Opportunities 06/22/2023

Jewish Currents, NPR, Rest of World, 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 is melting in the heat and plotting a vacation. 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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OPPS SUCCESS STORY

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 Working Sources database by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project compiles less-visible experts with on-the-ground and professional experience in the fields of Labor, Economics, Drugs, and Care. They will soon also include sources in the fields of Military, History, Housing, and Disability. 

-The New to Freelancing guide by the Freelance Solidarity Project provides support and resources to media workers who are freelancing for the first time. The guide includes contract advice, rate databases, and more. 

-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.

–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. 

–Trusting News has launched a series of “trust kits” that are designed to help journalists build trust with their readership. 

Want more resources? Check out the Reporting Job Board; 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 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 above $200 USD for around 700-800 words and above $0.50 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 

–Logic(s) is looking for pitches of features, essays, and other formats on technology and society. They are particularly interested in queer and trans stories and “non-Americans writing about non-America.” The rates range from $1,200-$4,000. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–KneeDeep Times is looking for pitches of reported features on “how specific cities or towns in the San Francisco Bay Area are adapting to climate change, as well as profiles of Bay Area climate adaptation activists and leaders.” The rate is $1 per word for pieces of 500-1,000 words. See their pitch guide for more info, and send pitches by July 1. 

–Bloomberg Businessweek is looking for pitches of reported narrative features on topics related to business, including for an upcoming “Culture Wars” issue. They are specifically not looking for pitches of personal essays. The rate is generally $1 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Slate is looking for pitches of “smart, funny, original criticism (and more) about TV in particular, film, books, fame, online, and whatever else is ‘culture’ these days.” The rates start at $350 per piece and “increase with reporting/scope.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–​​Nonprofit Quarterly is looking for pitches of science-grounded fiction stories for the Fall 2023 issue of NPQ Magazine. The rate is $300 for short stories of around 500 words and $500 for “substantive science-grounded stories.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by June 30. 

–Barn Raiser is looking for pitches of opinion pieces, reported stories, Q&As, and book reviews for an upcoming editorial package on the 2023 Farm Bill. The rate is $200 for opinion pieces, $500 for reported stories, and ranges from $200-$500 for Q&As and book reviews. Send pitches to [email protected] by July 5. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Dirt is always looking for pitches of Q&As, essays, and reported pieces on TV, movies, books, fashion and style, art, furniture and design, scene reports, and other topics. The rate is $0.30 per word for Q&As and $0.50 per word for other pieces. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Translash is always looking for pitches of personal essays and journalism by transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people “that get to the heart of what what’s happening in our community⁠—and the world around us.” They are particularly interested in books and travel pitches. The rate is $350 per piece. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Art Review is always looking for pitches of smart, original, funny, incisive criticism on the visual arts, film, books, TV, the internet, and culture in general.” The rate is £250 ($318 USD) for 800-1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Observer is always looking for pitches of visual arts content, including “exhibition show (pre)reviews, artist interviews, and sharp commentary on the arts.” The rate is $300 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] with [PITCH] in the subject line. 

–Game Developer is always looking for pitches of reported features on the video game industry, including insight on trends, expert advice, resources, and more. The rates start at $250 for 800 words (single interview) and $350 for up to 1,600 words (multi-source interview). Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–SFGATE is always looking for pitches of explainers, deep dives, and other “great local content about the Bay Area.” The rates start at $250 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Barn Raiser is always looking for pitches of opinion pieces, reported stories, Q&As, and book reviews on “all topics concerning rural America.” The rate is $200 for opinion pieces, $500 for reported stories, and ranges from $200-$500 for Q&As and book reviews. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL LIST OF 295+ EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES.

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FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS 

–The Guardian is hiring an environmental editor on a one-year contract to commission for two series: America’s Dirty Divide and Climate Crimes. Candidates should have at least five years of editorial experience, including a “strong background in editing.” The salary range is $95,000-$110,000. While the position can be based anywhere in the US, “fully remote employees […] will be expected to attend some team gatherings in New York throughout the year.” No application deadline info was given for this role. 

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EVENTS

-The Institute for Independent Journalists is hosting a freelance business workshop with the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) on July 20 in Washington, DC. The program will include assigning editors at CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox discussing what they’re looking for in a pitch. Registration is free for those attending the AAJA 2023 conference, and the fee is $99 for those not attending. 

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

-PEN America is accepting applications for its Bare Life Review Grant program. The program aims to support literary works in progress by immigrant and refugee writers. The works must be fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. The program awards grants of $5,000 each. The deadline to apply is July 21. 

-Little, Brown Spark, in partnership with the Psychotherapy Networker, is accepting submissions for its New Voices Award program. Applicants can submit a “non-fiction book proposal on any topic within any branch of psychology.” The program is specifically for “previously unpublished (with the exception of articles, academic papers, or self-published books) and unagented writers from underrepresented backgrounds.” The award provides a $50,000 advance, a ticket to the Psychotherapy Networker’s 2024 Symposium in Washington, DC, and a $500 travel stipend. The deadline to apply is October 15.

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FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

NEW: -NPR is accepting applications for its Next Generation Radio training program in various cities throughout 2023. The five-day program is designed to give participants “the opportunity to learn how to report and produce a non-narrated audio piece and a companion multimedia story.” The program partners include WUNC/North Carolina Public Radio, St Louis Public Radio, and NAJA Next Gen Radio: Indigenous, among others. There is no fee for the program, and stipends are available to selected reporters. The deadline to apply varies depending on the location.  

