Opportunities 9/29/2022

The Evanston Roundtable, BuzzFeed News, Injustice Watch, and more.

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 was in CDMX for a few days but is now hurtling across the ocean back home to Berlin. The newsletter used to be released on Wednesdays, but Thursday is more of a vibe lately. Once in a while, we take a day off for mental health breaks and holidays. 

***NEW: To help make the Opps better for all of our members, we’re introducing an Opps Feedback Form. Let us know what we can do to improve the newsletter.***

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

►Work at a publication that’s hiring or found a job we should see? Send it to our new Jobs Webform.

►Need more info on Study Hall or want to check out our resources? Head to our new Linktree.

►Have any other freelance gig, grant, internship, fellowship, or other opp you want to be included in the next Opps newsletter? Send them to [email protected] for approval with “Opportunity:” in the subject line. 

►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 them with other Study Hall members. Send them to [email protected] with “Resource:” in the subject line.

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>> The Classified Ads are back and better than ever. We’ve expanded our Ad model to include placement in our two weekly newsletters: Tuesday’s Digest and Thursday’s Opportunities newsletters. We also offer add-on placement for Slack and Listserv posts. 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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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 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. 

NEW: -The new study, “Fatigue, Traditionalism, and Engagement: Gen Z and Millennials’ Complex Relationship with News” by the American Press Institute, details how news organizations can better serve younger audiences. 

-The Resources For Journalists Seeking Therapy guide from the Dart Center’s Journalist Trauma Support Network offers several 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. 

Want more resources? Check out the Trans Journalists Association’s Style Guide; NBCC Book Coverage Publication 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 listed here. Engaging with a publication or company is entirely up to the reader. Regarding pitch calls, we try to only share opportunities with 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 

-The Center for American Progress is looking for pitches of graphic journalism, first-person essays, poetry, and other forms on tech and electricity in marginalized communities for their new editorial project. They are particularly interested in pitches on a tech fix for a policy problem that backfired, a place still missing a basic technology, a memoir about getting access to something, and other topics. The rate is $1,000 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] within “the next three weeks.”

–Forging is looking for pitches of essays, analyses, think pieces, and other formats on the theme of “Seed.” They are specifically looking for pitches tailored to Native and Indigenous communities. The rate is $1 per word for 800-1,200 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by this Saturday, October 1.

–The Parliament is looking for pitches of reported features on EU-focused policy issues centered on either of their two upcoming themes: “Food and Drink/Holiday” for December and “Climate” for January. They are looking for “both creative/whimsical and more serious approaches to each month’s policy theme,” and pitches should be tailored to their readership of “thoughtful EU policy-focused folks across the bloc (and beyond).” The rates range from €0.50-€0.60 ($0.49-$0.59 USD) per word, depending on experience and the amount of reporting. Send pitches to [email protected] by next Friday, October 7 for “Food and Drink” and by November 1 for “Climate.” 

–Audubon Magazine is looking for pitches of reported features and concise front-of-book pieces that combine “visual storytelling (data graphics, maps, etc.) [with] birds and birding seasonal service.” They are particularly interested in pitches on birds and birding, conservation, and environmental reporting. They are also looking for stories they will consider for publication in their 2023 quarterly print issues. The rates start at $0.50 per word for shorter pieces and are $1.50 per word for features. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] by October 12.

–The Washington Post is looking for pitches of stories on small-space living for their home section. The rates start at $400 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Supercluster is looking for pitches of reported stories from the International Astronautical Congress event in Paris. They are looking for pitches on solar system exploration, human spaceflight, SETI, habitat collapse, UAPs, and Webb investigations. The rates range from $400-$500 for around 800 words. They can also cover travel costs “on a case-by-case basis.” Send pitches to @SuperclusterHQ.

–Giddy is looking for pitches of articles, essays, interviews, and reported features on any topic related to sexual health. The rate is $350 for 800-1,200 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Alliance Magazine is looking for pitches of opinion pieces, interviews, reported features, and other formats on “decolonizing philanthropy.” The rates start at £250 ($282 USD) for 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by mid-November. 

