♕ STUDY HALL OPPORTUNITIES 08/10/2023 ♕

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 wishes they were in Italy enjoying the sun right now. 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.

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TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES SURVEY!

To shape the next chapter for the Opportunities newsletter, we’re asking our members to take part in a quick survey that will better clarify the wants and needs of our members — and figure out what is working and not working.

Please fill out The Opportunities Survey by next Friday, August 18.

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►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

►What would you do differently if you had the confidence of a privileged, straight white man? We’ve all met a “Chad” and marveled at his hubris. The #WWCD bracelet encourages women and their allies to make choices as though they haven’t been impacted by systemic oppression. Shop today and follow us on Instagram.

The Classified Ads are back! Want to have your business, job opening, newsletter, etc. seen by a legion of extremely-online media workers? Run a Classified Ad in our three weekly newsletters: the Digest, Opportunities, and our new Free Recap. We also offer add-on placement for Slack and Listserv posts.

 Click through for rates, testimonials, and to get in touch. 

 

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RESOURCES

*** COMING SOON: A dedicated page on Study Hall for our ongoing list of Resources. Until then, please refer back to previous editions of the Opps to see our list. ***

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.

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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 $0.20 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 FAIR RATES

–LA Times is looking for pitches of reported stories that answer the question: “What does this say about Latinidad?” The rate is $450 for a “lightly reported piece” and $750 for a “much more deeply reported piece.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–The New Republic is looking for pitches  of “interesting, underexplored [stories] on this extreme heat and what it could mean for us over the short or long term.” The rates start at $350 per piece. The deadline for heat-related pitches is “end of the summer,” while “general climate pitches [are open] through the end of September.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Green European Journal is looking for pitches of opinion pieces, essays, and other formats on the theme of “Visions for Europe.” They are particularly interested in pitches on “Europe as a post-national democracy,” “Green Deal as a political and social project,” and other topics. The rates range from €300-€400” ($330-$440 USD) for 1,000-2,500 words, and “are adjusted to the amount of research involved.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by August 25.

NEW: –SFGATE is looking for pitches of reported stories on the collapse of the Pac-12 — “it could be about Olympic or women’s sports, but doesn’t have to be.” The rate ranges from $300-$500. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –Viator is looking for pitches of essays with a travel hook for Latinx Heritage Month. They are particularly interested in pitches on “Bolivia, Ecuador, like all of Central America, Paraguay, Uruguay, Puerto Rico and the DR.” The rate is $250. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –SAPIENS is looking for pitches of essays, op-eds, poetry, book excerpts, and other formats on anthropology, including archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. The rate is $250 per piece. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches through their pitch form by September 1. 

–SFGATE is looking for pitches of features on Burning Man from writers who will be attending the event. Rates start at $250 but are higher “for more complex features.” Send pitches to [email protected] by this Monday, August 14. 

TIME-SENSITIVE PITCH CALLS, BELOW FAIR RATES 

NEW: –Nobody is looking for pitches of “essays, longform reported features, photo series, interviews (especially ones that feel more like conversations), and experiments of all kinds” that fit the theme of “Burning.” The rates “vary and are negotiated individually,” but are around “$100 for interviews and upwards of $300 for longer features.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] by August 21. 

NEW: –PCGamesN is looking for pitches of guides on Baldur’s Gate 3. The rates range from £50 ($64 USD) for micro guides and up to £200 ($254 USD) for longer, more in-depth guides. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW: –Film Daze is looking for pitches of reviews, features, essays, and interviews on film. They are particularly interested in pitches for their Film Peaks (essays on specific scenes or moments in movies) and The Return (essays on films you keep returning to) series. The rates are $25 for reviews, $45 for essays, and $60 for interviews. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected]. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Insider is looking for pitches of “deeply-reported, character-driven features that break ground, help us make sense of the world, and are fun to read.” The features “can be from anywhere in the world, on any topic.” The rate is $1 per word and features “tend to be 2,000+ words.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Bluedot Living is always looking for pitches of longer features and short dispatches on solutions-focused climate stories. They are “always looking for great stories about communities working hard to address climate issues.” The rates range from $400-$750 for 800-1,500 word features, and $175 per dispatch of 400-800 words. Send pitches to [email protected].

