Spectator Publishing Company

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The Spectator Publishing Company

The Spectator Publishing Company, Inc., is the parent company of the Columbia Daily Spectator. The company, managed by the Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, and Managing Editor, is accountable to a Board of Directors composed of Spectator alumni. The publishing company employs a full-time professional staff in graphics and advertising who provide quality service to our many advertisers.

The Columbia Daily Spectator

The Columbia Daily Spectator, which has operated independent of University funding since 1962, is completely written, edited, and published by a staff of over 300 Columbia and Barnard students. Every day, arts reviews, sports coverage, opinion pieces, provocative editorials, and a wide range of news issues reach the community through the Spectator.

The Eye

As the features and arts magazine of the Columbia Daily Spectator, The Eye is the only weekly magazine on campus. Founded in 2006, The Eye offers the community fresh, thoughtful journalism about student life, cultural events, and emerging trends.

SpecBlogs

SpecBlogs, the Columbia Spectator blog network, offers updates on news, arts, commentary, and photos from around campus and New York City.

The Paper

To be written...

The Staff

The Spectator Publishing Company is divided into twelve departments:

Alumni Affairs
Arts & Entertainment
Business
Copy
Design
The Eye
News
Sales
Opinion
Photography
Multimedia
Sports
Staff Development

Alumni Affairs

The Alumni Affairs section is a department of the business section of The Spectator Publishing Company. Our goals are primarily twofold: to connect current staffers with alumni to provide them with internship and networking opportunities and to bring alumni back to the Spectator to help raise funds for the production and growth of the paper. Currently, we are working on projects such as an alumni speaker series, a monthly newsletter entitled “Retrospec,” organizing the archives and planning alumni events for the spring.

Arts & Entertainment

Spectator A&E covers all things New York arts and entertainment, on and off campus. We are composed of nine subsections, each of which provides student-relevant arts coverage in the daily pages, the Eye magazine, and on the section’s official blog, Spectacle.

In the past year alone, A&E writers have interviewed teen pop favorite Hanson, environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Golden Globe Award-winning actor Colin Farrell, and Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.But some of the most important work Spec A&E does is focused right in our own neighborhood, reviewing student and campus productions, profiling student and faculty artists, authors, and musicians, and offering a guide to the multifaceted arts scene inside Columbia’s gates.

Business & Finance

The Columbia Spectator Finance section is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day finances of the Spectator Publishing Company. Some of the things that we do are process reimbursements, track section expenses, and work on assorted projects related to the goings-on of a non-profit company. We also work closely with the Sales and Alumni staffs on projects involving the whole business staff. We welcome people of all experience levels and backgrounds to join our staff.

Copy

The copy section is the final gatekeeper to every word that is published by the Columbia Daily Spectator. We define and enforce the writing style of the newspaper and make our writers’ writing clear, consistent, and grammatically correct.

We look for a strong editorial hand for good writing and a keen eye for good grammar in our editors. No experience in copy editing is necessary and the time commitment is as low as three hours a week.

Design

The Spectator design team is in charge of the look and feel of the newspaper. We create fun and informative graphics and we implement the page layouts for the daily paper. Members of our team learn and perfect their skills using the latest industry-standard design software: Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.

We are looking for students interested in graphic design with any or no experience with newspaper layout. Time commitment is flexible and is limited to the evening that you choose to work in the Spectator office. Training is one-on-one with a current design editor to familiarize you with using the software and newspaper style.

Multimedia

The multimedia section is responsible for using the newest available mediums on the internet to enhance the effectiveness of our content delivery. Ideally, the goal is to utilize all available technological means to clarify and add to the message already established by the print version. This is accomplished by an emphasis on visual media to give the common reader a new perspective on a story. The multimedia team works with the latest software available, including Adobe Flash, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Soundbooth and Soundslides to create these productions. It gives staffers the opportunity to train on software that is likely too expensive or difficult to work with otherwise. It's an excellent way to improve your eye for visuals and give yourself the opportunity to learn new ways to make an old message new and exciting.

