Opportunities 04/21/2023

Narratively, Vulture, Vanity Fair, 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 Marisa Clogher, who, instead of fixating on endless worldly disappointments, is making a ranked list of all chips in the flamin’ hot universe. The newsletter is (usually) released on Thursdays. Once in a while, we take a day off or publish late for mental health breaks and holidays.

►To help make the Opps better for all of our members, we introduced 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 Jobs Webform.

►Need more info on Study Hall or want to check out our resources? Head to our 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 MEDIA CLASSIFIED ADS

>> The Classified Ads are taking a break for March and April. When we return, you’ll be able to place your Ad in our two weekly newsletters: Thursday’s Opportunities and our Digest. 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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OPPS SUCCESS STORY

–Sarah Yeoman was paid $500 for a 20-page print only photo essay about the Great Salt Lake in Fifty Grand, including a back cover image. She said that while the pay was low for how many images they licensed and printed, the editor was very flexible and easy to work with and she was glad to finally have this story published by a publication she enjoys after sitting on it for six months.

Did you turn a pitch call into paid work or land a job, fellowship, internship, or some other gig you found in the Study Hall Opps newsletter? Let us know and we’ll give you a shoutout. Send the details to [email protected] with “Opps Success Story” in the subject line.

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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. 

-The Fund for Investigative Journalism provides emergency grants of up to $10,000 for stories on threats to democracy in the US. The fund reviews proposals on a rolling basis and ends on December 31st, 2023.

-The Reporting Job Board by Investigative Reporters and Editors is a continually updated website for jobs in reporting, editing, academia, and more. 

-“Knowing the News” is a new study by the American Press Institute about how Gen Z and Millennials get information on essential topics. The study focuses on six topics: national politics and government; social issues; crime and public safety; traffic, transportation, and weather; COVID-19 information; and health or mental health.

 -“Funding News” is a new study by the American Press Institute about how news media can create content that Gen Z and Millennial consumers are willing to pay for or donate to directly. The study outlines the Americans ages 16 to 40 who pay for or donate to news in some fashion and compares those who pay for news to those who pay for independent creators. 

–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 Resources For Journalists Seeking Therapy;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 theExtremism 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 

–Narratively is looking for pitches of reported features about “LatinXcellence,” specifically, “people breaking ground across the board.” Send pitches “about people shaking things up — stories that have stopped you in your tracks and inspired you.” You can find examples of the types of stories they’re looking for here. The rate starts at $1,000. Submit pitches here by April 30. 

-Narrative Initiative is looking for pitches of stories that “about organizers, cultural producers, activists, and other changemakers whose work is shifting harmful, dominant narratives.” The rate is $1 per word. Submit pitches here by May 15.

–The Content Technologist is looking for pitches of longform, one-off essays about publishing, digital content industries, and technology. Send pitches about audio production and podcasting; video games; digital video production and editing; streaming tv platform development and management; digital asset management; content moderation; and adapting content for global audiences. The rate is $1 per word for essays of 1,000 to 2,000 words. Submit pitches here by today, April 21. 

–Wine Enthusiast Magazine is looking to assign a quick-turnaround digital story to a member of the LGBTQ+ community with unique angles on the Dylan Mulvaney/Bud Light news. The rate is $0.50 per word and the piece should run around 600-800 words. Send your pitch and a brief overview of your writing background to [email protected] with the subject line “Dylan Mulvaney/Bud Light story.” See the pitch guide for more info. 

–Wine Enthusiast Magazine is looking to assign stories about the AAPI community to run in May. Pieces can range from features to profiles to round-ups of notable businesses of varying lengths. The rate is $0.50 per word. Send your pitch and a brief overview of your writing background to [email protected]. See the pitch guide for more info. 

–Trails Magazine is looking for pitches for their upcoming issue on creativity. Send pitches of features, trip reports, reviews, essays, and more — you can find more details here. Rates start at $0.50 per word. Editors are looking to have “big stuff assigned by the end of April.” Send pitches to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. 

–The Dial is looking for pitches from writers outside the US upcoming for issues organized around the themes of “drugs” and “weapons.” The rate is $800 to $1,000 for pieces of about 2,000 to 2,500 words; the magazine is also open to hearing from translators about worthy nonfiction to bring into English. Send pitches and questions to [email protected]. 

–Good Beer Hunting is looking for pitches from “young journalists interested in reporting on beverage alcohol and culture.” The rate varies based on the type of piece but goes up to $700 for features. Find more info on what to pitch in the style guide. Send pitches to @BryanDRoth on Twitter.

