Correspondent

Correspondents serve as the long-form specialists of Statement. Correspondents mainly pitch ledes and focus on developing their stories. They should aim to cover topics that deserve a deeper analysis, specifically focusing on communities or experiences that are often overlooked. Correspondents should have some reporting experience, an enthusiastic and curious drive, and excellent writing skills.

The Statement functions as a weekly magazine emulating publications like The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. Our commitment to narrative, immersive writing, as well as creative nonfiction, will give Daily staff writers – and freelance contributors – the opportunity to dive deeper into themes of relevance on our campus and Ann Arbor.

What types of pieces do we publish?
We publish pieces on a variety of topics, but they generally take two formats:

• A lede: usually between 2000 and 3000 words. Similar to a feature, ledes explore a topic in-depth and can be a mix between personal narrative and news journalism.
• A secondary: shorter pieces between 1200 and 1600 words. These can range from Op-Ed style to reporting to personal reflections, but should include the narrative voice. All aim to explore a pertinent campus issue with a connection to the writer.

Special editions: For a few editions throughout the semester, the Statement will be themed, meaning all pieces in that edition will explore the same topic (i.e. “mental health edition”). All staff will collaborate to come up with themes.