Boulder Media Student Advisory Board
Through a partnership by CU-Boulder’s Journalism & Mass Communication program with the Boulder Daily Camera and Colorado Daily, and their parent company, Digital First Media, CU-Boulder students studying or with a strong interest in journalism and digital media have the opportunity to serve on a Student Advisory Board for those Boulder and CU news organizations.
The Advisory Board consists of 12 currently enrolled CU-Boulder students. As Advisory Board members graduate or give up their positions, new members are selected. (See an FAQ below the interactive photo below.)
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Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below before applying.
Ready to apply now? Fill out the application form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Must I be a CU-Boulder student to apply?
A: Yes. You must be currently enrolled on the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado.
Q: Must I be a Journalism & Mass Communications major to apply?
A: No, although JMC students are slightly more likely to be selected for the Student Advisory Board. However, if you have a strong interest and experience in journalism but are in another program at CU-Boulder, you can apply and be considered for an opening on the Advisory Board. For example, Political Science or Computer Science majors with strong interest in journalism are encouraged to apply.
Q: Who decides who gets to be on the Advisory Board?
A: Final selections are made by the top editors of the Boulder Daily Camera and Colorado Daily, based on the online applications received on this website. JMC faculty and staff are involved in identifying the best candidates from among the applicant pool, then forwarding those to Daily Camera and Colorado Daily editors.
Q: Can I get academic credit for serving on the Advisory Board?
A: No. However, by completing a minimum term of service, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of JMC and the executive editor of the Daily Camera and Colorado Daily.
Q: What is the minimum term requirement to receive a certificate of service?
A: Student Advisory Board members must complete at least four (4) months of service; meetings are held once per month. We understand that sometimes you may have to miss a meeting. As long as you participate in four meetings — and participate in ad hoc online discussions — before ending your Advisory Board service, you will earn a certificate. We reserve the right to replace an Advisory Board member if he or she misses two meetings in a row, offering the position to another applicant.
Q: If selected, how long can I be on the Student Advisory Board?
A: Members can serve up to one year. However, they are free to give up their position at any time and open it up to another applicant. See the question above for information about requirements to earn a certificate of service for serving on the Advisory Board.
Q: What will I get out of serving on the Advisory Board?
A: In addition to a great learning experience and the opportunity to influence the leading news websites and newspapers in the Boulder area, you will have a valuable service activity to include on your resume. (Also, free pizza at the meetings!)
Q: How important is using social media and digital media to being selected?
A: You don’t need to be a digital “guru,” but ideally candidates should be users of social media services, websites, and mobile devices (like smartphones and/or digital tablets, a la the iPad). Advisory Board members will be asked for their feedback and reactions to online and mobile initiatives by the Colorado Daily and Daily Camera, as well as initiatives involving the respective print editions.
Q: What will we be advising the Colorado Daily and Daily Camera on?
A: Foremost, editors and managers want your help and guidance in understanding what they can do to better serve and be attractive to college students and young adults with their digital products (websites and mobile services), social media strategies, print editions, etc. They also want to know what CU students and young adults in Boulder want from their local news provider, including advice on story topics and issues important to this age group.
Q: What is a typical Advisory Board meeting like?
A: Meetings are scheduled to last for one hour. The sessions are led by the top editors of the Colorado Daily or Daily Camera, and sometimes sub-editors will participate as well. You may be asked your opinion on any number of things, from your feedback on a news feature, to your reaction to a new Twitter live-reporting technique being used by reporters, to your advice about how to get young adults to pay for special news content or smartphone news apps. Meetings will not be dull, and you’re likely to have fun sharing ideas and being creative with fellow Student Advisory Board members.
Q: Will I need to prepare for the meetings?
A: Daily Camera and Colorado Daily editors may send you e-mails prior to a meeting asking you to view content online, so that you can be prepared to offer your opinion in the meeting. Or they may tell you what they plan to ask, in order for you to think about your answers in advance.
Q: What if I’d like to be on the Advisory Board but there are no openings currently?
A: Go ahead and fill out the online application. When a position on the Board opens up, we will announce the opening and select from the applications on file.
Q: I have additional questions. How can I learn more?
A: Contact Steve Outing, program director of the Digital News Test Kitchen, who is managing this partnership with the Daily Camera and Colorado Daily. E-mail: steve.outing@colorado.edu | phone: 303-834-7810.
Ready to apply now? Fill out the application form.
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