About the Position

Berkeley is nothing if not a vast battleground of artistic events all vying for the attention of reviews sections.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotbed of concerts, films, poetry readings, festivals, community theater, art gallery openings and fashion events. The list is virtually inexhaustible. It is the arts reporter’s job to put it all under close and frequent scrutiny so that the Berkeley public will know what is worth checking out.

An arts and entertainment reporter will publish an average of four articles per month on subjects that relate to film, television, music, theater, fashion, visual art, literature, etc. Articles may be reviews of events/recently-released content, recaps, “thinkpieces” and more. Reporters will work closely with the editors of the department to transform a draft into a final product.

Prior experience is not required to be an arts and entertainment reporter. Stand-out applicants are very communicative and proactive, and they possess strong persuasive and descriptive writing skills, a passion for arts and pop culture and a willingness to accept constructive criticism. Reporters must be available to attend events taking place in the Bay Area and should always make assigned deadlines.

Application Materials

• Resume with relevant experience (PDF)
• Cover letter (PDF)
  • Please include examples of your artistic likes and dislikes.
• 2-3 writing clips (PDFs)
  • Preferred clips are arts-related reviews (published or unpublished). They can each range from 600-1000 words.
  • If you don’t have clips, you can write a review of anything arts-related.
• A one-paragraph pitch for an opinion-based thinkpiece regarding something art-related that you feel strongly about (PDF)
  • See examples of published pieces here.
• Interview (invitation only)

Work Requirements

• Four pieces per month
• One workday per week
  • Staffers may be assigned to cover an event on their workday, depending on coverage needs.
• Weekly arts staff meeting

Leadership Opportunities

• After serving as arts and entertainment reporters, staffers have the opportunity to specialize as a beat reporter in a specific entertainment area. A staffer may go on to become the assistant arts and entertainment editor or the arts and entertainment editor.

Past Projects and Samples

• The Ins and Outs of Outside Lands 2018
• Column: I love you, but you’re bringing me down
• ‘BlacKkKlansman’ is Spike Lee’s proof that you don’t have to choose between style and substance

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