It’s official: News Editor applications are OPEN, and here’s why YOU should apply

Attention Durham students, keen writers and aspiring journalists, News Editor applications are now open. We need you! News is the body of journalism. We are looking for passionate individuals to report on Durham’s most pressing stories. Additionally, we want you to find scoops and conduct interviews. You will also edit in a style that makes news consumable for a student audience. Do you want to broaden your writing portfolio and gain experience in all aspects of news from ideation to publication? Perhaps you’re passionate about investigating campus crises, local news, politics and providing a forum for student debate? If all of this sounds tempting, then this role is for you.

You can apply via the Google Form at the bottom of this article. Applications close on: Sunday 12th July at 23:59

Durham has hundreds of societies, so why The Durham Tab?

The Durham Tab is part of The Tab, a UK-wide student media website which sees nine million readers each month. Editors at The Tab’s university sites have previously hit 300,000 page views in two years. Many have gone on to work at major organisations like the BBC or Vogue. Some have even joined The Tab’s incredible HQ in London. Being an editor allows you to grow your journalistic skills in a supportive environment. You will get help from the Tab’s HQ editors to build what will become your best work yet.

Joining The Durham Tab (with an Instagram following of 15k and Facebook 20k respectively) means you’ll be working for a fast-growing publication. This publication isn’t afraid of speaking out about matters which remain at the heart of most (if not all) Durham students. We’re talking student housing, budgeting, university policies, ranking lists, and injustice which demands scrutiny. Topics include major headlines like Five Durham University scholarship holders trapped in Gaza: The lives behind the students or Defunded, not defeated: Durham Pride returns bigger than ever after Reform UK funding cut.

What makes us unique?

The Durham Tab is independent of Durham University and the Students’ Union. As News Editor, you’ll be working from a position that sits slightly outside the institutions you’re reporting on. This makes your journalism all the more important. That independence gives you the freedom to pursue stories that matter to you and the wider student community. You will use news not just to inform, but to hold institutions and decision-makers to account.

What does the role entail?

News Editor at The Durham Tab is responsible for overseeing the site’s news coverage, ensuring stories are accurate, timely and engaging. You’ll be working alongside Seamus and myself (Co-Editors-In-Chief) to ensure news is both fast and fun, yet retains the seriousness required in order to produce high-quality content.

Here’s some common features:

• Leading the news section by deciding which stories to cover and identifying issues that matter to Durham students.
• Commissioning and editing articles from writers, giving feedback and helping them develop strong news stories.
• Fact-checking and ensuring legal and editorial standards are met, including verifying claims and seeking comment from relevant parties. This will include contacting press offices and individuals named in articles for comment, so applicants should be able to keep a professional tone in their written contact.
• Writing your own stories, particularly on breaking news, investigations and exclusive stories.
• Managing deadlines and ensuring news is published quickly while maintaining accuracy.
• Editing with our specific Tab style guide to ensure news is written professionally, and structed according to our framework!
• Building relationships with sources, including students, societies, the University, colleges, the Students’ Union and local organisations.
• Working closely with the Editors-in-Chief to shape the publication’s editorial direction and respond to major news events.
• Liaising with the HQ team on local news, working together to find scoops to ensure content is correctly published at all times.
• Overseeing the Instagram and Facebook accounts to post news content: This includes publishing articles, uploading promotional material, posting stories such as question boxes, polls, and also ensuring Facebook links are embedded so that readers can access our articles with ease.

You’ll be writing stories like these:

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• Durham University top 100 in QS World Rankings 2027
• It’s election season: How are Durham University’s political societies campaigning?
• Attention students! An International Women’s Day protest is set for Billy B tomorrow
• Drunk driver jailed for killing Durham University student after downing eight to 10 pints
• Durham University challenges Financial Times’ claim that it awards too many firsts
• Durham group ‘Safe Education’ to back bill for higher-education students against sexual violence

News in action: Video journalism

An exciting aspect of this role is the ability to take part in The Durham Tab’s iconic ‘Tab on the Street’ interviews. In these interviews, editors take on the City of Durham to ask questions on issues of the day, hot topics, and even politics (watch this space).

Being comfortable in front and behind the camera is essential, as you’ll be supporting the filming of this content by using a mini-mic, or filming pre-recorded videos informing students about local news, written by us!

It might sound daunting, but video journalism is such a fun, yet rewording tool that brings topics into centre stage, and seeing it in action is often our editors’ favourite part about The Durham Tab. This could be YOU!

Still unsure? Here’s my experience as the 2025-26 News Editor!

Writing this article myself only felt right as this was the role which transformed my love for journalism into something tangible, unleashing a potential I otherwise never knew I had. Being The Durham Tab’s News Editor for 2025-26 was one of the best things I’ve done in Durham so far, from street interviews to writing stories which gave students a platform to be heard, made the role all the more meaningful.

Learning skills from legal training in going for comment to more structural details on how to organise an article, use platforms like WordPress, and work in a team of likeminded aspiring writers and talented students, I can confidently recommend the role to anyone interested in news, politics, or student life itself. There’s always the chance to get involved in the occasional feature piece too. You might create guides for students on more light-hearted themes. There’s something for us all.

I’ve made so many friends, and have since become Co-Editor-In-Chief, and think The Tab will hold a special place in my heart forever in helping me realise the pathway I want to pursue after Durham. The power of student journalism is often understated, but being a part of the process showed me just how invaluable a tool this is. The Tab prides itself on being “By students, for students”, reporting on issues that affect us all, from the very bottom. Joining us as this year’s News Editor means you too, can shape one of the most important parts of this publication, giving light to stories which may otherwise never meet the surface. Its safe to say, you won’t regret it.

Apply now by clicking the link here: APPLY NOW, BY SUNDAY 12TH JULY AT 23:59 PM!