–Time Out New York is accepting pitches of trend pieces, features covering arts, lifestyle, theater, food and drink, and more. The rate is up to $500, depending on effort. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–InsideHook is looking for pitches on culture, especially music and TV, as well as beer. The rate typically starts at $350. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Food & Wine is looking for pitches of first-person sale round-ups and first-person reviews of products, cookware, appliances, and more. You can find more info in their pitch guide.The rate is $300 per article. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Yahoo Life is looking for pitches from writers who can cover parenting from a father’s perspective, both essays and reported features. The rate starts at $250. Send pitches, as well as a short intro and three clips, to [email protected]. 

–Observer is looking for pitches of arts and culture in an effort to expand their coverage over the next six months. The rate is $200 to $350. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Vulture is looking for pitches of recaps about “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” on Netflix, which premieres as a full-season drop with six episodes. They’re looking for writers with knowledge of “Bridgerton” and Shonda Rhimes. The rate is $250 per recap. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES. 

–Preserving Democracy, a new initiative from PBS/WNET, is always looking for pitches of explainers, reported features, and timely news stories on voting and elections. They are less interested in stories “about races and candidates and more interested in pieces on voting rights [and] restrictions.” Reporters should live in the state they’re writing about, or have some other strong connection or deep understanding; BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers are especially welcome. Rates start at $500 for pieces around 800 words, and go up from there based on length and depth of reporting. Send pitches to [email protected] or [email protected]. 

–The Daily Dot is always looking for pitches on the intersection of internet and identity. The rate starts at $250 for features. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

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

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FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS 

–Sentient Media is hiring a part-time or full-time negotiable social media manager. Candidates should have at least two years experience developing and implementing communications strategies. This is a remote position but candidates must be able to work on EST hours. The salary is $38,000 to $48,000, but they are also open to paying a freelance hourly rate. The deadline to apply is May 1.

–Vanity Fair is hiring a motivated journalist to write weekend stories for The Hive, its news vertical focused on the intersection of politics, business, and technology. The ideal candidate has experience covering news on a digital platform, is self-sufficient in sourcing and pitching stories, can work hand-in-hand with a weekend editor, and is eager to build a world-class collection of clips. This is a remote freelance position, and the hours are 10 AM to 2 PM EST on Saturdays and Sundays, with the option to add more on holidays and summer Friday afternoons. If interested, please reach out to Vanity Fair’s director of editorial operations Kelly Butler at [email protected]. 

–The Drift is hiring a part-time fiction assistant to help manage their inbox, someone who “has the organizational skills to sort through submissions and respond to writers efficiently.” The hours are flexible and will amount to no more than one day per week. The pay will be anywhere from $200 to $3,000 per issue, depending on experience, hourly commitment, and number of assistants hired. To apply, fill out this form. 

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EVENTS AND COURSES

NEW: -New York University is hosting “Pitching New York Stories,” a conversation between editor-in-chief of Brooklyn Magazine Brian Braiker, Curbed editor Sukjong Hong, and Hell Gate co-founder Max Rivlin-Nadler to talk about what stories work for them, what makes for a good pitch, and how freelance writers can best work with them. The talk will take place this Monday, April 24 at 6 PM EST at the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. This event is free and you can reserve a ticket here. 

NEW: -McNally Jackson Seaport is hosting a talk with Isabella Hammad, in conversation with Katie Kitamura, on Hammad’s new novel “Enter Ghost,” a “stunning rendering of present-day Palestine.” The talk will take place Thursday, May 4 at 7 PM EST. Tickets are $5 for attendance alone and $28 for attendance and a copy of the book.

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

–Ploughshares is now accepting submissions for its Emerging Writer’s Contest, which is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. Candidates should not be affiliated with Emerson College or with Ploughshares. The winners of each genre will receive $2,000, publication, and a 1-year subscription to Ploughshares. The deadline to submit is May 15. 

–Oregon Humanities is accepting submissions “about home, sanctuary, and refuge of all kinds” for its summer 2023 issue themed “Shelter.” It’s looking for personal essays, journalistic pieces, and book excerpts from Oregon writers. The pay is $500 to $1,000. The deadline to submit is this Monday, April 24. 

–Grist is now accepting submissions for Imagine 2200, a “climate fiction short story contest.” It is looking for stories that are 3,000 to 5,000 words that “envision the next 180 years of climate progress” and that imagine “intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope.” The first place winner will receive $3,000, second place will receive $2,000, third place will receive $1,000, and nine finalists will receive $300. The deadline to submit is June 13. 