–TODAY is always looking for pitches of personal essays on parenting, health, and other topics. “Completed essays or drafts are ideal if people have them. But thorough pitches are great, too.” The rate is typically $350 for around 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–All The Heterosexual Nonsense is always looking for pitches of feature articles on “anything across queer news and culture,” including “pop culture, comedy, queer commentary and issues,” and other topics. They are particularly interested in new and unpublished trans and GD writers. The rate is $300 AUD ($198 USD). Send pitches to [email protected].  

–i newspaper is always looking for pitches of opinion and analysis pieces that “offer new angles on the news, as well as engaging original stories drawn from personal experience.” The rate is £0.25 ($0.32 USD) per word. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].  

***CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL LIST OF 300+ EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES.***

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FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS 

NEW: –New Humanist is hiring a biology writer to be a columnist on a one-year contract. The position requires writing four short columns in their quarterly magazine. The rate is £0.20 ($0.26 USD) per word. Send inquiries to [email protected]. 

NEW: –1843 magazine is hiring a features writer on a six-month contract to “travel around the country, regularly producing human-interest stories on American politics, culture and society.” Candidates should have some feature writing experience. No salary info was given for this role. The deadline to apply is September 3. 

NEW: –CNN Digital is hiring a senior data and graphics editor on a temporary, six-month contract to assign and edit graphics and visuals, including charts, maps, interactives, and other formats. Candidates should have at least seven years of relevant newsroom experience. The annual salary range is $84,084-$156,156. No application deadline info was given for this role. 

NEW: -Journey is hiring a freelance copywriter to create and edit content, including for email and its website and app. “Experience with product marketing and mental health is preferred.” No rate or application deadline info was given for this role. 

NEW: -Denison University is hiring a Granville, Ohio-based managing editor on a one-year contract to oversee the team of reporters at its nonprofit media source, The Reporting Project. Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience. The salary range is $72,000-$80,000, according to the director of its journalism program, Jack Shuler. Send inquiries about the position to Jack at  [email protected]. The deadline to apply is August 21. 

–The Guardian US is hiring an Arizona-based contributing writer to cover voting and elections on its Democracy team on a part-time contract. The rate is $3,000 per month and the writer is expected to produce two to four stories per month. Send inquiries to [email protected] or @kira_lerner on Twitter. There is no deadline to get in touch. 

-New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative (NYMI SOJO) is hiring a part-time engagement manager on a temporary contract to provide “support in editorial coverage, fundraising, and [ensure] long-term sustainability.” Candidates should have a “proven interest in community engagement and network building.” The rate is $38.46 per hour and “NYMI SOJO prefers the candidate to be located in southeast Michigan or western New York.” “Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but those received by August 30 will be prioritized.” 

FULL-TIME JOURNALISM JOBS

NEW YORK CITY

–BOMB Magazine is hiring a circulation manager to oversee “all day-to-day retail and subscriber operations” for its print magazine. Candidates must have some understanding of the periodical marketplace. The salary range is $65,000-$70,000 and the publication operates on a four-day workweek. The deadline to apply is this Monday, August 14. 

NORTHEAST

NEW: –The Boston Globe is hiring a reporter to cover immigration in the New England region. Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience and “foreign language skills [are] preferred.” No salary or application deadline info was given for this role. 

SOUTHEAST

NEW: –The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is hiring an Atlanta, GA-based reporter “to cover the business of [the] entertainment industry in Georgia.” Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience and must have a reliable vehicle to cover the news. The rate ranges from $25.29-$37.98 per hour. No application deadline info was given for this role but economy and environment editor Scott Trubey recommends applying “within the next 14 days.”

NEW: –MLK50: Justice Through Journalism is hiring a Memphis, TN-based public safety and justice reporter to “explore what can, will, and does keep Memphians safe.” Candidates should have at least five years of reporting experience, “with preference given to those with prior public safety/criminal justice/government reporting experience.” The starting salary is $65,000. Send inquiries about the position to executive editor Adrienne Johnson Martin at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is September 4. 

CENTRAL

NEW: –The Houston Chronicle is hiring a data reporter to produce quick-turn, graphics-focused stories on its data visualization team. Candidates should have some newsroom experience and the “ability to work with multiple, large datasets, preferably using Python, R or similar coding languages.” No salary or application deadline info was given for this role. 

SOUTHWEST

NEW: –Rocky Mountain PBS is hiring a Denver-based managing editor to oversee the production of daily content. Candidates should have at least a decade of journalism experience, and “must possess a valid driver’s license and an acceptable MVR.” The salary range is $78,000-$80,000. “Position will be posted until filled.” 

