♕STUDY HALL OPPORTUNITIES 12/14/2023♕

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OPPS SUCCESS STORIES

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.

–Jillian Anthony was paid $300 to write about how even though she’s single and childfree, her friendships with her four college besties (who are all married moms) are stronger than ever thanks to an app called Marco Polo for Business Insider. She pitched Conz Preti based on her call for pitches around parenting. The pitch finally landed after she had been thinking about it and pitching it for at least a year.

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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. We currently split pitch calls into three sections: Time-Sensitive (Above Fair Rates), Evergreen (Above Fair Rates), and Time-Sensitive + Evergreen (Below Fair Rates) — and sort each section by highest to lowest rates. We currently define “fair rates” as above $200 USD for around 700-800 words and above $0.20 per word for longer pieces. However, 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 (ABOVE FAIR RATES)

–Narratively is looking for pitches of longform reported features for its new project, Life in the Age of Extremes. They are looking for stories that “shine a light on where the human race is heading now and that help us peer into the future.” The rates start at $2,000 per story. See their pitch guide for more info, and send pitches through their pitch form by December 29.

–Field Notes is looking for pitches of reported features and case studies on the following content themes: “Care is the Antidote to Violence,” “Surviving Supremacy,” and “democracy, tbd.” Submissions are accepted from writers around the world. The rate is $1 per word for 700-1,000 words. See their pitch form for more info and to send pitches. The deadline to pitch is next Friday, December 22. 

–The Washington Post is looking for pitches of stories “related to home or family.” They are especially interested in pitches from writers impacted by recent media layoffs. The starting rate is $600 for 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –Fields & Stations is looking for pitches on “very high-end ‘barefoot’ luxury resorts. Think Soneva & resorts like it.” They are particularly interested in “atypical, innovative takes that are about the value of such places for recharging.” The rate is €0.50 ($0.55 USD) per word. Send pitches to [email protected] “before Christmas [ideally].” 

NEW: –Griffith Review is looking for pitches of non-fiction pieces “of commentary, analysis, and critique on subjects as diverse, esoteric or topical as you like.” They are particularly interested in pitches from First Nations writers and from members of the Deaf and Disabled writing communities. The rate is $500 AUD ($335 USD) per piece. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches through their pitch form by January 14. 

–Sonder is looking for pitches of “short stories, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction all based on the theme of ‘MADNESS.’” The rate is €300 ($326 USD) per piece. See their pitch guide for more info and submit through their pitch form by December 30.

NEW: –Business Insider is looking for pitches of essays from Gen Z writers “who are worried about inheriting their parents’ debt [or] who graduated from a popular or Ivy league school and regretted it.” The rate is $300 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Body Type is looking for pitches of “essays about body image, the power of exercise unrelated to looks, beauty standards, eating disorder recovery, body discourse in pop culture, the nuances of body change.” The rate is $250 for 800-1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by December 30.

NEW: –Dollars & Sense is looking for pitches on “critical economic news and analysis.” They are “especially interested in pitches from women.” Some experience writing on econ or policy helps but is not required. The rates range from $250-$400. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Pinch of Dirt is looking for pitches of personal essays on “outdoor adventure, urban nature, gardening, bird-watching, mushroom-hunting, or any interaction with the big, wide world we call Earth.” The rate is $200 for 400-1,000 words. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected]. There is “no specific deadline, but [they] will close pitch call when the budget is exhausted.”

NEW: –Ori is looking for pitches of reported features that cover “stories about places and people on the ground to inspire us to travel.” They are also interested in pitches for various “Departments,” including Humor, Essay, Street Sense, and Their B&B. The rate is $200 for Department pieces (300-900 words) and $0.50-$1 per word for features (1,000-3,000 words). Sign up for their submission guidelines here and send pitches to [email protected] with the correct heading and email body format (as explained in the submission guidelines) by January 15. 