–Trip Advisor is looking for pitches of personal essays on Day of the Dead from Mexican writers. The rate is $250. Send pitches to [email protected] by TOMORROW, September 30.

–Ars Technica is looking for pitches of stories on video games that “would be a good fit for [their] heavily tech-literate audience.” They are especially interested in takes or trend pieces on the industry and culture, gaming tech and development, unseen gaming history, interesting groups of players, and more. The rates range from $200-$300 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] with “Freelance Pitch” in the subject line by the end of 2022. 

–The Daily Dot is looking for pitches of stories on the adult entertainment industry from sex workers, sex writers, and other experts. The rates range from $150-$400 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

-JoAnna Haugen is looking for pitches of travel stories on “place-based experiences, cultural traditions, or daily aspects of life told from the perspective of people identifying as ‘local’” for a new travel publication launching in 2023. She is specifically looking for stories from locals in Gambia, Kenya, Montenegro, Nepal, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, and Vietnam. The rate is £100 ($106 USD) for 500-800 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Compost Magazine is looking for pitches of fiction, non-fiction, personal essays, profiles, and other formats on the theme of “water bodies.” The rates range from $100-$600 for pieces and there is a flat rate of $300 for “participation in development of this project.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by October 12.

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Hello Giggles is always looking for pitches of personal essays, lifestyle pieces, hacks, and other formats on topics “geared towards millennial moms.” They are specifically not looking for pitches of “parenting advice or baby stuff.” The rates are $200 for features and $250 for personal essays. Send pitches to @JeneLuciani.

–The Yale Review is always looking for pitches of essays and criticism on literature, art, history, politics, film, television, music, and internet subcultures. The rates range from $200-$500 for 1,000-3,000-word digital pieces, and from $500-$1,500 for 3,000-5,000-word print pieces. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] with “Pitch:” in the subject line.

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

FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS
–OptOut is hiring a part-time, New York-based editor to write a news roundup newsletter every other week, research news outlets, and manage a Discord channel for NYC and New York state journalists. Candidates should have at least three years of experience reporting or editing news about New York. The position pays $40 per hour and requires working five hours per week. The deadline to apply is October 11. 

-Springboard, an education tech startup, is hiring a content writer on a five-week contract to “update and edit web page copy across the site and other ad-hoc brand copywriting tasks.” The rate is $30 per hour, and the writer is expected to work 40 hours per week, with the possibility of extending after the initial contract period. Send inquiries — including “a quick summary of your experience, your CV, and a link to your portfolio or work” — to [email protected]. 

-The American Heart Association is hiring a bilingual writer on a one-year contract to assist with the production of a daily report on “the latest developments in heart disease, stroke, and health issues” in Spanish and English. Candidates should have at least five years of writing experience in English and Spanish — including some “experience creating content for consumers, health or wellness markets.” According to an email sent on behalf of a colleague at the organization, the position “can be remote within the US” and the salary is around $80,000. 
GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
-The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is accepting applications for their Gender Equality Grant. The program aims to “help journalists take to a new level the reporting on issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” The grant is open to both US-based and international journalists. The grant does not have a budget range, but the average size is $5,000. Grant proposals are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. 

-The McGraw Center for Business Journalism is accepting applications for their paid McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism grant program. The program provides grants of up to $15,000 and editorial support for freelance or staff journalists to produce high-impact enterprise and investigative stories that “Follow the Money” across various subjects. Applicants do not need a business journalism background; many are generalists or cover beats such as health care or the environment. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, September 30. 

