By Arissa Binte Kamaruzaman (Chairperson, 2024) and Teo Hui Sian (Chairperson, 2025)
Ever wished to see your name on the byline of one of our articles?
Look no further—we’ll tell you what it takes.
At the heart of what Raffles Press does is illuminating the diverse stories found in the school community. Amidst the buzz and frenzy of school events, Press members—whom we affectionately call Pressies!—can be seen clad in their customised lanyards, diligently interviewing students and staff involved. Rather than publishing mere, factual replays of such events, Raffles Press brings life to what is witnessed on the ground.
Be it examining a behind-the-scenes of the Raffles Players’ College Production, or an exciting, NSG interview with Water Polo Boys where we find out about their pact to go bald, we hope to uncover the raw, little-seen and yet beautiful parts of Rafflesian life. Moreover, we’ve had exclusive opportunities to interview external parties, like the Tik-Tok famous Harvard acapella group, Din & Tonics!
Of course, not everything we write has to do with large-scale events. Are you bubbling with fiery opinions about a certain trend or subject of interest? Fret not, for we have a regularly-updated Op-ed section, where writers offer unconventional takes like one writer who waxed lyrical about the subject of Chemistry, or even another who passionately examined the psyche of Orientation couples.
If you’re a connoisseur of books, music, movies and even food, perhaps the Reviews section may speak to you. Who knows, you could be unleashing your inner Swiftie just like one of our writers, who analysed the lyrics of the pop legend’s latest album. Or maybe, you’ve never been to a film festival and wish you could attend for free! Some of our writers attended the 2023 Family Film Festival, and had the opportunity to interview members of the Singapore Film Society (yes, completely free-of-charge!).
One of our most exciting events, though, is our annual Prexcursion! Each batch embarks on their own trip centred around a unique experience, after which they write about the insights that they’ve gained. Our batch went on a tour with Indie Singapore, exploring the unique culture and history behind Middle Road.
Each batch also ideates their own special editions, with themes that can range from anything like the unconventional careers undertaken by alumni, or our staple: Teacher’s Day.
“This is so cool! But, what does it take, really, to be a Pressie?”. At Raffles Press, we have a diverse group of members, all of whom have varying interests in what they set out to write. But what they share in common is a love for telling stories, and being committed to writing them as sincerely as they can! While a decent command of English is certainly useful, what we care most about is your willingness to try new things and receptiveness to feedback.
Our writers work closely with our editors—a dedicated and small team of around 3-4 members each year. We are grateful to have the liberty to write about almost anything of interest, where our pitches are internally approved by student editors. It’s through our conscientious editing system that we are able to ensure that our writing is up to standard!
Beyond writing, however, Raffles Press, in recent years, has made an exciting foray into multimedia. You can look forward to trying your hand out at videojournalism, with our Pressies becoming food vloggers for a day in their search for the best waffle in Bishan, or experimenting with creative nonfiction in a collaborative article with Writers’ Guild (please note: Raffles Press and Writers’ Guild are two separate CCAs!).
Why the shift, you may ask? Well, in short, journalism is no longer the same as it used to be. The biggest names in Singapore’s media industry, like ChannelNewsAsia and the Straits Times, have been turning to new ways of journalism, beyond just long-form content.
It’s with that in mind, that Raffles Press hosts our annual inter-JC journalism conference: Pressing Ahead. In Pressing Ahead 2024, Pressies had the chance to listen to two professionals, namely Ms Eudea Tan, a video producer from Rice Media, and Ms Grace Yeoh, a senior journalist from CNA.
Along the canteen walkway, I’m sure you’ve noticed the conspicuous Raffles Press logo on the Gryphon Vision (GV) screen… Perhaps, you’ve even come across our Instagram account @rafflespress, where each article is publicised. Yes, Pressies have worked tirelessly to come up with those eye-catching GV teasers and Instagram posts!
Our weekly training sessions, held from 4.30 to 6.30pm on Tuesdays, seek to hone your journalistic skills as holistically as possible, in all areas a flourishing student journalist would require. In your time as a Raffles Press member, you’ll thus be equipped in a multitude of skills, that consist of video editing, graphic design and copywriting, outside of your writing of articles. Guests ranging from professional journalists like Mr Matthew Mohan and Mr Rohit Brijnath, ‘pitching parties’ for Pressies to discuss and develop whatever (really, whatever) ideas they’d like to pursue, as well as skill-based training sessions curated by our Head of Training are what you can expect on a weekly basis.
Outside of these sessions, Pressies are expected to produce three articles per year, including at least one op-ed – an opinion piece devoted to something you believe in. Of course, you can choose to write with a co-writer to bring your idea to life. There’s an average 25 Pressies per batch; that’s plenty of collaborations to pursue!
You’ll be in Raffles Press for 1.5 years. In that time, you can propose any number of articles you’d like (if you can finish writing them, of course), write about almost anything under the sun, and have the privilege to share those ideas on this platform.
It’s not just about writing. Write to tell your own stories, or mine, or that of your schoolmates. And write it well so it’s something you and the student population will be proud of.