The Texas Orator is seeking writers, editors, cartoonists, and photojournalists.

Apply to be on our team here. See available positions below.

Guest writers must write once or more during the semester. To become one, please submit articles to thetexasorator@gmail.com. Please submit a PDF of your article with the Subject Line “Article Submission.” Make sure to include your EID and a blurb for the article in the email. 

Staff writers are held to a more rigid writing schedule and receive more privileges (such as editorial responsibilities) during the semester. We ask staff writers to write 3-5 articles per semester. They must attend monthly meetings held on Wednesday evenings. Exceptions are handled on a case by case basis. In the spring, staff writers will be evaluated for promotion.

Editors-at-large help writers solidify their pieces through content and grammar edits. They are expected to edit 1-2 articles a week. They must attend monthly meetings held on Wednesday evenings. Exceptions are handled on a case by case basis. In the spring, editors will be evaluated for promotion.

Copy editors are the last to see the piece before publishing. Using our AP Style Guide, CEs are tasked with making sure every piece is apt for publishing. They are expected to edit 1-2 articles a week. They must attend monthly meetings held on Wednesday evenings. Exceptions are handled on a case by case basis. In the spring, CEs will be evaluated for promotion.

Political Cartoonists capture the recent events in politics in a humorous or artistic way. Digital and hand-drawn comics both accepted.

Photographers take photographs or videos for published articles or standalone pieces. Optional to have photo/video editing software knowledge.

The Texas Orator reserves the right to reject any article that fails to meet our editorial standards. The Orator publishes well-researched pieces of political and social commentary. Our editorial process is politically impartial but we seek to provide coverage that is fair and accurate, protecting vulnerable groups when possible. Submissions containing racist language, violating an individual’s privacy, causing unjustifiable offense, or lacking a professional style will be rejected.

Editorial Standards:

Accuracy: All TXO content must be well-sourced and corroborated by sound evidence. Articles must not distort known facts and must represent them as accurately as possible.

Originality: TXO does not publish plagiarized content or content that has been published elsewhere.

Clarity: The Texas Orator uses a multistep, peer-review editorial process with the goal of producing strong, clear content for publication.

Harm and Offense: We ask our writers to approach sensitive issues with due care. Slurs, stereotypes, derogatory language targeting an individual based on gender, sexuality or race, and privacy violations are harmful and will not be published.

Multi -Partisanship: Articles across the spectrum of policy positions will be considered for publication, provided they are well researched and contain well written arguments. In keeping with The Orator’s commitment to free speech and publishing a wide range of voices and perspectives, coverage is not impartial.

Satire: The Orator frequently publishes satirical responses to current events. These articles are marked as satire and in the interest of comedy may contain exaggerated or false statements. Articles in other categories may contain irony but its intent must be clear in context.

Tone: The tone we seek is thoughtful and civil. Writing should reflect standard practices among educated English speakers. Expletives should be used sparingly and only for emphasis in situations in which other words do not suffice. Any use of an expletive should not interfere with The Orator’s dedication to civility.

Style: Stylistic elements such as bold type, italics, etc. should be used sparingly throughout a piece. These tools are meant for well-thought emphasis and can detract from the overall piece if used in excess. 

Merch

Book

We have FOUR annual journals available on Amazon, which are a compilation of the best of our articles. Our books are available for $15 each.

Contact

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