
Thank you for your interest in joining the News team of The Daily Princetonian!
In News, we break crucial stories that inform the Princeton community and hold administration accountable. We provide objective coverage of University decisions, meetings, policy changes, announcements, and keep the Orange Bubble up to date on student life and alumni happenings. We take deep dives into issues of activism and equity, both inside and outside FitzRandolph Gate. As a news source for both the municipality and broader University community, we cover just about everything from changes to Late Meal, to town council debates on affordable housing, to research being conducted across the many on-campus labs.
Our stories often get attention outside campus: our coverage in the past year has been picked up by the New York Times, Forbes, The Independent, and The Boston Globe, among other outlets.
We accept new writers with a wide range of backgrounds in journalistic writing or reporting; in fact, many of our current writers and editors joined the ‘Prince’ with no experience! In journalism; the best way to learn is by doing. Through hands-on editing, open communication, and comprehensive training, our News editors will help you learn the tools of the trade.
News reporters are encouraged to write as often as they wish, with an expectation of one article approximately every two weeks. While our staff writers follow beats — covering topic-specific stories like institutional legacy or campus unions, thus developing an expertise in that area — News contributors cover a variety of topics before they find their interest.
Our reporters are integral to helping us decide what to cover, as they bring fresh pitches and perspectives to our weekly section-wide meetings. We believe that a diverse range of backgrounds is important to improving our coverage of the Princeton community.
Above all else, the News team is a tight-knit community, and we'd love to have you on board!
Send any questions to the head News editors at news@dailyprincetonian.com.
Do you love analyzing current events in your community? Do you have a passion for argumentation? Do you want to drive campus conversation? Join The Daily Princetonian's Opinion section!
Our columnists have wide latitude to write about what matters to them - all we ask is that columns are concretely connected to Princeton. From traditional 800-1000 word columns to investigative forays into specific topics, you can bring your unique voice to our team. The Opinion section seeks to recruit columnists with a range of experiences, backgrounds, and ideas. We hope to elevate voices that have been historically underrepresented, both on our campus and in our newsroom, and to fill our pages with a diversity of viewpoints and perspectives.
Columnists also contribute to our periodic Reaction series, writing short-form responses to breaking news. They attend short weekly meetings to share pitches and develop essential skills.
We encourage you to apply whether you were a leader of your high school newspaper or are brand new to journalism. As a columnist, you'll be asked to contribute 2-4 pieces a semester, although more frequent writing is welcomed. You will learn how to craft a cohesive argument and articulate thoughtful takes on the most important issues on campus. You will develop your voice as a writer and gain an audience on campus and beyond. Plus, you'll have a team of fellow columnists to learn from and a community of journalists at the 'Prince.'
Send questions to the Head Opinion Editor at opinion@dailyprincetonian.com.
Are your friends always asking for your latest restaurant or book recommendations? Do you enjoy sharing personal experiences and reflections? Do you have an appreciation for the finer things in life — art, music, literature, or film?
Come join The Prospect, the arts and culture section of the ‘Prince.’
Our stories fall into three major categories: our arts pieces review performances and exhibitions on campus, profile our artists, and provide news on the arts scene at Princeton; our entertainment pieces perform detail cultural analysis and criticism of movies, TV shows, and other media; finally, our life pieces provide coverage of everything relating to student life and culture, from sexual health to boba recommendations. Many writers report on one of our five beats: visual arts, food and drink, music and performing arts, lifestyle, and film and theater, though we encourage writers to explore areas of coverage! Our writers pride themselves on getting exclusive pre-show coverage on the campus’s newest arts and culture happenings.
At The Prospect, we value all styles of writing: light and humorous, deep and introspective, analytical and comprehensive. Our staffers are expected to contribute at least 3-4 times each semester, though more-consistent writing is encouraged. No prior experience is necessary, and many Prospect writers were completely new to journalism when they wrote their first articles. The Prospect team is exceptionally open-minded and welcomes writers with a variety of academic and personal interests.
Send questions to the Head Prospect Editors at prospect@dailyprincetonian.com.
Welcome to Sports — we're so glad you're interested in covering the athletic landscape at Princeton!
Writers are asked to attend weekly meetings, a few training workshops, and to write an article weekly on average. Writers will be able to indicate which sports they would prefer to cover and will have the opportunity to get to know and report on the varsity (or other) teams of their choosing. The Sports section of the ‘Prince’ seeks to accommodate all incoming writers who demonstrate interest in the section and willingness to commit.
