Join

Yale students in any school can join the News at any point and contribute as much or as little as they like. No prior reporting experience is necessary. More than two-thirds of our current staff had no journalism experience before joining.

There are opportunities on each of our 20 desks, including written and multimedia reporting, opinion writing, production and design, audience engagement, and business and web development, among others. Students are welcome to contribute without joining our staff and are encouraged to explore different desks throughout their time at the News.

We offer stipends to staff members with significant financial need and high time commitments to the News. More information about financial accessibility is available here.

With limited exceptions for our opinion, business and web development teams, joining the News does not require an application but rather the completion of heeling requirements over the course of a semester. Those requirements are available here. They are designed to ensure that prospective staff members — known as heelers — receive proper training for their positions and understand the professional and ethical standards of the News. We are committed to working with all heelers to ensure that our requirements are manageable, and we are happy to accommodate individual circumstances as necessary.

Time commitments depend entirely on the interest and availability of each staffer, and every staffer’s path at the News is unique. Traditionally, reporters spend their first year working on general assignments — and, if they complete heeling requirements in the fall, focusing on a specific topic, or beat, in the spring. Most reporters spend their sophomore year with one beat. The managing board is composed mostly of juniors, although sophomores often fill production and photography positions.

The heeling process for Spring 2026 will begin in January. For more information in the meantime, reach out to our editor in chief, Ariela Lopez, by emailing ariela@yaledailynews.com. 

We can’t wait for you to join the Yale Daily News family!