Opportunities 06/01/2022

This week, Study Hall goes IRL, and pitch calls from Cosmopolitan, Narratively, and Dissent Magazine.

The Study Hall Opportunities newsletter is a weekly compilation of pitch calls; freelance, part-time, and temporary gigs; events; fellowships, scholarships, awards, and grants; internships; and full-time jobs. It’s written by Chris Erik Thomas, who is looking forward to their Italian holiday in two weeks. The newsletter is released on Wednesdays. Once in a while, we take a day off for mental health breaks and holidays. 

►Have a job posting, gig, or fellowship you want to be included in the next Opps newsletter? Send them to [email protected] for approval with “Opportunity:” in the subject line. 

►Editors, submit your time-sensitive or evergreen pitch calls to our webform.

►Let us know if you got a job or landed a pitch through the Opps newsletter! Send them to [email protected] with “Opps Success Story:” in the subject line.

►Tell us what resources have helped you in your freelancing so we can share with other Study Hall members. Send them to [email protected] with “Resource:” in the subject line.

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***THE MEDIA CLASSIFIED ADS***

****ANNOUNCEMENT: The Classified Ads are back and better than ever. We’ve expanded our Ad model to include placement in ALL of our weekly newsletters, including the Monday Digest, Wednesday’s Opportunities, and Friday’s Creative newsletters. Want to promote your job opening / pitch call / new project / ecommerce brand? Click through for rates, testimonials, and to get in touch.****

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STUDY HALL IS HIRING!

–Study Hall is hiring a newsletter editor to edit and publish our newsletter and editorial content, including the weekly Digest, Opportunities, and Updates newsletters. Candidates should have at least three years of editing experience, strong copy-editing skills, and some experience in the Study Hall community is preferred, but not required. The position can be full- or part-time, and can be remote anywhere within the US. The full-time salary starts at $60,000 per year and requires working 30 hours per week. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, June 5.

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STUDY HALL GOES IRL!

We are going from URL to IRL with a pop-up event at The New School’s Theresa Lang Center, Arnhold Hall.

WHY DO WE LOVE LAYOFFS is a one-hour conversation between Blake Eskin (The New School), Kate Gardiner (Grey Horse), Evan Kleekamp (Study Hall), and Jasper Wang (Defector Media). An introduction to the forthcoming Digital Media Workers Summit, the event aims to provide insight into the structure and function of media companies while asking the timeless question: How the hell do we get paid? 

The conversation will take place on June 7 at 7PM EST. Attendees may join virtually or in-person at 55 W 13th St., Room 1202, New York, NY. Reserve your free ticket here.

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RESOURCES

Mastering the art of freelancing requires more than just perusing the Study Hall Opps newsletter every week. To help you get the most bang for your buck, we keep track of the many, many resources designed to help media workers. Have a resource you’d like to see included? Send it to [email protected] with “Resource:” in the subject line. 

-The Resources For Journalists Seeking Therapy guide from the Dart Center’s Journalist Trauma Support Network offers a number of resources, including a directory of therapists specifically trained to work with journalists; funding for mental health services; and self-help webinars, apps, and websites. 

–Accessible Social is a free resource hub that helps make your social media content more accessible to people with temporary or permanent disabilities, including vision and hearing impairments. 

-The Trans Journalists Association’s Style Guide is a tool for reporters, editors, and other media makers to improve coverage of transgender people and the various issues happening within the trans community. 

-The NBCC Book Coverage Publication List by the National Book Critics Circle tracks over 80 publications that publish book coverage (reviews, interviews, essays, etc.). The list includes editor names, contracts, pay rates, and more. 

Want more resources? Check out the Spring 2022 Fellowships and Residencies List; Who’s Behind This Website Checklist; SpotlightDC Investigative Journalism Fund; United States Journalism Emergency Fund; Transcription Tool Safety Guide; Labor Action Tracker; Rate Sharing Database; NPR Diverse Sources Database; Online Violence Response Hub; Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Journalists Therapy Relief Fund; Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund; Developing An Investigative Pitch Guide; Britany Robinson’s Big List of Writing Deadlines; Study Hall Transcriber Database; Study Hall Fact Checkers Database; Freelancing Guide/Editorial Contacts spreadsheet; #FreelancerPayGap spreadsheet; Pitch Guide Database; Chelsea’s Guide to Freelancing doc; PACER; Priya Krishna’s resources for food writing; Election SOS Report; and the Extremism Coverage Prep Guide.