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FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

–The Business of Fashion is accepting applications for its Next Generation Black Journalists Fellowship, “a six-month, part-time, paid reporting and writing program designed to train and publish aspiring Black writers in the field of fashion business journalism.” Candidates do not need to have any journalism experience; Black writers from any country are eligible to apply. Fellows are paid a $1,500 per month stipend. The deadline to apply is April 28.

–STAT is accepting applications for the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship which aims to diversify the ranks of science and health journalists. This is a yearlong fellowship that will begin in August and it is based in Boston. Fellows will be paid $75,000 and receive health insurance through MIT and dental and vision benefits through STAT. The deadline to apply is May 1.

-MIT Technology Review is accepting applications for its emerging journalist fellowship. Fellows will spend half of their time “searching for story ideas, pitching to your editor, reporting out your ideas, and writing and revising drafts” and the other half of their time “fact checking stories written by other reporters,” as well as attending three meetings a week. Fellows can work remotely or from the Review’s offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is a full-time position that lasts six months, and the pay is $20 per hour. The deadline to apply is May 15.

–The Nation is accepting applications for its annual internship. The internship is full-time, five days a week, and 35 hours per week. It lasts six months, from June to December. Interns are paid $18 per hour. Remote candidates will be considered, but preference will be given to candidates in New York who can come into the office. The deadline to apply is May 12.

–The 19th is accepting applications for its yearlong Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship, which provides “graduates and mid-career alums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities with full-year, salaried fellowships in editorial, audience engagement, and product and technology.” Fellows will receive a minimum salary of $70,000, as well as benefits. This is a fully remote fellowship. The deadline to apply is May 15.  

–MIT Technology Review is accepting applications for its six-month emerging journalist fellowship for “emerging journalists, and especially women, non-binary or trans people, and people of color, to come and develop their skills.” Candidates can work remotely or from its offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The rate is $20 per hour. Send a resume, cover letter, and three clips to [email protected] by May 15.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting applications for its Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship designed to give “academic and professional opportunities to women journalists committed to human rights and social justice reporting.” Candidates should be working journalists with at least three years of full-time journalism experience. Candidates from around the world are eligible but must be able to speak, read, and write fluently in English. Candidates will be given a $2,000 monthly stipend for six months. More info can be found here. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, April 23.

–High Country News is accepting applications for its yearlong Virginia Spencer Davis Fellowship which is designed for “early-career journalists interested in reporting on rural communities in the [American] West.” Fellows will aim to publish 24 stories over the course of the fellowship. Fellows are expected to work 32.5 hours per week, and will receive a biweekly stipend of $1,250, as well as a $100 work-from-home allowance and a $500 starting bonus. The position is remote and open to candidates in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming. The deadline to apply is today, April 21.

NEW: -Nova Institute is accepting applications for the Nova Media Fellowship which “supports print, broadcast, and digital journalists proposing to immerse themselves in the health field.” Ideal candidates are full-time journalists with an established record of publication. The fellowship runs for 12 months and begins in Fall 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland, though the start date is flexible. The pay is $105,000 and is all-inclusive.

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JOBS 

CHICAGO

–Block Club Chicago is hiring investigative reporters to cover “the city’s diverse neighborhoods, especially the often underserved South and West sides.” Candidates should have at least five years experience reporting and knowledge of Chicago’s South and West sides and their neighborhoods. The salary starts at $70,000 and includes benefits. This is a work-from-home/hybrid role, but candidates must be based in Chicago. The deadline to apply is May 19. 

WASHINGTON DC

–The Intercept is hiring a full-time politics reporter “to cover Congress and the Biden administration as a meaningful enterprise rather than a sporting event.” Candidates should have three to five years experience reporting and a track record of breaking news. Candidates based in or willing to relocate to DC are preferred, but other strong candidates will be considered. The salary range is $75,000 to $85,000. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

-City Bureau is hiring a documenters network coordinator to help “build a new kind of civic infrastructure” and increase civic knowledge and participation. Candidates should have a proven interest in community building, have excellent formal writing skills, and fluency in Spanish is a plus. This is a remote position, but their office is based in Chicago. The salary is $57,500 and includes benefits. The deadline to apply is May 14. 

–STAT is hiring a newsletter strategist to work across their editorial, product, and business teams to grow and sharpen STAT’s newsletter portfolio. Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience, including as a newsletter writer or editor. Offices are based in Boston, but candidates from anywhere in the US will be considered. The salary is $80,000 and includes benefits. 

–Axios is hiring for multiple positions, including a breaking news reporter, and an entertainment reporter. Experience necessary and salary vary between each position, but all positions include benefits.