NEW: –Business Insider is looking for pitches “from writers with *upcoming* ferry trips in the US or from the US to another country to start 2024 off right.” They are specifically looking for “non-sponsored, non-gifted trips.” The rates start at $200. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS (ABOVE FAIR RATES)

NEW: –Meridian, a “magazine on the untold stories in tech,” is always looking for pitches of features, profiles, interviews, and other content. They do “assignment-based rates that come out to between $0.80-$1 per word.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –Broadview Magazine is always looking for pitches of opinion pieces with “snappy perspectives on topics related to faith, ethics, and justice.” They are specifically not looking for “opinions that aren’t supported by facts, or are over-reliant on emotion.” The rate is $0.75 CAD ($0.56 USD) per word for 450-550 words (so $251.66-$307.58 USD). Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –Ambrook Research is always looking for pitches of data-driven stories on any modern agriculture-related topic. They are particularly interested in “personal essays and opinion pieces on agriculture and food consumption/supply chain.” The rates start at $0.50 per word and “generally fall between” $0.50-$1 per word. See their pitch guide for more info, and send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –FoodUnfolded is always looking for pitches of reported features, interviews, deep dives, and other formats on the topic of “food through a variety of lenses: social, political, economic, cultural, and scientific.” The rates range from €250-€400 ($270-$432 USD). See their pitch guide for more info. To submit pitches, download this form and use it to structure a pitch email to [email protected] with “Pitch” in the subject line.

***CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL LIST OF 330+ EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES.***

TIME-SENSITIVE + EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS (BELOW FAIR RATES) 

NEW: –Business Insider is always looking for pitches of grocery diaries for Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi. They are specifically “looking for folks with unique jobs/hours/diets to write about what they typically buy at these stores.” You must “be able to visit the store and snap horizontal photos of each item you’re speaking about during your next trip.” The rates start at $175. Send pitches through their pitch form.

–Briarpatch is looking for pitches of investigative features, interviews, profiles, and other formats “that are rooted in anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, feminist struggle” for its upcoming May/June issue. The rates range from $150-$350. See their pitch guide for more info, and send pitches to [email protected] by January 2. 

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FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS 

NEW: -The Hearst Newspapers (HNP) DevHub is hiring a data reporter on a three-month contract to work on data-driven journalism projects. Candidates should have some newsroom experience (including student publications) and “expertise in data analysis and data visualization, using tools such as R, Python, SQL, Datawrapper, D3,” and other programs. “The reasonable [salary] estimate is between an hourly rate equivalent to $80K to $85K per year over a 12-month period.” No application deadline was given. 

NEW: –US Weekly is hiring a part-time associate social media editor to work weekends — specifically 4 PM to 8 PM EST on Fridays and 9 AM to 5 PM EST on Saturdays and Sundays. Candidates should have at least two years of media or publishing experience and “must be obsessed with entertainment and celebrity news.” The rate is $35 per hour and the position is remote. No application deadline was given. 

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FULL-TIME JOURNALISM JOBS

NEW YORK

NEW: –The New York Times is hiring for multiple positions, including a Politics day editor to assist with 2024 election coverage, a Business editor to run its coverage of consumer companies, an Opinion editorial director to set the department’s editorial strategy, a lead writer for the Morning International Edition newsletter, a Climate Forward editor to lead and grow the newsletter, a Media & Tech editor to edit news and features on tech and media companies, and a Books senior staff editor to grow the Book Review section. Please see the respective job links for salary info. No application deadlines were given. 

NEW: –Newsday is hiring for multiple positions in Melville, NY, including a Travel & Getaways reporter to cover “Long Island, NYC, and upstate travel news, day trips, [and] weekend destinations,” an investigative reporter to join its “quick-strike” team, and a State reporter to cover “breaking news as it pertains to Long Island or New York State.” All positions have an hourly rate of $31.89 – $52.32 (or $58,000-$94,000) and are represented by the Graphics Communication Conference, PPPWU. No application deadlines were given. 

WASHINGTON, DC

NEW: –The Atlantic is hiring an assistant editor to join its audience engagement team. Candidates should have at least one year of experience “operating news-branded social media accounts or digital platforms.” “The role will include one weekend shift, and occasional nights or early mornings during major breaking news moments.” The salary range is $55,000-$65,000. No application deadline was given. 

TEXAS

NEW: –The Texas Tribune is hiring a reporter to cover the Rio Grande Valley region “from Brownsville to Laredo” to tell stories of “everyday Texans and how state and local policy decisions affect their lives.” Candidates must be bilingual in Spanish and English. The minimum salary is $55,000. The position is funded by Report For America for two years, “with an optional third year.” The deadline to apply is January 31.  

