A media newsletter & online support network for media workers.

Study Hall promotes community and collaboration in the media industry and publishes original reporting on digital media and entertainment. It was founded in 2015 in Brooklyn, New York, by Kyle Chayka and P.E. Moskowitz as a coworking space for freelance writers and over time has grown into an organization with over 3,000 subscribers.

We provide education about journalism as an industry and career as well as analysis and breaking news, taking on the stories emerging in the discourse every week. We also work with clients like brands and other publications with editorial consulting and classified ads.

If you have any questions about Study Hall, including about our staff, or want to send us feedback, email [email protected].

FAQs

What happened to Patreon?

Previously, Study Hall was run via Patreon. Now we have our own website, with a custom subscription system. If you have a Patreon account, please sign up for a new account on this site, then delete your pledge on Patreon (we can’t automatically move payment information from Patreon).

I’ve just signed up, what now?

We need you to fill out our new subscriber survey! There’s one for Listserv subscribers, and another for Network subscribers. If you haven’t filled out the survey, we can’t add you to the system, so fill it out! As soon as you sign up, you’ll have access to Study Hall’s website — articles, how-tos, and more. For everything else, you may need to wait a few days, and during busy periods up to a week, before you’re added. You’ll get notifications as soon as you’re added to the Listserv and our Slack (if you signed up for the Network tier). If it’s been over a week and you’re still not in the system, email [email protected]. Don’t request access to our Google Docs. If you can’t access them, send an email.

I’m really interested in the media, but I don’t currently work in the industry. Can I join?

Yes. Anyone can join Study Hall. There are certain restricted Slack channels, but the Listserv and the newsletters are open to all who are interested. If you just want to read media news and interesting features, we recommend you sign up at the Basic level.

I signed up, am in the system, and am totally overwhelmed. What do I do?

We highly recommend you read our user guide before posting anything on the Listserv, Slack, or anywhere else. We also periodically send out community updates that are written by users—fun little personal journeys through Study Hall. Search our site for “community update” to read them. And finally, as we say in the user guide, lurk! There’s so much to take in and learn from Study Hall that it can feel like too much. Hang around for a week or two and just watch how others use it, and you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

I'm suddenly getting way too much email, help!

The Study Hall Listserv gets dozens of messages a day. When you sign up, you’ll be automatically added to it via Google Groups. If you’re getting too many emails, you have to change your own settings on Google Groups and specify that you want a digest of emails instead of every email. Another good strategy is to create a Gmail filter to put all Listserv messages in your archive under a specific tag so you can look them up later. Just set one up for all emails from [email protected]. If you leave the Study Hall group entirely, you won’t be able to access any Listserv content and will have to email [email protected].

How does Study Hall charge me? Are there any hidden fees?

We use payment processor Stripe for all payments, and there are no hidden fees. You’ll be charged as soon as you sign up and then on the same day every month after that. You can leave at any time.

Are you a union?

No. We don’t represent journalists or other media workers in matters of contract negotiation or work like a traditional union. Think of us more like AARP for the media world: we advocate for you, and we publish stories relevant to you. We do however work closely with several media unions to establish pay rate transparency and push for changes across the industry.

What is the goal of Study Hall?

We want to get everyone who works in the media in the same room. We think the media industry is broken, its business model outdated, and its power too concentrated in the hands of the few; and that by all talking to each other, we can begin taking the industry back into our own hands. The more we communicate with each other, the more transparency we bring to the byzantine workings of the media industry, how people are paid, and what makes them successful.

How do I pitch you guys a story?

Send an email to [email protected]. Please read our pitch guide first and familiarize yourself with the kinds of stories we publish before you send your pitch!

What are your policies on discrimination within Study Hall?

We take discrimination extremely seriously. We have documents that outline the expected behavior of Study Hall members that you should read (user guide, terms of service, privacy policy). But the TL;DR version is: any racism, sexism, or transphobia will get you booted immediately. We also will kick out anyone who shares things said on Study Hall publicly (on Twitter, with a friend, with an editor, etc.). Less serious infractions (being rude to other SH members, for example), will result in a warning. Repeated infractions will result in removal from Study Hall. If you have any concerns about the Study Hall community, email [email protected].

Team

Erin Corbett
Senior Editor

Erin Corbett (@aterincorbett) is Study Hall’s senior editor. You can send pitches, questions, comments, and compliments to [email protected]. [Full-Time]

Daniel Spielberger
Newsletter Editor

Daniel Spielberger is Study Hall’s newsletter editor. His work has appeared in VICE, Them, NBC News, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other publications. You can send pitches, questions, and smoothie recommendations to . [Full-Time]

Chris Erik Thomas
Contributing Writer

Chris Erik Thomas (@frailfag) is a Berlin-based writer whose work has appeared on The Face, Highsnobiety, Essential Homme, Paper Magazine, and other publications. Before moving to Berlin, they worked as Out Magazine’s Digital Managing Editor in New York City. [email protected] [Contributing Writer]

P.E. Moskowitz
Founder

P.E. Moskowitz (@_pem_pem) is a journalist and the author of two books, How to Kill a City and The Case Against Free Speech. They live in New York. [email protected] [Emeritus]

Kyle Chayka
Founder

Kyle Chayka (@chaykak) is the author of The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism and a freelance writer for publications including The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Vox, and many others. [email protected] [Emeritus]