While game previews and recaps are a big part of the section, writers will also have the chance to cover big Princeton Athletics news stories and to write more longform stories as well over the course of the year. We’d encourage you to check out the different tabs on the Sports page of the ‘Prince’ website to see the full range of what we cover — from game coverage, to Q&As, to athlete profiles, to inside looks at practices and training, to breaking Sports pieces, and so much more!
We look forward to reading your application and having you join our team! Send questions to the Head Sports Editors at sports@dailyprincetonian.com.
Have you always wanted to write for The New Yorker? Do you enjoy insightful interviews and human connection? Are you a detective at heart?
Come join the Features section at The Daily Princetonian.
We specialize in profiles and long-form writing. We value a good story and how it is told — our editors spend extensive time working with writers to hone their prose, their article structure, and above all, their unique voice in order to create well-crafted articles.
At Features, we are of the mind that every story is worth telling, and we encourage writers to pursue their interests and pitch us their ideas — if you give a captivating elevator pitch, then no story, collaboration, or series is too outlandish.
Joining Features means joining a tight-knit community that values one-on-one time with an editor to best help support you, the writer, and help your piece shine. Our writers are expected to work closely with editors, meet interim deadlines, and make consistent progress on their assignments. No experience is required to join our section — in fact, many of our editors had never worked on a newspaper before joining the ‘Prince’! Before being writers and editors who pursue meaningful projects, we are an inclusive and light-hearted community, and we are always eager to expand our team with passionate new writers.
Send questions to the Head Features Editors at features@dailyprincetonian.com.
The ‘Prince’s newest reporting section is looking for talented numerically-inclined journalists. A chart can be worth 1000 words, or at least that’s the bet that our Data team makes. Data reporters analyze and break down large data sets to tell hidden stories about campus life. We need statisticians, Python experts and web designers – but we also need good writers to tell the stories compellingly.
Data reporters work to build the ‘Prince’s annual Frosh and Senior surveys, clean the results, and then break down what it means for the student body.
Data reporters analyze complex datasets about admissions, student forums and facility usage to understand trends that shape campus.
There’s plenty of investigative data work as well, breaking down public records and tax filings to understand university and club finances.
Want to join Data to exclusively find, analyze, and chart data? Join as a data visualizer to support data reporters and other sections.
No experience is required: we welcome a diversity of talents in constructing accurate data analyses.
Send questions to the Head Data Editors at data@dailyprincetonian.com.
Research coverage is one of the most interdisciplinary sections of The Daily Princetonian. This type of coverage includes data, features, and news stories, tracking research interests across the University.
We focus on new developments and publications at the University as well as more general features on labs and research all of which aim to bring both STEM and other research to the broader community. Anyone with knowledge about the research world at Princeton or interest in speaking with professors about their super cool work is strongly encouraged to contribute!
We welcome a diversity of interests and majors to this new area of the newspaper and hope that you apply and continue to shape the evolving way we cover the many research-related topics at Princeton.
Welcome to Podcast! We hope you’ll join us at the cutting edge of student journalism.
The ‘Prince’ currently produces two shows: Daybreak and Daybreak Longform. Daybreak is our daily news digest podcast, which focuses on Princeton events and stories from our community. On Daybreak Longform, we dive into a range of campus fixtures, from the ins and outs of bicker culture to live music at Small World.
Podcast staff will work on both our news and longform episodes, with the opportunity to host both. We also hope to collaborate with you to create new segments that showcase your voice and interests!
We're looking for absolutely anyone who’s excited by audio journalism. No experience is required; we’ll provide trainings to get you started and expand your skill set.
Whether you want to craft your on-air personality, write succinct, engaging scripts, or learn how journalists collect and edit audio in the field, we can't wait to work with you.
Please send questions to the Head Podcast Editor at podcast@dailyprincetonian.com.
If you’re a dab hand at doodling or a whiz at wordplay, please consider applying to us! Our section handles cartoons (as you might expect), but we’re also involved in illustrations, visual essays, caption contests, and other artistic projects at the ‘Prince.’ We accept a variety of styles and media (digital or traditional), and our subject matter isn't limited to campus.
A contributing cartoonist would be expected to turn in about 2-3 high quality cartoons per month by signing up for slots, so the schedule is very flexible. This 2-3 cartoon quota can also be expanded to 2-3 drawings in general, if you’re more interested in providing illustrations to accompany written pieces (often for Prospect, Opinion, or Satire). That process would involve signing up for a particular illustration request and submitting a drawing according to the specifications, which are often pretty broad, like the overall topic and tone. We’re also open to try newer projects like collages, a cartoon series, simple animations, or interactive media, so feel free to discuss those ideas with us.
