Students who want to contribute stories, photographers, graphics, etc., for either the traditional print version of the Talon Marks or the online edition should always be encouraged to sign up for a Talon Marks course, especially if it is early in the semester. In some cases and at the discretion of the adviser, students may sign up for a Directed Studies course if signing up for a regular course is not possible or feasible. Failure to sign up for a Talon Marks course usually denotes a lack of commitment to the publication and to its values. Recognizing the fact that signing up for a course is not possible and that some individuals may prefer to work as freelancers to the publication, it is the policy of the Talon Marks to accept freelance assignments under the following conditions only. In all cases, however, the editor-in-chief has the final say on whether freelance work from a qualified individual will be published or not.

a. Students enrolled in Cerritos College journalism classes who can earn credit in the courses for the assignment may accept freelance assignments from the editor. The editor will work with the instructor and students in journalism courses to help make freelance assignments available for students who need them for required class credit.

b. Students not enrolled in a journalism course or in a course where credit for the assignment is not available may qualify as a freelancer and accept assignments from the editor. However, the individual may qualify as a freelancer under this provision for only one semester. To continue contributing the publication for more than one semester while at Cerritos College the individual must enroll in a qualifying journalism/Talon Marks course.

c. Former Talon Marks staff members may accept freelance assignments from the editor. However, the former staff member may qualify as a freelancer under this provision for only one semester. In all three cases above if freelance students accept an assignment, they are expected to complete the assignment in acceptable publishable form by the stated deadline. Failure to do so will disqualify their eligibility to contribute as freelancers. Freelancers must be made aware of this policy and must sign a Freelancer Contract Form indicating they understand the policies and that they will uphold the conduct standards of the Talon Marks while representing themselves as Talon Marks representatives before they are given assignments. It is the responsibility of the Journalism Instructional Aide to keep all contracts on file and to advise the editor and adviser when individuals are ineligible to serve as freelancers.

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