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DS:BB and BB5: Reporters wanted!


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Old 30-03-2004, 13:24
Neil Wilkes
Former DS Editor: 1999-2011
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,941

Hi everyone,

As you'll be more than aware, it's that time of the year again and the countdown to the next BB is well underway.

Every year we relaunch our Big Brother site, DS:BB, to see you through the summer and this year is no exception. All of our features and columnists will be back for the new series, as well as our popular 'Live Updates' service, which provides minute-by-minute updates of the action inside the house. We'll also have some new features and maybe a surprise or two when the site launches in the first week of May.

In order to strengthen our live updates service even further, we are making several changes to the system, primarily by recruiting some new faces to the Digital Spy reporting team.

Summary

A live updater spends an hour at a time summarising the events in the house, based on live streaming through the television or internet. There are two choices of format:

1) a detailed hour of updates, e.g. http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds5178.html This is the primary choice for updates as they provide the most detail for the reader, however a live updater may also opt for:
2) a 'lite' hour of live updates, e.g. http://fame.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds5596.html This requires a paragraph or two of updates every quarter hour and is a good choice if the updater cannot be at the computer constantly throughout the hour.

Additionally this year, live updaters also have the option to 'DJ' an hour of live update contributions from readers.

Scheduling of live updates amongst the reporting team is managed via a day-by-day schedule, whereby reporters book themselves in for specific hourslots at their discretion.

As with all DS:BB reporting positions, the live updating role is an unpaid one and as such we do not demand any requirements on the time reporters spend doing live updates. However, potential live updaters should only apply if they can in general be around for at least one to two hours each weekday or several hours across a weekend. while unpaid, being part of the DS reporting team is a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting some experience in journalism or writing, or anyone who is a keen fan of the show.

As mentioned above, reporters book themselves in for live updates on a discretionary basis, however most do regular slots, e.g. 11am - 1pm daily or the 6pm hour. In the application form below we ask that you suggest regular slots you would probably be able to commit to. This is not a set-in-stone commitment from you, it is merely there to help us plan the most effective schedule. Alternatively it may be the case that you can't take on a regular slot but would rather fill in gaps where possible. If this is indeed the case, please indicate so in your application.

In particular, we are keen for live updaters who can take on lunchtime or late night/early morning slots on weekdays as well as live updaters for weekends.


Application

Please include the following in your application:

1) Your name
2) Your primary email address (all reporters will be provided with a Digital Spy email account)
3) Your forum username (if applicable)

4) A sample piece of writing: A short piece that shows off your writing skills. As suggestions, write a news article based on an important news item of the day, or an article based on a fictional event in the Big Brother house. Better still, you could do a fictional hour of live updates or an hour of live updates for another reality show currently airing, e.g. 24 Hour Quiz on ITV2 or a running summary of the latest episode of '24'.

5) Hours you could generally commit to (recall that this is not a set-in-stone commitment). For example, "5pm - 7pm weekdays although I could only do the last hour in the 'Lite' format" or "2am - 3am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays then 1pm - 2pm and 4pm - 5pm at weekends". If you cannot commit to regular hours but would prefer to fill in gaps, please indicate this here and the number of hours weekly you estimate to be available.

Please send all completed applications by email to nwilkes@digitalspy.co.uk.

Applications for a position on the team are welcomed from now until 11pm on Friday, April 9, 2004. All applicants will be contacted after this time with the outcome. Please note that we are not seeking any new columnists or news reporters this year.

Digital Spy would like to thank in advance all those who take the time out to make an application.

Thanks,
Neil
Digital Spy Ltd
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