News

The news section is not only the front-page view of the Spectator, but also the eyes and ears of Columbia University, Barnard, and the surrounding neighborhoods of New York City. Our reporters sit down with top University administrators, walk the city streets from the Upper West Side to Harlem, and even cover pigeon poo legislation rallies at City Hall. Writing for news might be the best way to get the most out of your experience as a student and resident of New York, as you encounter people, places, and events that are integral to shaping your life here, though perhaps beyond the scope of an average Columbia undergraduate.

Sales

The Sales section helps keep the business running by maintaining the advertising revenue necessary for the paper's publication. As members of the Sales staff, students get the opportunity to work with businesspeople from a range of industries--the restaurant industry, small businesses, and corporate PR firms-- to help build the symbiotic relationships fundamental to advertising. The Sales staff also works with various Columbia offices on supplements to advertise activities, programs and work opportunities available to the student body.

Opinion

Spectator Opinion welcomes submissions from all individuals affiliated with Columbia University or Morningside Heights. Submissions may range from campus issues to national politics, but should connect to Columbia or the surrounding community in some way. They should clearly state an opinion backed by support and may not have been previously published elsewhere. Pieces should be between 700 and 900 words, and writers edit with an editorial page associate editor before publication.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should respond to an article or op-ed published in the past seven days. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and writers may edit with an editorial page associate editor to fit space constraints. All letters should be sent to opinion@columbiaspectator.com.

Columnists

Columnists come from diverse areas of the Columbia student body. Columnists are hired on a semester basis and can be from any undergraduate school affiliated with Columbia University. Columns are published every two weeks and writers edit with the editorial page deputy editor before publication.

Editorial Board

The Spectator Editorial Board is the official organ of the newspaper’s views. Its members discuss campus and city issues at biweekly meetings, come to consensus opinions, and articulate those opinions in staff editorials published daily. Each member contributes ideas regularly, in meetings and emails, and writes around one editorial every two weeks. Editorial Board members are hired on a semester basis and can be from any undergraduate school affiliated with Columbia University.

Photography

Members of the Photography section provide the visual content of the newspaper, with a growing emphasis on accountable independent reporting, online projects, new media journalism, original content, and comprehensive coverage on both the campus and city side.

While shooting for Spectator, you may find yourself covering high-profile political speeches on campus, local protests at neighborhood churches, models walking the runway at Fashion Week, championship games at Baker Field, portraits of locals in Manhattanville, classy restaurants in the city, concerts, art expos, and much more. Past coverage has included President Obama's Election Night in Chicago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit, and a string of features on the Manhattanville expansion.

Spectator Photo also offers a number of workshops and positions for those interested in working with the latest industry-standard image processing software. The section will provide photographers who do not own equipment with all necessary gear for assignments. This includes DSLR cameras, lenses, memory cards, batteries and where necessary, external flashes and telephoto lenses.

Staff Development

The Staff Development team of Spectator is in charge of the projects at Spectator that require talented managers and event planners. The projects that we will be undertaking this year include a townhall meeting for students to discuss campus issues with Spectator editors, moderated debates between class council candidates, speaker events with Spectator alumni, and office visits to professional New York publications. Members have a chance work on projects that would greatly strengthen Spectator's relationship with other student groups and, at the same time, motivate other Spectator members through bonding at these events. We're looking for students who are organized, good communicators, and are knowledgeable with campus facilities.

FAQ

If you have any questions that we don’t answer here, please submit them to editor@columbiaspectator.com and we'll try to answer them in a timely manner.

“Who do I contact regarding advertising?"

Questions involving local and national advertising can be sent to sales@columbiaspectator.com. If you have general questions, contact publisher@columbiaspectator.com or call (212) 854-9552. For further information about specific rates and publication dates, please click here.

"How do I write a letter to the editor?"