NEW: –High Country News is accepting applications for its Indigenous Affairs Desk Internship program. The intern will cover issues that are important to indigenous communities and tribal nations across the Western US, and “will ideally have lived experience as a person of Indigenous identity and/or a sophisticated understanding of Indigeneity.” The program pays a bi-weely stipend of $1264.92 (plus a work-from-home allowance of $46.15 every two weeks), and interns are expected to work 40 hours per week. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, June 23. 

NEW: -Pioneers Post is accepting applications for its two-year EU UK Youth Stronger Together program. The program offers a five-session journalism workshop for 30 young journalists aged 15-30, travel grants to 10 young journalists to attend major youth events, and more. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, June 25. 

NEW: -The Climate Change Media Partnership is accepting applications for its CCMP COP28 Reporting Fellowship program. The program aims to bring “up to 20 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to report in-person at COP28.” Additionally, the program will award ten virtual fellowships, “with spots for up to five journalists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and up to five from the Lower Mekong region in two separate cohorts.” THe program covers travel, accommodation, and meal costs. The deadline to apply is June 30.

NEW: –Rest of World is accepting applications for its paid audience internship program in New York. The intern will “work with the audience team and collaborate with [their] editorial staff on new initiatives in social media.” The internship will pay $20 per hour for up to 20 hours per week. The program will last from July to September, “with the possibility of extending through the end of the year.” The deadline to apply is June 30. 

NEW: –The Walrus is accepting applications for its 2023 TD Fellowship on Disability and Inclusion program. The fellowship is exclusively open to media professionals with a disability. The fellow will work with the marketing, events, digital, and editorial teams to produce marketing and editorial content. The position pays $800 CAD ($608 USD) per week and the fellow is expected to work 35 hours per week for nine months. The deadline to apply is July 9. 

NEW: -Humanity in Action is accepting applications for its 2023/24 Landecker Democracy Fellowship program. Each fellow will create or expand on a project that “helps strengthen democracy,” with the theme this year being: “Democracy and the Politics of Memory.” Applicants must have at least five years of professional experience. Fellows will receive hands-on training, support, and a stipend of €15,000 ($16,380.90 USD). Applicants can be based anywhere within the US, UK, EU, or Ukraine. The deadline to apply is August 6. 

–Jewish Currents is accepting applications for its one-year remote fellowship program, which begins in September. The fellow will evaluate pitches, report and write pieces, and more. “You do not have to be Jewish — or a current expert in Jewish politics — to be right for this job.” The program pays an annual salary of $47,500 and includes benefits. Send inquiries about the program to executive editor Nora Caplan-Bricker at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, June 23. 

-NPR and The John Alexander Project are accepting applications for their Above the Fray reporting fellowship. The fellowship aims to provide one up-and-coming radio journalist the opportunity to cover important but under-reported international stories for NPR. Applicants should have at least five years of professional journalism experience, including some radio experience. The fellowship covers all production and living expenses for the duration of the program. The deadline to apply is July 1.

-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. The deadline to apply is July 5.

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JOBS 

NEW YORK CITY

–Financial Times is hiring a US energy editor to oversee coverage of the “American oil and gas industry as well as Washington energy policy and the massive green investment boom.” Candidates should have experience managing a large team in multiple locations. THe salary range is $115,000-$145,000. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, June 23. 

–Observer is hiring a reporter to cover “money and power, and the individuals who have them.” Candidates should have at least two years of experience, “ideally reporting about business.” The salary range is $65,000-$75,000. The position is based in NYC, “but with the potential to work remotely.” 

TEXAS

–Chron is hiring for multiple, Houston-based positions, including a Gulf Coast reporter “with a particular focus on Galveston” and a trending sports reporter to cover the city’s sports teams. Candidates for both positions should have at least two years of writing and editing experience. No salary or application deadline info was given for these roles. 

CALIFORNIA

–The Jewish News of Northern California is hiring a Bay Area-based editor-in-chief to lead their team of nine reporters and editors (plus several dozen freelancers). Candidates should have extensive journalism experience, some management experience, and a passion for Jewish life and the role of Jewish news. The minimum salary is $150,000. No application deadline was given for this role. 

-The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is hiring a content writer to create content for their blog, e-blasts, website, research summaries, and other formats. Candidates should have at least three years of experience in journalism, communications, marketing, or public relations. No salary info was given for the role. The deadline to apply is July 10. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

-Human Rights Watch is hiring a communications associate to provide editorial assistance and administrative support, including distributing reports, news releases, letters, and other content. Candidates should have at least one year of relevant experience, including some office/administration experience. The salary range is $52,000-$56,415. The deadline to apply is July 2. 

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is hiring a communications coordinator to “create and [execute] innovative social media campaigns and content.” Candidates should have at least one year of experience working in external-facing communications, and some “experience in a media, journalism, gender equity, or related/adjacent issues-based industry is a plus.” The starting salary is $55,000. The position can be remote, “however, residency in Washington, D.C., New York City, or Los Angeles is a plus for this position.” The deadline to apply is July 15. 

–American Theatre Magazine is hiring a managing editor to assist with the relaunch of their print edition as a quarterly magazine. Candidates should have at least three years of management experience and some familiarity with theater and the arts. The salary range is $70,000-$75,000. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, June 23. 

–The Drift is hiring an editor to commission and edit longform essays for print and online. Candidates should have at least three years of editing experience and “a strong interest in cultivating and introducing emerging writers.” The salary range is $50,000-$70,000. The position can be remote or based in New York. The deadline to apply is July 14. 

INTERNATIONAL

–The Economist is hiring a culture correspondent to “write about books, art, television, film, travel, sport, music, and even video games.” Candidates should have some editorial experience and “feel just as comfortable writing about sumo wrestling as Shakespeare.” No salary info was given for this role. The deadline to apply is this Monday, June 26.