Want to help build community? Know a college student that’s looking for a summer or fall internship for academic credit or to gain experience? Already attending village board or school board meetings and want to record or report on them? Want to engage with arts & culture, ag, businesses, events and other topics important to our community? Want to take scenic walks or drives delivering papers to subscribers and businesses?
We have so many ideas to grow and do more for our community, but we need help, we CAN’T do it alone. If you want to be a part of something bigger please email us and let us know what your interests are: editor@valleysentinelnews.com
Have a few hours a week to volunteer to make a difference in our community?
Interested in any of these or other areas?
We will make the position work for the right candidates and hours will reflect availability. There is no expectation of a certain number of hours each week, we want to inspire passion and creativity, not create a 9-5.
Email us at the address below along with any (optional) work that helps showcase your talents.
Interested in something less formal? We’re always excited to welcome contributors from the community. Whether you have a written piece, a review, photographs or art to share, feel free to reach out for consideration.
Available Positions/Subject Areas
Editorial/Journalism
We’re interested in volunteers of all journalistic backgrounds or pursuits, including but not limited to: general assignment, governmental meeting, investigative, arts & culture and/or sports reporting.
Preferences:
- 18 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Journalism, English, Publishing, Professional Writing, Political Science or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn AP style principles
- Basic knowledge of social media platforms
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn WordPress
- Basic knowledge of picture and video editing
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn the Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- Ability to travel to various locations
- Ability to attend various events and governmental meetings
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Duties:
- Produce at least four articles per month on various topics relevant to the coverage area
- Assist the social media team in pushing/posting editorial content online
- Seek and pitch stories to pursue, relevant to coverage area
- Take on assigned content by editors
- Assist with various newspaper production/layout/pagination duties
- Assist in breaking news coverage
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests
- Provide a positive public brand experience and engaging interactions with the community
Social Media/Marketing
Preferences:
- 18 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Communications, Advertising or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Basic knowledge of social media platforms and social media management programs – let’s engage our community on Snapchat, Instagram and other platforms in ways that are unique and new to news
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn AP style principles
- Basic knowledge of website design and WordPress
- Basic knowledge of picture and video editing
- Basic knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Duties:
- Assist in building and growing social media accounts
- Assist in creating a brand and building top-of-mind awareness
- Provide a positive public brand experience and engaging interactions with the community
- Assist in building a web presence and website management
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests
Advertising/Marketing
Preferences:
- 18 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Community Relations, Communications, Advertising or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Sales experience preferred but not required
- Basic knowledge of social media ad platforms and social media management programs
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive, especially spreadsheet/CRM management
- Ability to travel to various locations
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn AP style principles
- Basic knowledge of website design and WordPress
- Basic knowledge of picture and video editing
- Basic knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite and ad design
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Duties:
- Assist in all aspects of ad sales and advertising management
- Ability to identify local and hyper-local advertising clients
- Ability to identify relevant advertising clients outside of the local or hyper local coverage area
- Work towards growing client lists
- Stay up to date on relevant events and business openings in the area
- Set forth a positive image to advertising clients in the community
- Help to create top-of-mind awareness for advertising clients
- Assist in the creation of client advertising/marketing plans
- Assist in occasional press release/copywriting production as the publication announces new endeavors/sections/events, etc.
- Assist in website management and pushing ads online
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests and incorporating ads
- Assist in building an in-the-community presence
Graphic Design
Preferences:
- 18 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Digital Arts, Graphic Design or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn AP style principles
- Basic knowledge of social media platforms
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn WordPress
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn Canva
- Basic knowledge of picture and video editing
- Basic knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign/Photoshop
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Some duty examples (can focus on certain areas and not others based on skills and interest):
- Producing at least 10-15 designs per month, relevant to editorial or standalone infographic content
- Assist in design and production of advertising content in consultation with our advertising partners
- Create both editorial and advertising graphics, editorial ‘cartoons’ a plus
- Help design and organize branding guidelines
- Assist the social media team in pushing/posting editorial content online
- Seek and pitch infographic content to pursue, relevant to coverage area
- Take on assigned content by editors
- Assist with various newspaper production/layout/pagination duties
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests
- Provide a positive public brand experience and engaging interactions with the community
- Assisting in producing/paginating at least 12-16 publication pages weekly, in line with our brand guidelines
- Assist in placing and organizing editorial, brand content, ads and infographic designs that convey our stories in a visually engaging way
- Working with our printing provider to ensure layout meets their standards
- Help design and organize branding guidelines
- Assist the social media team in pushing/posting editorial content online
- **Seek, pitch and create infographic content to/for graphic design team to pursue, relevant to coverage area**
Circulation/Distribution
Whether you’re looking to just distribute papers and be out in the community, or you’re in college and looking for credit and experience with database and route management, you’re not a student but looking to boost your resume and add experience or if you just want to be part of building something — we’re happy to design an educational experience based on your needs.
