This is not a drill! Applications to join The Leeds Tab’s 2024/25 editorial team are OPEN!

Calling all Leeds students – The Leeds Tab is now recruiting for its 2024/25 editorial team!

From breaking news stories to Hyde Park and Headingley’s latest gossip, from fun features to guides on all the best Leeds hotspots, The Leeds Tab covers it all.  For anyone interested in a career in journalism, it is a fantastic way to develop your writing skills, gain experience and build confidence.

The new team will receive training from experienced editors and journalists at The Tab HQ ahead of the next academic year, so regardless of year or degree, we encourage everyone to apply.

The positions available are Editor in Chief, News Editor, Features Editor and Social Media Editor.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Thursday 16th May.

Though some experience with journalism or a related subject is desirable, most importantly, we want people who are passionate about news gathering and writing. We want you to be enthusiastic about everything Leeds, and excited about providing its students with all the latest goings-on. Furthermore, you should be able to work well in a team and be confident in guiding and helping others.

A description of each of the roles is available below. If you have questions about any of the roles, please do not hesitate to get in touch via Instagram or Facebook.

Editor in Chief

As Editor in Chief, you will oversee the entire team of writers and all of the articles The Leeds Tab publishes. In this role, you’ll work with your team to lead the direction of our coverage. You will also be the main link to The Tab HQ team, who will support you in running The Leeds Tab.

You will be responsible for organising your team of editors and writers, hosting regular meetings and motivating and supporting writers to maintain a regular schedule of articles being published.

You will be writing your own news and features pieces throughout the year, whilst also working with the section editors to come up with weekly pitch ideas to send out to your writer’s team to claim and help the team break the biggest stories on campus.

You will then be editing and publishing articles that your team of writers have submitted to you. You will also be in charge of making sure all content is consistent with The Leeds Tab’s standards and tone of voice.

The job of Editor in Chief is incredibly rewarding and a great opportunity to lead a talented team. It looks good on your CV no matter what career you end up in, but particularly if you’re looking to enter the journalism sector, it can be a game changer; The Tab is a publication that receives thousands of views per article, so your work can be viewed by professionals across the media industry.

The right person for the role should be friendly, approachable, supportive and possess good leadership skills as you’ll be spending a lot of time communicating and motivating your editorial team, alongside your team of writers.

News Editor

The Leeds Tab prides itself on breaking the biggest local news stories and as News Editor your biggest responsibility is ensuring that The Leeds Tab is reporting on the latest scoops on campus.

This often involves reacting quickly to fast-paced, ever-changing stories as they develop on the day. You’ll need a passion to report the latest scoop before anyone else, an eye for a good story and an ear for the latest news, controversies and events. It’s key to keep up-to-date on Leeds news, from protests on campus to major announcements from the university.

You’ll support the Editor in Chief in writing and editing articles weekly, coming up with pitches and article commissions and supporting writers. The roles of section editors are not black and white so you may also be expected to regularly write and edit feature articles, not just news.

Here are some of the news stories we’ve covered this year:

• University of Leeds’ Great Hall painted orange by Just Stop Oil protestors
• Students call for Leeds University Jewish chaplain fighting for IDF to resign
• Leeds students occupying Parkinson building claim the university rescinded its offer to meet

Features Editor

This role is for anyone who wants to direct The Leeds Tab’s features section. You’ll be responsible for writing and editing the iconic feature pieces that make The Leeds Tab as great as it is.

You’ll be able to cover every aspect of student life, from nightlife to fashion and food. You will be working on pieces that cover current opinions, fun guides and witty commentary on campus life.

You will also oversee the quizzes, opinion pieces, guides and other fun stories that we write. Rating outfits on campus, or arguing which Leeds club is the best – as Features Editor you’ll have a keen interest in everything relevant and relatable to Leeds students.

You will also support the Editor in Chief in editing and writing articles each week, coming up with pitches and article commissions and supporting writers. The roles of section editors are not black and white and you may also be expected to regularly write and edit news articles, not just features.

Here are some of the news stories we’ve covered this year:

• Leeds lingo: Your ultimate urban dictionary for understanding Leeds student slang
• HiFi Tuesdays and Greasy Pig cafe: Zack on The Traitors and his favourite Leeds nights out
• In honour of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), we spoke to Leeds Uni’s Taylor Swift Soc

Social Media Editor

The Social Media Editor will be in charge of The Leeds Tab’s Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

You’ll be responsible for distributing published articles onto social media and engaging the The Leeds Tab’s audience through memes, interactive Instagram stories and more. You will be the first line of contact between the audience and the rest of the editorial team, relaying any DMs or comments you’ve seen.

You will also produce content for The Leeds Tab’s TikTok page including recreating the latest trends you’ve seen and creating vox pops from interviews with students, either on campus or on nights out.

If you’ve got a knack for comedy and relatable content then this is the role for you – we need someone who has the ability to get people interested in everything The Leeds Tab is about.

You’ll be making posts like these:

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If you think you’ve got what it takes and want to apply for any of the advertised roles, please fill out this Google form: 

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