-Training for Good is accepting applications for their paid Tarbell Fellowship program. The program aims to assist early-career journalists with mentorship and training, including access to a two-week journalism summit in Oxford. The fellowship provides a stipend of up to $50,000 and is fully remote. While the fellowship is not associated with a specific news outlet, journalists are expected to work full-time to “gain experience.” The deadline for applications is October 9.
FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS
NEW: –BuzzFeed News is accepting applications for their paid reporting fellowship program.  The program offers four reporting verticals: breaking news (remote), culture (LA or NY, with LA “strongly preferred”), entertainment news (LA), and health (remote or NY). According to the unit chair of their union, Cody Corrall, the fellowship pays $20 per hour with benefits, but is not covered by the union. The program requires fellows to work full-time for nine months. There is no deadline to apply.

NEW: –In These Times is accepting applications for their paid winter editorial internship program. Interns will learn to fact-check, research, pitch articles, and other duties, and be paired with an editorial mentor. The program offers a monthly stipend of $1,440 per month and interns are expected to work four days per week for three or four months. The internship can be remote or based in Chicago. The deadline to apply is October 15.

-National Geographic Society is accepting applications for their paid National Geographic Explorers grant program. The program aims to provide funding for work in science, conservation, storytelling, education, and technology that focuses on the ocean, land, wildlife, human ingenuity, or human history and culture. The grant can be up to $20,000, and the project can be up to one year in length — “although projects with ‘Technology’ as the primary focus can be up to two years.” The deadline to apply is October 12.

-The Texas Newsroom, a collaboration between NPR and Texas public radio stations, is accepting applications for its paid Legislative Reporting Internship program in Austin, TX. The intern will assist with coverage of the 2022 Texas legislative session, be matched with a mentor, and attend workshops on audio editing, political reporting, and other topics. No radio experience is required. The internship pays $15 per hour, paid every other week, and interns are expected to work 20 hours per week. The deadline to apply is October 31.  

JOBS 

NEW YORK

–The New Republic is hiring a product manager to oversee product workflows and manage development products across the company. Candidates should have at least two years of experience. The salary range is $63,800, commensurate with experience. This a union position, and the candidate must live in either New York or Washington, DC. Send inquiries about the position to their digital director, Mindy Kay Bricker, at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is October 10.

-The Council on Foreign Relations is hiring an associate podcast producer to support the production of their podcasts, “specifically the Why It Matters franchise.” Candidates should have some journalism or communications experience, including “a demonstrated interest or background in international relations or a related field,” and some experience with audio editing tools is preferred. The salary wasn’t provided. Send inquiries about the position to senior podcast producer (and Why It Matters host) Gabrielle Sierra at [email protected]. 

-The Brooklyn Museum is hiring a senior web content manager to lead their Engagement division, including the production of content for their website, shop, and presence on the Bloomberg Connects app. Candidates should have at least five years of reporting or digital content production experience. The salary is $89,000 and the position is grant-funded for two years, with the possibility of extension. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, September 30. 

–Documented is hiring a deputy editor to shape and oversee their news coverage, including managing their team of five full-time reporters. Candidates should have at least four years of experience working in either digital or print journalism, including some experience editing stories in a digital newsroom and an ability to work with journalists of diverse backgrounds. The salary range is $80,000-$100,000, commensurate with experience. The position requires coming to their office at least once per week. Send inquiries about the position to Max Siegelbaum at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is October 21. 

TEXAS

-Keller Williams Publishing is hiring an Austin-based writer and researcher to “help research, write, and develop nonfiction business book projects,” as well as review and contribute to training materials, corporate communications, and other publications. Candidates should have at least three years of experience writing to deadlines and performing independent research. The minimum salary is $70,000, commensurate with experience.

CALIFORNIA

–BuzzFeed News is hiring a Los Angeles-based entertainment reporter to “hold the entertainment industry to account.” Candidates should have at least two years of experience reporting on the entertainment industry, including some experience “navigating courts and law enforcement agencies for records and sourcing on a regular basis.” According to Cody Corrall, the unit chair of their union, the minimum salary is $60,000 with benefits and the position is covered by the union. There is no deadline to apply. 