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CALLS FOR PITCHES 

Please note that we are not endorsing every publication or company that is listed here. The decision of whether to engage with a publication or company is entirely up to the reader. In regards to pitch calls, we try to only share opportunities that have fair rates based on publicly available information. While we currently define “fair rates” as being above $100 USD for around 700-800 words and above $0.10 per word for longer pieces, we cannot guarantee that every publication pays this rate. If you have more information on a rate or exploitative business practices from a publication posted, email [email protected].***

TIME-SENSITIVE PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Cosmopolitan is looking for pitches of deeply reported narrative reads on some aspect of mental health that “add to the national conversation in a way that pertains to young women specifically.” They are not looking for service articles, first-person essays, or explainer articles. The rates range from $1.50-$2 per word for a feature of around 2,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by tomorrow, June 2. 

–The Verge is looking for pitches of stories on accessibility, including “technological advances in accessibility, the ongoing fights to expand access in software and hardware, and the internet communities that carry on the disability activism of yesteryear in new frontiers.” The rate is around $1 per word for pieces of 800-1,200 words. See their pitch guide for more info, and send pitches to [email protected] by this Monday, June 6.

–The Prepared is commissioning a feature on “the Shenzhen electronics industry, and how it evolved between 1980 (when the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was established) and today.” The rate is $1,000 for a feature of 1,250-2,500 words. Send inquiries through their web form.

–Dissent Magazine is looking for pitches of reported features, essays, cultural criticism, and book reviews that are “grounded in left politics and critique.” They are specifically looking for pitches from emerging writers, and “preference will be given, but not limited, to applicants under the age of thirty, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and working-class writers.” The rate is $0.50 per word for pieces up to 2,000 words, and includes “an additional stipend for expenses.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by July 1.

–Narratively is looking for pitches of reported or first-person stories for their Epic Love Stories and Secret Lives series. The rates start at $500 per piece, “with room to go up for more ambitious stories.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by this Monday, June 6. 

–Nurall is commissioning writers to produce destination guides on Madeira, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bangkok, or Dublin that appeal to professional remote workers. The rate is $400 per guide of 2,000 words. Send inquiries to [email protected]. 

–Slate is looking for pitches of essays and reported pieces on the intersection of tech, science, policy, and the future for their Future Tense section. The rate starts at $350 for pieces of 800-1,500 words, and increases based on reporting. Send pitches to [email protected] by mid-June.

–Cosmopolitan is looking for pitches of Pride-related personal essays that “highlight unique personal experiences, trends, or pop culture moments that made an impact on you, and stories that celebrate pride and what it means to you.” The rates start at $250 per piece. See their pitch guide for more info. 

–Monitor Magazine is looking for pitches of feature articles, investigative journalism, and book reviews on the theme of “how REITs [real estate investment trusts] have reshaped Canada’s rental market” for their upcoming September/October 2022 issue. The rate is CAD $300 (USD $237) for pieces of 750 words, CAD $500 (USD $395) for pieces of 1,450 words, and up to CAD $800 (USD $633) for features. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by June 15.

–Times Union: Hudson Valley is looking for pitches of stories on housing, human interest, politics, and climate, “but most any story between Cold Spring and Hudson is conceivably a fit.” They are also commissioning writers for assignments. The rates start at $0.25 per word. Send pitches and inquiries to [email protected]. 

–Healthy Rich, a personal finance blog for women, is looking for pitches of stories on financial decisions that would “make a financial planner’s hair stand on end” (Radical Money Moves). The rates are $200 per article of 1,000-1,500 words. See their pitch guide for more info. Send Money Moves pitches by next Wednesday, June 8.

–gal-dem is commissioning new climate writers and journalists to produce content on the environment. They are especially interested in commissioning BIPOC writers of a marginalized gender. The rates start at £100 (USD $125) for pieces of 800-1,000 words, £120 (USD $150) for multi-interview pieces of 1,200 words, and £150 (USD $187) for longer reads. Send inquiries to [email protected]. 

–JRNY Magazine is looking for pitches of features on travel destinations. They are only looking for pitches from BIPOC writers, but “further pitch calls open to everyone will follow shortly.” The rate is £125 (USD $156) per feature of 1,000 words, and is £250 (USD $312) per feature of 2,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by this Monday, June 6.

–Novara Media is looking for pitches of “vivid reported stories outside London and internationally, alongside innovative analysis and opinion from underrepresented voices” focused on politics from a left-wing perspective. The rates start at £100 (USD $125) for a piece that would take five hours, “and are then calculated based on an hourly wage of £18.75 (USD $23).” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Guide Fall is looking for pitches of features on video games for June. The rate is $125 for features of around 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Nobody is looking for pitches of “essays, longform reported features, photo series, interviews (especially ones that feel more like conversations), and experiments of all kinds” related to the theme of “ghost” for their upcoming print issue. The “rates vary from piece to piece, with interviews coming in at around $100” and are “upwards of $300 for longer features.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by this Tuesday, June 7.