Our audience includes the website, our newsletter, and all our social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), with thousands of potential viewers for your art. As a cartoonist, you'll have a flexible schedule and creative freedom for your submissions. We’ve also held drawing challenges, art exchanges, and similar events if you’re interested in those.
Send questions to the Head Cartoon Editors at cartoon@dailyprincetonian.com.
Eliana Du
Noam Rabinovitz
Madison Anderson
Valerie Neske
Austria Merritt
Ever since 1876, the ‘Prince’ has been undergoing a semi-covert grand master plot to create a vertically integrated media fiefdom to slurp up all coverage in the Greater Central Jersey Area. And as we all know, every vertically integrated media fiefdom needs a court jester. That’s us.
This section takes the Prince’s longstanding tradition of publishing an annual joke issue much further, creating weekly content satirizing the new and notable happenings (or lack thereof) in Princeton. You’ll be able to tell your parents and future employers you have a very serious position at a very serious paper, when you’re actually writing headlines about Eisgruber’s alleged personal collection of Jason Derulo memorabilia and Murray Dodge serving edibles. We know you may have some questions. Here’s some answers.
On a scale of the color beige to the literal founders of The Onion, you should be at least a 4.2 ish.
See note about vertically integrated media fiefdom.
Brainstorming silly little ideas, writing silly little spoof articles, hanging out with silly little Princetonian staffers, and trying not to get any more silly little libel lawsuit threats from the Church of Scientology.
Kindly direct all inquiries, praise, or personal attacks to the Head Humor Editors at satire@dailyprincetonian.com.
Copy editing is the final step of the writing process. Our staffers are the unsung heroes of excellent journalism and the gatekeepers between our stories and our readers.
At the Copy section, we value attention to detail and a commitment to constant improvement, whether that’s refining small errors or reconfiguring the larger systems that shape our writing norms. Most of all, we are a tight-knit, welcoming community and an indispensable part of the newsroom spirit. Joining Copy means joining a supportive and talented group of staffers and editors who are always willing to work together on a piece, often while catching up on each other's lives and having a great time. Most copy editors join without any previous experience!
We have a saying here at the ‘Prince' — ‘Copy saves lives.’ Sometimes, that's said when a combination of a multitude of small errors are avoided — the hundreds of articles that Copy receives with names misspelled, commas misplaced, or small factual errors are fixed up by our team of talented wordsmiths, who abide by our in-house Style Guide as if it were a religious text.
Other times, that's said when Copy uses its investigative skills to reveal larger gaps in our reporting, addresses structural issues that make an entire piece unclear, protects our paper against libel suits by correcting quotes and flagging defamatory statements, removes editorializing language in our news pieces, or pushes for conscious language use that reframes and refocuses how our journalists use words pertaining to pronouns, race, gender, and sexuality.
This year, ‘Prince' copy editors have completely overhauled our resources and guides related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; copied dozens of breaking news pieces; changed the way we write headlines for search engine optimization; independently verified hard-hitting, data driven pieces; and worked closely with reporters on how to rephrase their writing for accuracy and readability.
We hope you join us for the coming semester! The Copy section is proud to take in everyone who fills out our application, regardless of their background or experience level.
Send questions to the Head Copy Editors at copy@dailyprincetonian.com.
Do you regularly read and rave over The New York Times “The Morning” or NPR’s “Life Kit”? If so, you're invited to apply to the ‘Prince’ newsletter team!
Since the paper discontinued daily print production, the newsletter has become the most impactful way through which the ‘Prince’ reaches our 4,000+ subscribed daily readers. Each evening, the Newsletter team is responsible for writing and developing the newsletter. We outline the day’s most important stories for our thousands of readers, curating a newsletter full of intriguing articles both related to campus and about happenings “Beyond the Bubble.” This is the perfect opportunity to share the campus’s most important news while letting your voice shine through!
The Newsletter team is also responsible for designing and writing newsletters for Special Issues (i.e., First Snow, Thanksgiving, etc.) and developing new newsletter products.
Joining the Newsletter team means joining a tight-knit, up-and-coming section looking for fresh and bold ideas. Newsletter staff, as the daily writers and designers, will have great control over the look and feel of the newsletter, in an effort to make our newsletter the best it can be. Anyone interested in either writing or design is encouraged to apply.
