What can Brig do for you?
(Photo: Lucy McLellan)
Writing is an essential part of almost every subject at the University of Stirling. Job prospects are a concern of every student at the University Stirling. Getting involved with your student newspaper by attending writers meetings can help you to improve both.
What did Brig do for me?
As a writer, and then sports editor, for Brig Newspaper in my final two years as a Stirling undergraduate I developed many of the key attributes which enhanced my academic performance, boosted my employability, and allowed me to pursue my passion for sports writing.
At the first meeting, each of the editors and sub-editors introduced themselves, as they always do with new arrivals. After talking a little bit about their respective section they made a friendly plea for any interested writers to meet them later or contact them on Facebook.
Although I felt intimidated at first, the experienced editors were happy to ease me into the process of finding good writing topics. They were very unselfish in providing exciting topics which they could have covered themselves.
The current editors are as keen as possible to train up the new members in the more technical aspects of creating great content, with an attractive layout and features. We were encouraged to produce content for the print edition and website. So from the get go those who wished to be given responsibility and use the opportunity to gain specialist editorial skills could do so.
What can Brig do for you?
Since the launch of the Brig News website in 2015, the posted articles have been viewed over 30,000 times in approximately 123 countries. This is primarily down to the diversity of the university’s student population, but the editors were keen to emphasise the potential exposure for our work. With a large social media presence, over 1100 likes on the official “Brig Newspaper” Facebook page and over 1300 on Twitter (see links below), it would be easy for a flurry of likes and shares to vastly increase your online audience.
Whatever your degree or subject, if you come along to the writer’s meeting, you will be eased into the formalities of the society and introduced to everyone. Brig is a versatile organisation, very much shaped by the interests of the members, and the committee are always happy to incorporate topics which have not previously been covered in-depth. There are also numerous editorial positions, which were not filled at this year’s AGM, which could be re-opened if you were passionate enough to take the initiative with the assistance of the existing committee.
The workplace skills which come from writing, or holding a committee position, in Brig extend beyond strictly journalistic ones. You will become more adept at time management, organisation, teamwork, and handling pressure. Skills which will allow you to stand out from the large numbers of new graduates entering the job market each year.
One top of that, there are opportunities to gain applied experience with up-to-date technical journalism skills. Some of the tutorials on offer include the editing system InDesign, and the online platform WordPress, one of the most commonly used online platforms in the world.
How can you get involved?
The weekly writers meeting is held on Tuesday from 7pm-8pm. The meeting is usually held in Cottrell A9 or A11, however the room allocation can change depending on circumstances. Visit the Brig social media pages listed below for updates on any changes to time, place, or purpose of meeting.
Contacts
Editor-in-Chief: Dan Vevers (editor@brignews.com)
Deputy Editor: Ross Brannigan (deputyeditor@brignews.com)
Social Media
Brig Newspaper Website:
Click here to look up all articles published on the website since its launch in 2015.
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