CALIFORNIA

NEW: -The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism is hiring a Los Angeles-based collaborative editor to “launch and lead a new non-profit journalism collaborative focused on health and health equity.” Candidates should have at least three years of newsroom experience. The salary range is $72,000- $87,000. No application deadline info was given for this role. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

NEW: –Insider is hiring a senior editor to manage the credit card coverage of its Personal Finance section, “with a focus on reviews and guides.” Candidates should have a “familiarity with and curiosity about credit cards and credit card rewards.” The salary range is $100,000-$120,000. No application deadline info was given for this role but senior reviews editor Laura Grace Tarpley recommends applying “in the next week or two.” 

NEW: –Vinyl Me Please (VMP) is hiring a liner notes and print editor to assign, source, and edit the Listening Notes from all of its Records of the Month Subscriptions. Candidates should have at least three years of copy editing experience. The salary range is $55,000-$70,000. No application deadline info was given for this role.  

–Audubon is hiring an associate editor to work on stories for their digital outlet and quarterly print magazine. Candidates should have at least three years of experience in one of the following beats: science journalism, environmental journalism, or conservation/wildlife journalism. The salary range is $53,000-$71,000, the position is union eligible, and can be either remote or hybrid from their NYC office. Send inquiries about the position to deputy editor Jessica Leber at [email protected]. They “will consider applicants on a rolling basis until the position is filled.”

–More Perfect Union is hiring a media producer to “pitch, conceptualize, research, and produce news-driven video content — all with a mission to change policy in our country.” Candidates should have at least five years of journalism or advocacy experience, including “producing, reporting, or research experience.” The salary is $85,000. The deadline for applications is August 25. 

–The Guardian US is hiring for multiple positions, including a senior race and equity reporter and Southern US race and equity reporter. Candidates for both positions should have at least five years of reporting experience. The salary ranges are $120,000-$150,000 for the senior reporter and $75,000-$100,000 for the reporter. Both roles are News Media guild positions and can be remote across the US, but require attending “some team gatherings in New York throughout the year.” The deadline to apply for both positions is September 4. 

FULL-TIME NON-JOURNALISM JOBS 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

NEW: –The 19th is hiring a senior program coordinator to “provide dedicated administrative and operational support to all program areas” of its Frances Ellen Watkins Harper fellowship. Candidates should have at least four years of operational or administrative support experience, and must be willing to travel three to five times annually for retreats and other events. “Past attendance at a Historically Black College or University is a plus.” The salary range is $75,000-$90,000. The deadline to apply is August 28. 

NEW: -Pod People is hiring a senior producer to work on show development, episode planning, and other tasks for its “interview, chat and documentary podcasts (scripted and unscripted content).” Candidates should have at least five years of experience “writing and producing specifically for audio, including podcasts.” The salary range is $80,000-$90,000. No application deadline info was given for this role. 

NEW: -Penguin Random House is hiring an editorial assistant to read and evaluate submissions, reader reports, and other material for the following imprints: Viking, Penguin Books, Penguin Life, and Penguin Classics. Candidates should have “a strong knowledge of the literary canon and a keen interest in writing from around the world,” with “reading knowledge of a foreign language a plus.” The salary is $48,000. The position can be remote or based in New York. The deadline to apply is August 18. 

 

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EVENTS

NEW: –The Chronicle is hosting a reporting workshop from October 12-13 in Washington, D.C. The workshop is aimed at student journalists, and the publication will “reimburse flight, car, train, bus, or other transit costs, one night of lodging in D.C., and meals while participants are here.” The deadline to apply for inclusion is August 25. 

-The International Women’s Media Foundation and High Country News are hosting a series of focus groups with freelancers who have faced online abuse as a result of their work. The session will last an hour and, as well as sharing experiences, participants will also get access to digital safety support and resources. Those interested should contact [email protected]. The sessions will take place the weeks of this Monday, August 14 and August 28. 

-Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is hosting three mini-bootcamps on data journalism in September, October, and December. The bootcamps cover Spreadsheets (September 18-21 from 11 AM to 2 PM CT), R for Data Analysis (October 30-November 2 from 11 AM to 2 PM CT), and Web Scraping With Python (December 4-7 from 11 AM to 2 PM CT). Tickets for each program range from $200-$600 and current IRE membership is required. 