Preferences:
- 16 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Engineering Data Analytics, Data Science, Data/Information Management & Analytics, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Communications, Advertising or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Basic knowledge of spreadsheet and/or CRM management programs
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive
- Basic knowledge of WordPress
- Basic knowledge of email marketing platforms
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Example Duties (Can focus on certain areas and not others based on skills and interest):
- Assisting in building and managing a database/CRM for print publication circulation delivery/distribution
- Assisting in print publication delivery/distribution to subscribers and businesses
- Assisting in building and managing a database/CRM for online email newsletters
- Assist ad sales team in building and managing an ad sales database/CRM for advertising clients
- Assist in creating a master database/CRM of contacts
- Assist in creating a brand and building top-of-mind awareness
- Provide a positive public brand experience and engaging interactions with the community
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests
Podcasting/Audio Production
Preferences:
- 18 years or older
- Pursuing a degree in Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, Audio/Video Engineering, English, Publishing, Professional Writing or similar area of study at an institution of higher education
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn AP style principles
- Basic knowledge of social media platforms
- Basic knowledge of podcasting platforms
- Basic knowledge of Google Docs/Google Drive
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn WordPress
- Basic knowledge of picture and video editing
- Basic knowledge or willingness to learn the Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign
- Have access to computers, phones and internet connection
- Ability to travel to various locations
- Ability to attend various events and governmental meetings
- On the job education and training will be a top priority for the position
Example Duties:
- Produce audio articles based on already-written content
- Produce at least four 30-60 minute audio podcasts per month on various topics relevant to the coverage area
- Assist the social media team in pushing/posting editorial content online
- Seek and pitch stories to pursue, relevant to coverage area
- Take on assigned content by editors
- Assist with various newspaper production/layout/pagination duties
- Assist in breaking news coverage
- Assist with curating weekly newsletters and digests
- Provide a positive public brand experience and engaging interactions with the community
And more! Have an idea? Just ask!
About us
Valley Sentinel is a startup news company looking to flip the script on traditional media.
Majority woman-owned and started by two 20-somethings with backgrounds in journalism in October 2020, Valley Sentinel is seeking to change how community journalism is done with a hybrid model that focuses on community engagement and reaching readers in a multi-medium, multi-media format.
Valley Sentinel covers arts & culture, events, local meetings, outdoors and recreation and our larger Driftless and Lower Wisconsin River community. Published in Spring Green, WI.
Looking for a challenge?
We are looking for interns/volunteers who want to be in the unique position to learn the nuts and bolts of a news media publication that started from the ground up.
You will have the chance to make an impact at the ground level of a startup and see the effect of your work and ideas carried out with a lot of flexibility, in an environment and creative culture you can help influence and create.
We are a new, all volunteer local news source that holds a strong belief that by working to keep our communities informed and engaged on a variety of topics including arts & culture, events, community news and serving as a watchdog for our local governmental bodies, we can help create a strong identity for our community and ignite positive growth and change throughout the area.
Interested? Send us your area(s) of interest, any (optional) work that showcases your talents and a resume.
Internship will be unpaid, interns will be required to sign a FSLA-compliant internship agreement.
If credit is available from intern’s educational institution for participation in an internship, we are glad to work with you to meet any requirements for receiving credit.
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Inspired by Eau Claire’s Volume One, Milwaukee’s Shepherd Express, and Madison’s own Isthmus and Cap Times publications – mixed with the best parts of an engaging weekly community newspaper publication. That, combined with a unique and progressive business model that strives to get local news in front of everyone that wants it, we’re seeking some creative thinkers that want an unparalleled educational experience.
You need to be enthusiastic about keeping communities informed and engaged on a variety of topics including arts and culture, community events, news and local government. You should also be passionate about being a positive, essential part of the community and helping to build a strong community identity for our readers.
Whether you’re in college and looking for credit and experience, you’re not a student but looking to boost your resume and add experience or if you just want to be part of building something — we’re happy to design an educational experience based on your needs.
Where:
We will make the position work for the right candidate and hours will reflect availability. Many of the duties can be done remotely. Any necessary office work will be in general public places (preferably with access to coffee) in beautiful downtown Spring Green. Travel or carpooling to and from the Spring Green area may be required at times. Many of the governmental meetings are held virtually.
Who we are:
We are a new, local news source for communities in the Spring Green area that provide a weekly print publication and continuous online presence. At Valley Sentinel, we care more and hold a strong belief that by working to keep our communities informed and engaged on a variety of topics including arts & culture, events, community news and serving as a watchdog for our local governmental bodies, we can help create a strong identity for our community and ignite positive growth and change throughout the area.
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For college students internship will accommodate the intern’s academic commitments by corresponding to the academic calendar.
Note that if credit is available from intern’s educational institution for participation in an internship, we are glad to work with you to meet any requirements for receiving credit.