-The California Nurses Association (CNA) is hiring a digital content coordinator to draft and edit “email messages, website content, peer-to-peer texting scripts, social media, and ad copy.” Candidates should have at least two years of digital content management experience, and some experience with online organizing tools such as ActionKit is preferred. The salary wasn’t given, but the position does provide union benefits, a pension plan, and full family health coverage. The position is currently remote-friendly, but will require working from either their Oakland or Glendale offices when it is safe to do so. While there is no deadline to apply, they are looking to fill the position ASAP. 

-The National Nurses United (NNU) is hiring a communications specialist to “write press releases, blogs, magazine articles, brochures, flyers, speeches, talking points, and other organizational materials.” Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience, including “a proven track record of acquiring national print, electronic, and online media coverage.” The salary wasn’t given, but the position does provide union benefits, a pension plan, and full family health coverage. The position is currently remote but will require working from their Oakland,Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C. offices when it is safe to do so. While there is no deadline to apply, they are looking to fill the position ASAP. 

CENTRAL

–Injustice Watch is hiring for multiple, Chicago-based positions, including an investigations editor to develop and guide their investigative and public-service projects, and an editorial director to develop and execute an editorial vision for the newsroom. Candidates should have at least two years of experience for the editing position and at least five for the editorial director position. The salary ranges are $80,000-$100,000 for the investigations editor and $100,000-$115,000 for the editorial director — both commensurate with experience. The deadline to apply for both positions is October 17. 

–The Evanston RoundTable is hiring an Evanston, IL-based reporter to develop and publish breaking stories, features, and enterprise stories on city government, schools, businesses, and the local economy. Candidates should have at least two years of experience writing for a digital or print news outlet, “with a demonstrated ability to write polished copy on a deadline.” According to editor Susy Schultz, the salary range is $45,000-$65,000, commensurate with experience. Send inquiries about the position to Susy at [email protected]. While there is no deadline to apply, “they are looking to fill this [position] immediately” and BIPOC journalists are strongly encouraged to apply.

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–Next City is hiring for multiple positions, including an editorial director to oversee their team of journalists and freelancers and a development manager to oversee all administrative aspects of fundraising. The editorial director position requires at least five years of editing experience, and the development manager requires some data entry experience. The salary ranges are $80,000-$90,000 for the editorial director and $50,000-$60,000 for the development manager. Send inquiries about either position to Lucas Grindley ([email protected]) or Aysha Khan ([email protected]). The deadline to apply is rolling, however they are “already beginning to look at candidates.”

–Prism is hiring a community engagement editor to manage their daily social media campaigns and amplify their reporting on social media, newsletters, and other channels. Candidates should have some content management experience and strong, creative writing abilities. The salary range is $70,000-$75,000. The deadline to apply is October 10.

–BuzzFeed News is hiring a reporter to cover LGBTQ rights, with a focus on transgender rights. Candidates should have at least two years of experience reporting on the LGTBQ+ community and a fluency in internet culture, including “how to avoid misinformation.” According to the unit chair of their union, Cody Corrall, the minimum salary is $60,000 with benefits and the position is covered by the union. There is no deadline to apply. 

–The Intercept is hiring a copy editor and digital producer to edit stories, spot check numbers, curate and edit newsletters, and develop their style guide. Candidates should have at least three years of copy editing experience and one year of newsletter production experience. The position is recognized as part of the WGA-East union and, according to the union contract, the minimum salary is $75,000. 

–Built In is hiring a staff reporter to “cover a blend of technical subjects (software development, product design, tech hardware) as well as emerging trends and professional development within the tech industry.” Candidates should have some experience “reporting multi-source feature stories on complicated topics, between 2,000-4,000 words in length,” and an interest in startups and emerging culture. According to associate features editor Sara Freund, the salary is $63,000. Inquiries about the position can be sent to Sara at [email protected]. The position can be remote or based in Chicago, IL. The “loose deadline” to apply is next Wednesday, October 5 but they would “like to have final candidates and offers out by mid-October.”