CALIFORNIA

NEW: –SFGATE is hiring an audience engagement editor to “sift through analytics, pick out the important trend lines (good and bad) and identify ways to influence them.” Candidates should have at least three years of social or newsletter strategy experience, and must be based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate. The salary range is $85,000-$90,000. No application deadline was given. 

NEW: -The Bay Area News Group is hiring a San Jose-based breaking news reporter to join its Mercury News and East Bay Times Team. Candidates should have at least five years of daily journalism experience, including some experience in breaking news reporting. The hourly wage is $20-$32. No application deadline was given. 

NEW: –The San Diego Union-Tribune is hiring a reporter to “cover border life and immigration issues affecting the San Diego-Tijuana region.” Candidates should have at least two years of journalism experience and must be fluent in Spanish. The hourly wage is $27.64-$32.45. No application deadline was given. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

NEW: –Grist is hiring for multiple positions, including a reporter and staff writer to grow its coverage of food and agriculture and a senior editor to “help steer [its] environmental justice coverage and investigative work.” The salary ranges are $62,500 – $75,000 for the reporter, $76,000 – $90,000 for the staff writer, and $90,000 – $130,000 for the senior editor. All positions are represented by the Grist NewsGuild. The positions can be remote or based in Seattle, WA. The application deadline for the reporter and staff writer positions is January 5, while the senior editor role is “open until filled.” 

NEW: –NPR is hiring an editor to help “lead efforts to cover daily news, stand up and edit live blogs whenever news warrants.” Candidates should have some “experience editing national or international news.” The salary range is $97,500-$102,500, and the position is covered by SAG-AFTRA. The position is remote-friendly, but “the employee will be required to be onsite at the [Washington, DC / Culver City / New York City / Chicago] office at least 10 days a year.” No application deadline was given. 

NEW: –Sentient Media is hiring a program manager to help build its new Food and Farming Media Network, “a members-only space for journalists at all stages of their careers who wish to learn about and report on food systems and factory farming.” Candidates should have “strong substantive journalism experience,” including experience managing a team. The salary range is $60,000-$70,000, plus a $100 professional development monthly stipend. The application deadline is next Friday, December 22. 

 

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OTHER FULL-TIME JOBS 

NEW YORK CITY

NEW: -The Metropolitan Opera is hiring a social media content creator to “concept, pitch, and execute social media videos and other assets.” Candidates should have at least two years of relevant experience, including a “proven track record of creating highly engaging and polished short-form social media.” The salary range is $55,000-$60,000. No application deadline was given for this role. 

-Doctors Without Borders is hiring an associate editor to report and write articles for its digital and print channels, including a quarterly magazine. Candidates should have at least three years of writing and editing experience, “preferably with a nonprofit or media organization.” The salary range is $87,400.04-$93,520.18. The position can be based in New York or at a regional hub (Washington, DC or Bay Area, CA). The application deadline is this Wednesday, December 20. 

NEW: –Jewish Currents is hiring a director of community engagement to help launch and lead its new programming initiative, which “can and will include workshops, seminars, lectures,” and more. Candidates should have at least three years of experience in organizing, education, programming, or advocacy work. The salary range is $70,000-$75,000. “This position is strongly preferred to be based in New York City and will consist of frequent travel as well as remote work.” The application deadline is this Monday, December 18.

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is hiring a senior development coordinator to track existing grants, lead grant proposals, write reports, and do other tasks. Candidates should have at least three years of relevant experience, and “previous fundraising experience [is] essential.” The minimum salary is $60,000, and the position can be remote or based in New York or Washington, DC. The deadline to apply is December 31.

-Creative Commons is hiring a communications manager to create and execute a communications plan for its Open Climate Campaign program, including writing and editing “all campaign communications material.” Candidates should have a track record of planning and overseeing successful public communication campaigns. The salary range is $6,500-$8,000 per month on a full-time contractor contract, which will work on “12-month contracts, renewable based on performance, for up to 28 months.” The deadline to apply is January 12.

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EVENTS AND RESOURCES

-The National Critics Institute is accepting applications for its free two-week workshop on arts writing and criticism. The conference is led by Chris Jones, critic and columnist at the Chicago Tribune, and covers criticism of theater, dance, film, food, and more. The workshop takes place July 2-14 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in New London, CT. The deadline to apply is this Monday, December 18.