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

NEW: -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 are in need of support for their reporting projects.” The funding covers airfare, hotels, meals, records requests, data analysis/visualization, and other costs. There is no deadline to apply; they “accept grant proposals on a rolling basis.” 

NEW: -The American Press Institute is accepting applications for its Civic Discourse and Community Voices Fund. The program aims to enable local news experiments that strengthen civic discourse. The fund provides grants of up to $10,000 to up to 20 local and community-based news organizations in the US. They “are prioritizing projects that pay special attention to a diversity of voices and people and plan to set aside at least 30 percent of grant funds for publishers of color,” according to senior communications manager Kamila Jambulatova. The deadline to apply is August 21.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting applications for its Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism Grant. The program provides grants of up to $5,000 for print journalists or print journalists leading a multi-media team anywhere in the world (although projects must be reported and published in English). Applicants must identify as women or nonbinary to be eligible. The deadline to apply for funding is August 20. 

-Little, Brown Spark, in partnership with the Psychotherapy Networker, is accepting submissions for its New Voices Award. 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: –The Daily Dot is accepting applications for its General Assignment Fall 2023 Internship. The interns will “find and pitch daily news stories and larger, analysis-driven features.” The program is remote, pays $20 per hour, and requires working 10 hours per week. Send inquiries about the position to training director Kris Seavers at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, August 11. 

NEW: –The New York Times is accepting applications for its Local Investigations Fellowship. The program “gives journalists the opportunity to produce signature investigative work focused on their state or region,” which will be published in the NYT and made available for co-publication in local newsrooms. The fellowship will pay about $80,000 and is covered by the Guild. The deadline to apply is September 1.

-The Recording Academy is accepting applications for its remote Fall Digital Media Internship. The intern will assist with research, fact-checking, transcribing, news writing, interviewing, and more, “including on Grammy.com, Musicares.com, and RecordingAcademy.com. The program pays $17 per hour and requires working at least 20 hours per week. The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, August 11. 

-Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is accepting applications for its Freelance Fellowship. The program provides financial assistance to independent journalists working on investigative projects. Fellows can be awarded up to $2,000 for short-term or up to $4,000 for long-term projects, plus a one-year IRE membership. The deadline to apply is August 28.  

-Solutions Journalism Network is accepting applications for its HEAL Fellowship. The program “aims to serve youth struggling with mental health issues by supporting US journalists to report on and amplify solutions.” Fellows will receive an honorarium of up to $5,000, “proportional to the scope of the fellow’s project.” The deadline to apply is August 29. 

-Macmillan Publishers is accepting applications for its Fall 2023 Internship. Interns will learn about the basic structure and operations of specific departments in one of two tracks: Shared Services (legal, HR, DEI, etc) or Trade Publishing (editorial, production editorial, etc). The internship is remote, pays $15 per hour, and requires working “no more than 25 hours per week.” No application deadline was given for this program but the internship will begin on September 11. 

-The Cullman Center of the New York Public Library is accepting applications for its 2024-2025 Fellowship in New York City. The program awards 15 fellowships to scholars and writers, including journalists, whose work will “benefit directly from access to the research collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.” The fellowship includes a stipend of up to $75,000, the use of an office with a computer, and full access to the Library’s physical and electronic resources. The program runs from September through May. The deadline to apply is September 29. 

-The Wilson Center is accepting applications for its 2024-25 Fellowship. Fellows will “conduct research and write in their areas of interest, while interacting with policymakers in Washington and Wilson Center staff and other scholars in residence.” “Applicants must have a doctorate or JD.” The program offers a furnished office and stipend of $90,000 for the nine-month fellowship. The deadline to apply is October 1. 

-Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is accepting applications for its Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship. The one-year program provides assistance to attend a Data Journalism Bootcamp, the NICAR and IRE conferences, and more. The fellowship provides travel stipends, covers conference registrations, and other fees. The deadline to apply is October 5. 

-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 deadline to apply is January 7. 

-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.  

–Next City is accepting applications for its Equitable Cities Reporting Fellowship for Racial Justice Narratives in Greensboro, NC. Fellows will work in the newsroom of Triad City Beat, and the program “is designed to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront of the conversation about cities and their future.” The salary is $24,000 and the fellowship is part-time for one year. No application deadline was given for this fellowship.