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Toronto Life is always looking for pitches of long-form investigations, profiles, memoirs, and other features on entertainment, politics, food, real estate, and life in Toronto and the GTA. They are also interested in growing their pool of freelance writers and fact checkers. The rates range from CAD $3,500-$6,000 (USD $2,764-$4,740) for features of 4,000-6,000 words, and are around CAD $400 (USD $316) for shorter web pieces. Send pitches and inquiries to [email protected]. 

–DBLTAP is always looking for pitches of reported features, interviews, and oral histories on video games and esports. They are particularly interested in pitches on “people from marginalized backgrounds in the games or esports industries, niche gaming communities, gaming anniversaries, [and] gaming or esports and the environment.” The rate is $500 for stories up to 1,000 words, and is $1 per word for stories over 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Business Insider is always looking for pitches of stories on tech, retail, transportation, media, healthcare, real estate, finance companies, leaders, and trends in the business world. The rates start at $300 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Southern Living is always looking for pitches of stories on Southern food and cooking. They are “specifically interested in regional and local content with an eye toward diversity of geography and backgrounds.” The rates start at $250 for pieces of 500 words. Send pitches to @khollandcooks. 

–GLHF is always looking for pitches of op-eds, guides, listicles, and interviews on “games with a large audience” and ”especially service games.” The rates range from €100-€200 (USD $107-$213) per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

***CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL LIST OF 200+ EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES.***

FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS 

–HuffPost Life is hiring freelance contributors to produce service journalism articles on “life online, whether it’s shopping, banking, dating, job-hunting, or simply browsing TikTok or using Slack at work.” The topics can include helpful advice, tips, warnings, explainers, investigations into viral trends, and more. The rates range from $350-$400 and “most assignments will be made monthly.” Send inquiries and clips to [email protected] by mid-June. 

–We Got This Covered is hiring a part-time weekend editor to assign, edit, and publish stories. Candidates should have at least one year of editing experience, as well as “at least some level of entertainment journalism experience.” The position pays $2,000 per month and requires working 16 hours per week. Send inquiries, including three relevant clips, to [email protected]. 

–Hireguide is hiring a content writer to produce one piece per month on the future of work, hiring practices, recruitment, I/O Psych, and other related topics. The rate is $300 per piece of around 1,000 words. Send inquiries to @liveshiv.

–How To Geek is hiring freelance writers to produce commerce content on smart homes, electronic accessories, and PC accessories. The rate is $250 per article. Send inquiries and writing samples to [email protected]. 

–Being Patient is hiring a contributing multimedia editor to work part-time to produce interviews “with brain health experts and patients in the form of videos and podcasts, as well as written profiles, features, and news stories.” Candidates should have some science or health journalism experience. The position is remote, pays $2,000 per month, and requires working about 15-20 hours per week. The deadline to apply is this Friday, June 3. 

–Rest of World is hiring a part-time fact checker on a contract basis to “fact check several stories weekly, on pieces with word counts ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 words.” Candidates should have at least two years of fact checking experience and an understanding of how to use various research tools, such as LexisNexis and Pacer. The rate is $30 per hour, and the position requires working 15-25 hours per week on average. The deadline to apply is next Friday, June 10.

EVENTS AND COURSES

-NYU School of Professional Studies is hosting a paid summer program, How to Write Op-Eds and Personal Essays. The program will teach participants how to pitch a story to an editor and will conclude with a complete essay ready for publication. The tuition for the course is $829, and the course will be self-paced and run from June 13 to August 5.

GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting applications for their Reproductive Rights Reporting Fund program. The program supports reporting on reproductive rights that affect people across the U.S., including access to abortion and contraceptives, maternal health, health policy, and abortion bans. The grants will vary depending on need, “but the average grant size will be $5,000.” Applications will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis. 

–Narratively is accepting submissions for their Spring 2022 Memoir Prize contest. The contest awards prizes to “revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view,” and also helps adapt stories into larger projects. The grand prize is $3,000, while two additional finalists will be awarded $1,000 each. The deadline to submit is June 27.

FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

NEW: –The New Republic is accepting applications for their paid social media internship program. The intern will draft social media copy, collect data from analytics tools, and other tasks. The internship pays $17 per hour, and interns will be expected to work full-time for six months starting on June 29. The internship must be based in either their New York or Washington, DC office. The deadline to apply is June 13.

