The Gazelle is always looking for new voices and talents to feature. We know that it can be confusing or intimidating to join our team, especially mid-semester. Read on for a how-to guide on getting involved with our many areas of work and to learn about The Gazelle’s structure, how to sign up to contribute and publishing timelines.

The Gazelle is separated into different desks. The writing desks are Features, News, Opinions and Columns. The non-writing desks are Multimedia, Communications, Copy and Web.

Features is a very flexible desk. It hosts a wide variety of pieces: personal essays, profiles of important people or events, in-depth interviews and more. These pieces often take on specific tones or angles, often involving humor or an emotional touch. News covers different events happening on NYUAD’s campus, in the greater Abu Dhabi community and around the world. These pieces are meant to be objective and are usually well-supported by research or interviews.

Opinion pieces are well-reasoned pieces that support cohesive opinions or arguments about a wide range of topics. They are an opportunity for a writer to take a stance on an issue, be it at NYUAD or beyond, and defend their point of view. Columns is home to general subject matters that are covered by an author on a regular basis, be it weekly, biweekly or monthly. These topics include politics, finance, music, gender, book and film review and more!

The multimedia desk creates illustrations and other media that accompany the written articles we publish every week. Illustrators work closely with writers to create media that reflects the writer’s vision for their piece. The communications desk manages social media and advertising articles that we publish every week. The copy team is responsible for the final stage of editing all articles that are published every week, checking for any spelling or grammatical errors and ensuring that the articles follow The Gazelle’s style guide. The web team is responsible for overseeing The Gazelle’s website and making any necessary updates or changes.

The Gazelle releases applications on a semester basis for editorial, columnist, illustrator and staff writer positions. However, we always welcome new contributors at any point during the semester. These applications are most important for those wishing to hold a deputy editor, editor or senior editor position on any desk, which requires more extensive training and a greater time commitment to the publication.

To sign up to contribute at any point, you can add your name to our weekly pitch document. The pitch document keeps track of article ideas, listing the article topic and a detailed summary of the article’s focus. If you see an article that sparks your interest, simply write your name beside it on the document and an editor will reach out to you. Or, if you have an idea of your own, you can add it to the document. If you’re unsure of what desk is the best fit for your piece, reach out to feedback@thegazelle.org and we’ll put you in touch with the proper team.

Example of Pitch Document.

Our weekly pitch meeting happens on Sundays at 6 PM GST. During the pitch, the senior editors of the writing desks go through available article ideas and talk through any special notes or difficulties with certain topics. Writers can sign up for pieces during this meeting or after, and are asked to share a draft with the editor of the desk they’re writing for by Thursday around 4 PM GST, ahead of our weekly budget meeting.

The budget meeting is an opportunity for senior editors to share the status of a particular article. The budget document is color coded to show red, orange and green pieces, with red meaning the piece will be pushed to the next issue, orange meaning the piece may be ready for that week but not definitively and green meaning the piece will definitely be published that week. Budget happens on Thursdays at 7:30 PM GST. Budget is particularly important for our multimedia team so that illustrators know what pieces to sign up for to produce multimedia.

Example of Budget Document.

Then, after editors have seen first drafts on Thursday, they’ll work with writers to have a finalized version of the pieces by Saturday. On Sunday, the editorial team goes through the production process, starting at 4:30 PM and ending at various times in the evening depending on one’s desk and position.

During production, each piece goes through our copy flow, which tracks multiple stages of editing. Each piece’s content will be edited by four different editors, then double-checked by our copy team for language and grammar and finally uploaded to the website by a member of the management. Then, on Monday morning, you can view the newly published issue in its entirety!

Example of Copy Flow Document.

If you want to play a part in stimulating debates and important conversations and represent us and our community, then write for The Gazelle. We invite you to come and voice your concerns, ideas, opinions and commentary on a diverse range of topics in meaningful ways.