We’re doing some new things in 2023.
We launched our new website, a (hopefully) more aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly place for us to continue the work of showcasing the community. There’s an option to donate to Smile Politely, as a way to help us to continue to grow the magazine.
Now, we need people who would like to be a part of the work that we do, people who are invested in this community and feel like they have something to share through this medium.
We’re hiring three new section editors.
Editors are responsible for curating content within their section, including editing the work of writers, recruiting and working with writers, and contributing their own articles on a regular basis. This is a not-quite-part-time position, as it works out to about 5 to 8 hours a week. Editors are paid a quarterly honorarium. The best candidates are ones who are engaged with the local community, interested in storytelling and showcasing C-U’s culture within the magazine, and generally excited to be involved with the magazine as a community journalism project. Is that you?
At Smile Politely we uphold progressive values of inclusivity and anti-racism. We want to center the voices and stories of people and communities in C-U that have been excluded. To that end, we encourage applicants from historically excluded groups.
Arts Editor
Champaign-Urbana has a vibrant arts community, one that includes the University of Illinois as well as Parkland. The ideal Arts Editor is in-tune with the arts scene in C-U, including visual arts, performing arts, literature, galleries, community arts organizations, and everything in between.
Culture Editor
Champaign-Urbana has one of the most diverse, intelligent, and interesting communities in the state. Our Culture section highlights those people, places, and events that make us proud to live here. It’s the section that is broadest in scope, yet has the most opportunity for exploring niche topics. Culture Editor candidates should be interested and involved in the community, and willing to explore new avenues for storytelling.
Music Editor
Our Music section covers a wide variety of genres and areas of local music, and as such, the Music Editor should have a knowledge and understanding of the past and present local music scene in Champaign-Urbana. Within this role, you’ll be curating performance and album reviews, interviews, previews of upcoming performances, and more.
If any of these positions interest you, send us an email at [email protected]. A resume would be helpful, as well as a writing sample or two. Mostly we want to know a little about who you are, and why you’re a good fit for the role.