The Concrete how-to guide

Est. 1992

THE

Gaming

how-to guide

Features News

Creative Writing

Travel & Lifestyl

Mus e

ic

Arts

e c n e i Sc

s w e N g n i k a Bre Fi lm & T V

t n e m Com Fa s h io n Global Books Sport

About Us...

Concrete is the University of East Anglia’s student newspaper. Concrete is published both in-print and online every three weeks on a Tuesday during term time. Compiled by a team of 35 editorial team members, Concrete is headed by Editor-in-Chief Dolly Carter and Deputies Sam Gordon Webb and Freyja Elwood. Concrete’s sections include: News, Global, Features, Interview, Comment, Science, Travel & Lifestyle, and Sport, plus an editorial page and a ‘Home of the Wonderful’ section.

Editor-in-Chief

Dolly Carter

concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

Deputy Editor

Sam Gordon Webb

S.gordon-webb@uea.ac.uk

Deputy Editor

Freyja Elwood

F.elwood@uea.ac.uk

Inside Concrete is Venue, the arts supplement, which includes: Arts, Books, Fashion, Creative Writing, Music, Gaming, Film, and TV. Venue is headed by Venue Editor Elizabeth Woor and Deputies Hamilton Brown and Molly Phillips.

Venue Editor

Elizabeth Woor

E.woor@uea.ac.uk

Venue Deputy Editor

Hamilton Brown

Hamilton.brown@uea.ac.uk

Venue Deputy Editor

Molly Phillips

Molly.phillips@uea.ac.uk

To get involved with Concrete, you must be a student at the University of East Anglia.

For information on how to become a writer, turn to our ‘Write for us’ page.

Our main editorial team members are interviewed at the end of each academic year.

Vacancies do, however, sometimes become available throughout the year, so keep an eye on our social media platforms for information on how to apply.

Any questions, story leads, and press releases are to be directed to Editor-in-Chief Dolly Carter at concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

s u r o f e t i Wr 1 2 3

4

Firstly, buy your membership from the SU website; it’s £3 and will allow you to write an unlimited number of articles for the whole of the 21/22 academic year: https://www.uea.su/opportunities/society/concreteuea/

Join the Concrete Members 21/22 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3233772743378431/

Then, search ‘Concrete Section 21/22’ (e.g. Concrete News 21/22) to join the subsequent section groups that you would be interested in writing for

After you have done this, you will be able to comment on the content calls our Section Editors put out every three weeks to pick up articles. Our Breaking News Editor receives pitches on a continuous basis.

Global

Section Editors G a m in g

Writ Creative

Aislinn.w right@uea .ac.uk

Arts

ing

S c ie n c e

Jack.warren@uea.ac.uk uea.ac.uk h.jackson1@

Izzy.murp

hy@uea

M u s ic

n

Features

Comme

t.manning@ue a.ac.uk

Breaki

.ac.uk

@uea.ac.uk Mariam.jallow

a.ac.uk m.park-roesel@ue

Sp or t k

.u o.ress@uea.ac

g News

Emily.kelly@uea.ac.uk

l.bramwell@ue

a.ac.uk

TV

Fil m

l.patterson@uea.ac.uk

b.j.sm ith@u ea.ac .uk

News

Fa sh ion

Travel & Lifestyle

.uk

ac u.jones@uea.

Books a.ac.uk z.taylor-suich@ue

ac.uk t.pollitt@uea.

nt

l.collins1@uea.ac.uk

Pitching A pitch is your chance to offer your idea for an article to a Section Editor; it takes the form of a paragraph or two and should include the following information:

1 2.

2 3.

3 1.

A detailed description of the topic you would like to cover If relevant, the sources you will be using Why this piece is relevant at this moment in time or to you as a writer

We do not accept full length articles without a pitch beforehand as our Section Editors want to work with you to make sure the article fits their section; a fully written piece doesn’t allow for the growth and learning experience we would like to offer you as a budding journalist.

On the next page you will find a list of our Section Editors and their top tips for writing for their section. To pitch them an article either use their university email addresses or contact them via Facebook Messenger.

top tips Breaking News – Emily Kelly • You can pitch at any time (not every three weeks) using the BN Facebook group • We’ll direct you if a piece belongs in News or Global instead • Aim for 2-300 words of unbiased, accurate, and efficient reporting

News – Una Jones

Sport – Oscar Ress •W rite about something you’re passionate about •O r write on a topic you’re keen to learn more on •U se personal perspective when given the opportunity

Arts – Jack Warren •D on’t be afraid to write about smaller Norwich/UEA/NUA based Artists • Try to pitch diverse content to explore a wide array of topics

• Research each article thoroughly and carefully •B e wary of plagiarising parts of pieces from other news outlets •M ake the piece as tight as possible by deleting unnecessary sentences

Books – Louise Collins

Global – Aislinn Wright

Fashion – Zorsha Taylor Suich

•M aintain political neutrality and be respectful of other cultures •B e aware of historical context – events don’t occur in a vacuum •B e careful of spellings and naming conventions in foreign languages

•L ook for inspiration in your daily life: trends, styles, and influencers • Couple accurate research with your own personal spin • Think about the wider political, historical, and economic context

Features – Maja Anushka •F or Features, speak from your own personal experiences •B e careful not to cross over into Comment territory by using opinion • Take chances and think outside the box!

Comment – Lauren Bramwell •E stablish which side of the argument you’re on from the outset •U se personal pronouns for a clear sense of voice •S tatistics can strengthen an argument, but don’t rely on them too heavily

Science – Mariam Jallow •S cience is the key focus and opinion the secondary focus •E nsure you’re using reliable sources for your information •G ive a little background so as not to overcomplicate the science

Travel & Lifestyle – Tristan Pollitt •D on’t be afraid that your topic is too mundane or ‘ordinary’ •C onsider writing about local and overlooked destinations •B e respectful of other cultures and avoid over-fascination with the ‘exotic’

• Write what you like to read • Always think about inclusivity and diversity • Be open to edits and change within your article

Creative Writing – Izzy Murphy •U se Venue as a space to experiment with your style •Y ou can use pieces you’ve been working on for summatives • Interpret the content call however you want

Music – Tom Manning • Avoid using the first-person when writing reviews • Contextualise the piece by introducing the artist • Let your personality show in features pieces

Gaming – Holly Jackson •Y ou can pitch a variety of topics including board games and tabletop games •D on’t be afraid to research content you’re unfamiliar with • Try to make the articles accessible by making them easily understandable

Film – Laura Patterson • Always let your own voice shine through • Read!!! Actively engage with all sorts of writing •G et a feel for the topics you want to explore as a journalist

TV – Benjamin Smith •P itch your favourite new TV shows – no matter how whacky!

• Don’t be afraid to revisit cult classics with a new lens • Never let go of your curiosity and creativity!

t s e r e h t t e Me of the team UEA Correspondent – Jim Gell UK Correspondent – Addie Cannell International Correspondent – Melody Chan

News Senior Writer – Rachel Keane Global Senior Writer – Hamish Davis Science Senior Writer – George Barsted

Lead Photographer – Samuel Baxter Social Media Manager – Badriya Abdullah Copy Editors – Phoebe Lucas & Sophie Colley Online Editor – Matthew Stothard

a i d e m l a i c so Website

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