JOBS 

NEW YORK

–Urban Omnibus, the publication of The Architectural League of New York, is hiring a managing editor to “oversee the editorial pipeline, from receiving and soliciting pitches, to issuing contracts, image research, proofreading, managing the publication’s CMS, and more.” Candidates should have excellent writing and editing skills, and knowledge of architecture and urbanism. The salary range is $55,000-$60,000. They are accepting applications on a rolling basis, but giving priority to those received before tomorrow, June 2.

–TASTE is hiring an editor to assign, edit, and occasionally write feature stories and newsletters, as well as oversee their art program. Candidates should have at least three years of editorial experience and a love of food and home cooking. “Previous food media experience is preferred but not necessarily required.” The salary wasn’t given, but “will align with three years of writing and editing experience,” editor-in-chief Matt Rodbard said in an email. The deadline to apply is June 9. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.

–Smithsonian Magazine is hiring an assistant digital editor to cover science and technological innovation news. Candidates should have at least three years of relevant experience, including some experience editing science journalism pieces. The salary range is $51,000-$55,000, commensurate with experience. The deadline to apply is tomorrow, June 2. 

CALIFORNIA

–The Los Angeles Times is hiring for multiple positions, including an assistant editor and writer to produce food lists and guides, as well as a deputy food editor to plan, manage, and executive their food coverage. Candidates for both positions should have at least three years of relevant experience and a deep understanding of the Southern California food scene.

SOUTHEAST

–Space.com is hiring an Atlanta-based staff writer to produce daily news stories “with a focus on spaceflight” under their Spaceflight Channel. Candidates should have a passion for space and experience writing in a news or science writing environment. The position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with the WGA-E.

CENTRAL

–Borderless Magazine is hiring a Chicago-based managing editor to work with reporters on stories, write social media copy, edit their weekly newsletter, and other tasks. Candidates should have at least five years of editing experience. The salary is $55,000 and the position requires both remote and in-person work. The deadline to apply is July 1. 

NORTHEAST

–KNKX is hiring a Seattle-based reporter to write and anchor live regional newscasts and interviews for their All Things Considered program. Candidates should have at least two years of experience hosting a news broadcast, as well as reporting high quality radio and online news. The salary range is $72,000-$82,000. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–NPR is hiring a supervising editor to develop and oversee the implementation of their audience strategy, including managing journalists. Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience, and must be able to work “evenings, and potentially weekends, early mornings, and holidays.” The starting salary is $115,000. The position can be remote or based near one of their offices in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, DC. 

–Rolling Stone is hiring an internet culture reporter to cover breaking news developments. Candidates should have at least one year of breaking news experience, and a “fluency in culture and internet news, both in the mainstream and at the fringes.” No salary information was given for this role. 

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is hiring a content manager to produce and copy edit blogs, op-eds backgrounders, talking points, reports, policy briefs, and other materials. Candidates should have at least five years of experience as a reporter, writer, or communications team staff member, and must have a passion for immigration and justice issues. No salary information was given. 

–Insider is hiring a visual features business reporter to “tell captivating visual stories about the aviation industry,” including pitching and taking trips across the US and the world, and writing reviews of their experiences. Candidates should have excellent writing skills and “experience taking and editing original photos.” The salary range is $70,000-$100,000, commensurate with experience.

–The Trace is hiring a newsletter writer to produce their daily and weekly newsletters, as well as conceptualize and launch new newsletter products. Candidates should have some familiarity with the media newsletter landscape, and “familiarity with the gun violence beat or the various issues that overlap with it” is preferred, but not required. The salary range is $60,000-$85,000. The deadline to apply is June 12, but they “may begin reviewing applications sooner.” 

-The News Literacy Project is hiring for multiple positions, including a misinformation and fact-check specialist to contribute to their blog and newsletter, as well as an education editor to fact check and copy edit news literacy resources and other content. Candidates for both positions should have at least five years of relevant experience. The starting salaries for both positions are “approximately $70,000,” and both positions can be remote or based in Washington, D.C. The deadlines to apply are next Friday, June 10 for the fact-check specialist and June 13 for the education editor. 

INTERNATIONAL

–Rest of World is hiring for multiple positions, including a copy editor ideally based in the UK, Hong Kong, or India, as well as an Africa-based regional editor to lead their coverage of the continent. Candidates for the regional editor position should have at least seven years of journalism experience, including at least three years of editing experience. No salary information was given for either position. The deadline to apply is next Friday, June 10 for the copy editor position and June 15 for the regional editor position.