See our newsletters on the “Newsletter” tab of our website.
Send questions to Caleb Bello, the Head Newsletter Editor, at newsletters@dailyprincetonian.com.
Are you interested in history, especially the history of Princeton? Do you love telling stories about the past? Does your perfect day involve poking through dusty archives and yellowed pages?
Sounds like you’d be a great fit for the ‘Prince’ Archives team!
We’re looking to build a team to help to organize and make accessible the ‘Prince’s nearly-150-year-long archive. We also plan to use that archive to make ‘Prince’ memory books, compiling great articles from the catalog to tell stories from Princeton’s history.
The Archives section also recently introduced "This Week in History," a section which highlights an article from the ‘Prince’ archives that brings shocking, exciting, or interesting topics from this week in history to light.
Reach out to eic@dailyprincetonian.com with questions about the Archives project.
Graphic artists at the ‘Prince’ create eye-popping visuals to illustrate complex topics or attract readers to pieces across sections, with many in our Opinion or The Prospect section. We are looking for more artistic ways of presenting articles in the next year and want to bring in campus artists.
Artists interested in graphics are encouraged to join Cartoon, Print Design, or Audience to get a feel for the newsroom, but we take applications for stand-alone graphic artists as well.
Send questions to the Art Director at artdirector@dailyprincetonian.com.
Hello from PrincePhoto! If you are interested in documenting the myriad faces, places, and events on Princeton’s ever evolving campus through the lens of a camera, please consider joining the photo section!
We focus on creating polished still imagery to accompany articles from other ‘Prince’ sections as well as creating photo essays and web projects that explore campus life through visual representation.
As a new Photo section staffer, we would ask you to contribute 3–4 times per month with high-quality photos to be featured in articles or photo essays. If this sounds daunting, do not worry! The Photo section will run biweekly workshops on topics ranging from basic camera operations to photo editing and photojournalism ethics. The ‘Prince’ will also provide access to camera equipment if necessary. You do not need any experience, or equipment, to join us, just the willingness to learn!
We hope you join us as we strive to bring the best of visual storytelling to The Daily Princetonian.
Send questions to the Head Photo Editor at photo@dailyprincetonian.com.
Are you a daily solver of the New York Times crossword (or the mini)? Are you a closet cruciverbalist? Want to meet other solvers, play with words, and try your hand at making a puzzle? Then join The Daily Princetonian’s new Puzzles section!
Now in its third year, the ‘Prince’s puzzle section produces full-size crossword puzzles, daily mini crosswords, and weekly news quizzes. We also produce specialty puzzles and number games for our print issue.
We will train constructors on basic methods, strategies, and skills to make fun and difficult crossword puzzles (and possibly other games and puzzles in the future). Contributing constructors will work together with the editors to make one or two crossword puzzles each semester.
No experience is necessary. The ‘Prince’ prides itself on teaching the many rather than cherry-picking the few. We will work with constructors of any level to get everyone from their first attempt at constructing to publication. Enthusiasm is far more important than any experience constructing or even solving. Our constructors are expected to produce several puzzles each semester, which may seem daunting. But those who can learn as they go, work with enthusiasm, and think deeply about the craft will thrive in our section.
Historically, white men have made up too large a percentage of crossword constructors at the New York Times and other major publications. Clues and entries, too, are sometimes oriented toward an audience of (older) white people. We stand with recent efforts, led by women and people of color, to increase the diversity of voices represented in crosswords and look towards leaders like Erik Agard, Inkubator, and Queer Qrosswords — among many others — as we build this section. We look forward to working with a diversity of constructors and creating puzzles for all Princetonians.
Send questions to the Head Puzzles Editors at puzzles@dailyprincetonian.com.
In addition to our strong digital presence here at the ‘Prince’, we are also so excited to produce print issues! We’ll publish a print issue featuring key articles, columns, crosswords, cartoons, and more, allowing our readers to engage with our content in a tangible way. And in Print Design, you’ll have the opportunity to put together the layout for these print issues! Once a week or once every two weeks, you will be on shift with another Print designer working in Adobe InDesign to put together a paper that will be distributed across campus and in some local shops in town as well. No experience is necessary, and we are so excited to hear from you!
Check out past issues on Issuu.
Send questions to the Head Print Design Editors at design@dailyprincetonian.com.