-The Institute for Independent Journalists is hosting its 2024 Freelance Journalism Conference on February 29 and March 1. The conference will feature “two inspirational keynote addresses, eight live, interactive 75-minute long panel discussions, two networking sessions with other freelancers, the bundle of bonuses, webinars, and resources. The price is $49 if you register before next Friday, December 22. Study Hall members receive a 10% discount on registration with the code STUDYHALL10.

-Jennifer Mizgata, a current fellow at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, is conducting a survey on “the work culture in the news industry.” The survey will ask questions about where you work, the work culture there, and your identity, and it takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. For more background, see her piece about why journalism needs to talk about work beyond burnout and bad bosses. The deadline to give input in the survey is December 29. 

-The International Women’s Media Foundation will be launching a “Newsroom Safety Across America” initiative to bring its journalism safety training to local newsrooms across the United States. Fill out their web form to “express interest in bringing a workshop to your newsroom or news organization.” 

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting submissions for its Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award. The award is open to women, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming journalists and celebrates “photojournalists whose work inspires us to take action and better understand the world.” The winner will receive a cash prize of $20,000. You can self-nominate or be nominated by an editor. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, December 17.

 -The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting submissions for its Kim Wall Memorial Fund. The program aims to “fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call ‘the undercurrents of rebellion.’” Multiple grants of $5,000 will be awarded to “affiliated or freelance women or nonbinary journalists.” The deadline to apply is this Sunday, December 17.

-ReadWrite Strategies is accepting submissions for its workplace story essay contest. The stories will be produced in an anthology book in “early March 2024.” Story submissions must be “true, funny, and about work, written for the purpose of this contest,” 200-1,200 words, and “first-person vignettes, not narratives.” There will be five winners, with first place receiving $500, second place receiving $200, and third through fifth place receiving $100; all five winners will also receive a print copy of the book. The deadline to submit is this Monday, December 18. 

-Better Science Project is accepting submissions for its Lovelace Future Scientific Institutions Essay Prize. The essay must answer the following question: “If you were given enough resources to build a new institute of 30-300 researchers funded over at least 15 years, what vision would you pursue, and why? What about this institute would be globally distinctive?” Three to five prizes of £1,500 ($1,881 USD) will be awarded. The deadline to apply is this Wednesday, December 20. 

–NPR is accepting submissions for its College Podcast Challenge scholarship. The contest requires that students “create a podcast on any topic they wish to explore,” which can take the form of “an interview, narrative story, or even investigative reporting” and be done “by yourself, with a friend, or with your entire class.” The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship, while the ten finalists will receive $500 each. The contest is open “to students of all ages pursuing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, as well as those who have already graduated earlier in 2023.” The deadline to submit is January 5.

-Paper Chase Press is accepting applications for its Make-A-Mag competition in collaboration with Hemlock Printers. The contest “will award one winner the chance to launch their magazine idea with the first print run provided free of charge. All that is needed to apply is an idea for a magazine, it does not need to be fully designed or conceptualized.” The content is “open to all and free to enter.” The deadline to apply is January 12.

–Washington Square Review is accepting submissions for its New Voices Award for fiction writing. The contest is judged by the faculty of the NYU Graduate Creative Writing Program. The winner will receive $1,500 and publication in the journal (in print and online), and also “receive an interview conducted by the judge that will appear alongside the selected work online and possibly in the print journal.” The deadline to submit is January 15. 

-The Municipal Art Society of New York is accepting submissions for its 2024 Brendan Gill Prize. The prize is “given each year to the creator of a specific work; a book, essay, musical composition, play, painting, sculpture, film, or choreographic piece, that best captures the spirit and energy of New York City.” Previous winners include John Wilson, Sufjan Stevens, and Kara Walker. The application deadline is January 19. 

-UC Berkeley is accepting applications for its Psychedelic Journalism Grant. The program provides ten reporting grants of $10,000 to “journalists reporting in-depth print and audio stories on the science, policy, business and culture of this new era of psychedelics.” They are “committed to supporting journalists from diverse backgrounds and of all nationalities.” The deadline to apply is January 31, 2024.

-NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute is accepting applications for its Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award. The program provides a grant of $12,500 to “support the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition.” “The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory.” The deadline to apply is February 22. 

