About this template
The Classic Old Newspaper template is a letter pressed onto cream stock with a faux newspaper masthead — name in heavy Cheltenham, dateline in small caps, a single thin column rule and Garamond body. The page reads like a personal column, not a letter — discipline plus a hint of editorial flair. Compatible with ATS systems at major press groups (Workday at The New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post Company, News UK, the Atlantic Media; in-house editorial portals at the BBC and NPR).
Who is it for?
It suits journalists, editors, columnists, long-form non-fiction writers, magazine commissioning editors and applicants to legacy press groups (The Times, The Telegraph, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper's, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine) and editorial fellowships (Pulitzer Center, Knight Foundation, Nieman, Bagehot). The newspaper-print register is the field's mother tongue — out of place in tech, finance or non-editorial contexts.
How to use it
The masthead at the top displays "THE [NAME] CHRONICLE" or a similar title — keep it sober, never ironic. The dateline ("LONDON — May 12, 2026") opens the letter body like an article. Mention two or three signature publications with outlet (NYT Magazine, Granta, Esquire, Vogue, the Atlantic) and format (long-form investigation, embedded reportage, profile). For a long-form journalism application, cite a recent investigation and its angle. The signature remains typed.
Frequently asked questions
Is it suitable for radio or television applications?
For radio (BBC, NPR, This American Life production), yes for print journalists transitioning. For television newsrooms, riskier. Prefer letter-elegant or letter-slate-professional. The Old Newspaper format reads as very print, which can feel mismatched in audiovisual news contexts.
Should I include links to my articles?
Yes in paragraph 2. Prefer links to canonical pages (NYT, Guardian, New Yorker) over Medium or Substack — unless Substack is your primary referenced publication. For freelance journalists, list 2-3 headlines with links, no more. Avoid paywalled links without warning; offer to share a PDF on request.
Does it parse cleanly through modern ATS?
Yes for text. The typographic masthead is an image layer that does not interfere with parsing. For Workday portals at major newspaper groups (NYT, WaPo, Guardian), text is extracted in full. Verify rendering on the portal preview before final submission.