Daily Princetonian Business fully manages and operates The Daily
Princetonian Publishing Co., a company with hundreds of
thousands of dollars in annual cash flow built on digital
advertising, print advertising and subscriptions, software, a
sponsored content studio, merchandise, and other innovative
products.
LEARN MORE
The team comprises 20-30 exceptionally entrepreneurial and
versatile staff. We pride ourselves on being a small, but
obsessive team — unlike most of our peer papers, which hire
professional managers and accountants, we perform our own sales
and financial operations end-to-end. We renegotiate service
contracts when we find opportunities for cost optimization, and
we constantly seek to build products that are brilliant in their
simplicity, efficiency, and utility. At the end of the day, our
purpose is to enable our friends in the newsroom to create the
best media possible by maximizing revenue and minimizing costs.
If you love solving problems and devoting yourself to fun
projects that impact thousands of students and tens of thousands
of readers every day, you will find yourself at home with our
team. Learn more about the business team at
https://business.dailyprincetonian.com/. Drop by our office at 48 University Place during one of our
open houses or shoot us an email with any questions at
business@dailyprincetonian.com. We look forward to meeting you soon.
The Daily Princetonian Tech Team is responsible for developing,
managing, and hosting technologies to support digital services
across all ‘Prince’ departments. We are entirely involved in the
full-stack and mobile app development processes.
LEARN MORE
The Tech Team is composed of two subteams: Apps, which focuses on full stack development and maintaining existing infastructure, and Projects, which works on developing interactive special projects with unique designs such as the yearly Senior Survey.
Some of our most popular projects include the Campus web app, The Daily Princetonian mobile app, and our crosswords player.
We are a small team of developers who are dedicated to supporting and expanding The Daily Princetonian’s digital presence. With your help, we will continue to deliver web solutions and beautiful applications for The Daily Princetonian and the Princeton community. If you are interested in
developing with the tech team, please complete this application. Unlike the teams above, we do not have a set recruiting period or deadline. Instead, we accept new members on a rolling basis as more programmers are needed.
We cover all aspects of the Princeton community — from campus life and University affairs, to alumni and faculty activities, to happenings in town! To get a better sense of the work we do, we’d recommend perusing our website!
Not at all! Some sections may ask you whether you’ve written for a school newspaper or used certain kinds of software in the past. These questions give our editors a sense of who’s coming on board, but lack of experience will never disqualify an application. The Daily Princetonian is an educational institution at its core, and the best ‘Prince’ applicants are those who demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to learn.
This differs on a section-by-section basis, and we’d recommend you check in with section editors with questions about the time commitment. Each section has a set minimum expectation that recruits must fulfill to stay on staff, but many ‘Prince’ members often go above and beyond those expectations. Ultimately, you often get out of the ‘Prince’ what you put in, and staffers work with their editors to determine exactly what level of commitment is best for them.
There is no limit to how many sections you can apply to, but we recommend 2-3. If accepted to multiple sections you can choose which ones you want to join. With some exceptions (see the previous question), you can join multiple sections as well. If you apply and are accepted to both business and editorial, someone will reach out to ask which section you prefer.
Yes, with some caveats. Contributors to reporting sections (i.e., News, Features, Sports, etc.) cannot contribute to the Opinion section, and vice versa. Additionally, members of the business team cannot also serve on any of our editorial teams, and vice versa.
independentmean for me?
Unlike most other student-run organizations you may be interested in, the ‘Prince’ is financially independent from the University. This helps to ensure our ability to report critically and truthfully on the institution we often cover. As an independent media organization, we have our own business team that works to sell ads, optimize our finances, forge business partnerships, and more. Our business team and content-producing teams also operate independently to ensure decisions about what and how we report are made based on journalistic principles, not financial considerations. For you, this means that in any section you’ll get hands-on experience working for a real, professional media company.
For editorial questions, contact the Managing Editors (managingeditor@dailyprincetonian.com) or the Editor-in-Chief (eic@dailyprincetonian.com), cc’ing both addresses will help guarantee you a faster response. If you have questions about a specific section and want to communicate with our section editors, you can find their contact information in the “explore our teams” section of this website. For business team questions, get in touch with our business manager at bm@dailyprincetonian.com. You can also bring your questions to our open houses, or find us at the Involvement Fest!
We aspire to make joining the ‘Prince’ financially feasible for all. Although the majority of our staffers are not compensated for their contributions to the ‘Prince,’ we are proud to offer a limited number of merit-based financial stipends to staffers with demonstrated financial need.