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting applications for its Fund for Women Journalists. The program provides funding to women and nonbinary journalists for either reporting projects or professional development opportunities. The amount per project will vary, but the average grant size from 2021 to 2022 was $6,000. Applications are “accepted on a rolling basis and are open to journalists of all nationalities,” however, “applications may take up to eight weeks for the IWMF to process, from October 2023 to April 2024.”

-The Pulitzer Center is accepting applications for its Deep Dives: Ocean and Fisheries Reporting Grant. The program is aimed at “freelance and staff journalists who wish to report on vital ocean and fisheries issues and [need] support for their reporting projects.” The funding covers airfare, hotels, meals, records requests, data analysis/visualization, and other costs. There is no application deadline; they “accept grant proposals on a rolling basis.” 

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FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

NEW: -Report for America is accepting applications for it’s two-year reporting corps program. In total, “just over 50 new reporting corps positions [are available] across the United States,” including seven beats doing statehouse coverage for The Associated Press, five beats doing local news coverage throughout North Carolina, and more. The full list of newsrooms and beats can be found here. The program also includes “more than 70 training sessions per year.” The annual salaries will vary by newsroom. The deadline to apply is January 31. 

NEW: –Newsday is accepting applications for its 10-week summer internship in Melville, NY. Interns will “work side by side with professional journalists on [their] print, digital, and television platforms, helping to produce content for our loyal, diverse Long Island audience.” The internship pays $20 per hour, and interns are expected to work 40 hours per week from June through August. The deadline to apply is January 31.

–Vox is accepting applications for its one-year Future Perfect Fellowship. Three fellows will cover “politics and policy, business and pop culture, food, science, and everything else that matters.” Applicants should have “previous newsroom experience (including college papers) or comparable experience in another field.” The fellowship is remote and represented by the WGA-East. The salary is $72,000. The deadline to apply is December 29. 

-Just Media is accepting applications for its six-month Philly Movement Media Fellowship. Fellows will receive “comprehensive journalism training, mentorship, community building opportunities, and support publishing their writing with partner outlets.” The fellowship offers a $1,000 stipend, paid in two installments in February and June, and requires working five to ten hours per week from mid-January through June. The application deadline is December 31. 

-Hearst is accepting applications for its Hearst Journalism Fellowship. The program “consists of two 12-month rotations at [their] top metro papers and websites” as staff reporters. “Fellows will receive training, mentoring, and real-world experience,” plus a “competitive salary and benefits, including health insurance and moving expenses.” The application deadline is January 7.

–James Merrill House is accepting applications for its 2024-25 Writer-in-Residence program in Stonington, CT. The fellowship provides “living and working space and a $1,100 stipend to a writer to complete a project of literary or academic merit,” which can be poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or plays. There are four residencies that run four weeks and two that run six weeks. The application deadline is January 8.

-The Harvard University Graduate School of Design is accepting applications for its one-year Loeb Fellowship Class of 2025 in Boston, MA. The fellowship is aimed at “people in mid-career, with a minimum of 5-10 years of experience in the field,” whose work “focuses on improving the built and natural environment.” Fellows will receive a stipend of $57,500. There is a $45 application fee, and the application deadline is January 8. 

-The Nieman Foundation is accepting applications for its 2024-25 Nieman Visiting Fellowships in Cambridge, MA. The program is split into two fellowships (International and US), and offers “short-term research opportunities to individuals interested in working on special projects designed to advance journalism.” “For fellows not supported by an employer during the fellowship, a stipend of $1,325 per week will be provided.” The application deadline is January 31 for US citizens. 

-The Pulitzer Center is accepting applications for its 2024 Richard C. Longworth Media Fellowship. The program “aims to promote international reporting by Chicago and Midwestern journalists.” Applicants must be “print, broadcast, and online journalists based in Chicago or elsewhere in the Midwest. Staff journalists as well as freelancers are eligible to apply.” One or two fellows will be awarded grants ranging from $10,000-$20,000. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2024.

-Wave Farm is accepting applications for its one-month Radio Art Fellowship. The program is divided into three tracks: Research, Community Engagement, and Arts Writing. A stipend of $2,000 is awarded to each of the three fellows, and the fellowship includes residence at the farm’s residence in the northern foothills of Catskill Mountain Park. The fellowship is also open to international applicants; however, “fellows must pay for their own travel expenses.” The deadline to apply is February 1.