The Columbia Daily Spectator welcomes opinions, submissions, and letters to the editor from readers. Submissions and letters may be sent either by e-mail (to opinion@columbiaspectator.com ), snail mail, or fax. Letters may not exceed 300 words; opinion submissions may not exceed 800 words. All letters and submissions must include the author's name, telephone number, and Columbia affiliation including academic year, if any. Submissions must be signed by an author, not an organization. No submissions received after 7:00 p.m. will be considered for the next day's edition.

Note: Spectator reserves the right to edit submissions for length or content with or without the consultation of the author. By submitting a letter or editorial submission to Spectator, you release all publication rights of that work to Spectator Publishing Company, Inc. upon its publication, including but not limited to the right to publish or reproduce the submission, altered or unaltered, in part or in whole, in any and all media, whether affiliated or unaffiliated with the Company, without payment to or consultation with you, in perpetuity.

“Who can work for Spectator?”

Any undergraduate student at Columbia University.

The Spectator exists because of the devotion of students whose talents range across a wide spectrum. The organization is home to reporters, artists, graphic designers, photographers, web designers, broadcasters, business people, programmers, and more. Anyone who is committed to this newspaper can find a home here.

(N.B. Columnists and submissions need not be by undergraduates).

“How do I join the Spectator staff?”

Spectator offers training classes and open houses at the beginning of each semester. Different sections have various requirements for becoming a staffer, but each requires a successful completion of the training course. Training ensures a universal understanding of the newspaper’s operations and instruction in various skills, such as reporting or programming. Everyone—including those with copious newspaper experience—must enroll in training. No experience necessary.You may work for multiple sections simultaneously, with the exception of news and opinion. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that we may contact you with training logistics.

"How do I apply to be a columnist?"

The Spectator accepts columnist applications from students at any undergraduate school affiliated with Columbia University. Columns are published every two weeks, and writers are expected to edit with an opinion page editor before publication. Deadlines will be strictly enforced. Click here to download the application.

"How do I get you guys to cover my event?"

If you have an event that you think is newsworthy, let us know at least a week in advance so we can assign it to a reporter and photographer. The best way to get your event covered is to e-mail us at news@columbiaspectator.com with the pertinent information (the who, what, when, where, and why), and we will do our best to send reporters to the events we deem newsworthy. If your event is more artistically or culturally-oriented, send your query to arts@columbiaspectator.com.

"How do I publicize my event?"

News stories are not publicity tools. If you want to publicize an event in advance, contact our Advertising/Business Department at (212) 854-9550. We also post a calendar of events on our web site and in the newspaper on a daily basis. E-mail is preferable (to events@columbiaspectator.com), but you may also call or fax us. To ensure clarity, you must include all pertinent information (the who, what, when, where, why). Requests for listings must be received by Friday of the week prior to the event's occurrence.

"Where do I send news tips?”

We welcome story ideas and will consider your tips. Please send all news tips to specnews@columbia.edu.

“What should I do if the Spectator makes an error in a story?”

Email editor@columbiaspectator.com with your complaints, and we’ll get in touch with you to discuss potential corrections as soon as possible.

Join Us

The Columbia Spectator, founded in 1877, delivers news and information daily to thousands of readers around Columbia, Morningside Heights, and West Harlem. We are the second-oldest college daily paper in the country and have been financially independent from the University since 1962. The newspaper is published five days a week during the academic year and our blog network, SpecBlogs, offers updates on news, arts, commentary, and photos from around campus and New York City.

The organization is run by undergraduates from Barnard, Columbia College, General Studies, and SEAS, with a staff totaling over 200 students. Spectator has opportunities for a wide range of interests, including reporting, writing, editing, photography, design, multimedia, and finance.

Along with the daily paper and blogs, Spectator Publishing Company Inc. includes The Eye, a weekly arts and features magazine; La Página, a weekly Spanish-language bulletin; and the business division, which manages Spectator's financial standing.

If you're interested in joining or have any general questions, please contact us at join@columbiaspectator.com.