Opportunities 02/17/2023

***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,is preparing to spend the next seven nights in dark movie theaters for the Berlinale. 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***

►David Byrne’s online magazine Reasons to be Cheerful is hiring an editorial director! Candidates must be based in NYC (some remote work is OK) and have some editing and team leadership experience (preferably in solutions journalism). Four-day work week, salary range of $80-85K, and a chance to shape a growing publication. Interested? Apply by February 24!

►Want to know where to pitch? Join the Pitching Sprint. For five days, you’ll receive tools to make pitching easier, exercises to stop “who cares about this” from ringing through your head as you write, and curated, current pitch calls. I’ll give you the info; you make the pitch. Sign up now for only $20.

>> The Classified Ads are back and better than ever. We’ve expanded our Ad model to include placement in our two weekly newsletters: Thursday’s Opportunities and our Digest newsletters. 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

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.

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. 

NEW: -The Job Board by Kati Kokal and Alex Ptachick organizes over 30 pages of resources — including twitter accounts, newsletters, and job listings — to help laid off Gannett journalists find new jobs.

-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.

–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 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 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

–Texas Monthly is looking for pitches of “fashion and lifestyle essays, reported features, and service pieces that reveal something to the reader about the state of the state.” The rate is typically $0.50 per word. Send pitches to [email protected].

–Distillations, the magazine of the Science History Institute, is looking for pitches of interviews, essays, columns, profiles, and features on “historically grounded stories about science and the environment” — particularly on scientific racism. The rate is $400 for interviews, $750 for essays, columns, and profiles, and $1.25 per word for features. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches on scientific racism to  [email protected] in “the next several weeks.”

–Going is assigning travel guide stories to writers who live in or spend extensive time (and are deeply familiar) with the following locations: Guatemala, Finland, Nantucket, Atlanta, Egypt, South Korea, Austria, Lebanon, Kuala Lumpur, Latvia, Kerala, Faroe Islands, Medellin or Bogota, Salta or Mendoza, Cabo or Todos Santos, Newfoundland or PEI, Lesotho, Porto, Stuttgart or Frankfurt or Hamburg, or anywhere in Switzerland. The rates start at $300 per guide. Fill out their pitch form to apply.

–Jewish Currents is looking for pitches of reported features, investigations, profiles, conversations, and essays that focus on the state of Florida. See their freelancer agreement for rate info, their pitch guide for the Florida issue, or our previous Opps listing for more info. Send pitches by April 24.

–Fifty Grande is looking for pitches of features on “the music scenes in up-and-coming cities;” “oral histories of important local music businesses;” profiles, travelogs, photo essays, or guides on accessible but under-the-radar places; and “profiles, service features, travelogs, or photo essays on up-and-coming, boutique or independent hotels.” They are specifically not looking for “high-end or luxury travel pitches.” The rates start at $250. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] and CC [email protected] by this Monday, February 20.

–Insider is looking for pitches of stories on Coachella and Palm Springs. See their tweet for a list of topics they’re particularly interested in. The rates start at $230 per story. Send pitches to @nuclearunicorns on Twitter. There’s “no hard deadline but [they are] hoping to have most assignments finalized by the first week of April.”

–Mergoat Mag is looking for pitches of essays, features, and poems on the theme of “transecologies” that investigate “the contemporary ecological situation of Southern Appalachia and the cultures shaped by it.” See this tweet for rate info, their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] or [email protected] by June 1.

–Tribeza is looking for pitches of articles on the best restaurants, events, design, wellness, and culture stories in Austin, TX. The rates range from $100-$200 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected].

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

-The Economic Hardship Reporting Project is always looking for pitches of first-person essays, reported features, and op-eds about economic inequality and how it relates to housing and eviction, tech work, queer and trans working class people, and other topics. They are especially interested in pitches of stories based in the Midwest and South from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, lower-income, rural, and other underrepresented writers. The rate is “roughly $1.25 per word for longer pieces and roughly $1.50 [per word] for shorter pieces,” as well as a separate rate from the publication the piece is published with. See their updated pitch guide for more info.

–Smart Mouth is looking for pitches of “histories of restaurant chains and food items, consumer-facing farm issues, eating guides to various cities, school lunches,” and other content. They are specifically not interested in “wellness” stories. The rate is about $1 per word, rounded to the nearest 50. See their pitch guide for more info, including how to pitch.

–Prism is always looking for pitches of reported news stories, features, profiles, op-eds, commentaries, and short personal essays on issues of racial justice, mass incarceration and policing, workers’ rights, and other topics. They “especially encourage pitches from BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ people, and others from communities who are historically oppressed.” The rate is $0.50 per word. See their pitch guide for more info, including how to pitch.

–High Country News is always looking for pitches of reported pieces, essays, and other content “that [can] offer insight on the news of the moment/day/week/month” in the Western US. They are particularly interested in stories from Black, AAPI, and Latino communities. The rate is $0.50 per word for essay and perspective pieces, and $1 per word for reporting. Send pitches to [email protected].

–Distillations, the magazine of the Science History Institute, is always looking for pitches of features, columns, essays, and occasionally interviews that reveal science’s impact on our world, past and present. The rate is $400 for interviews, $750 for essays, columns, and profiles, and $1.25 per word for features. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].

–Gloria is always looking for pitches of essays, interviews, and reported features on “what getting older means in a youth-obsessed society.” The rate is $400 for pieces of less than 1,500 words. Send pitches to @inLaurasWords on Twitter via DM.

–IGN is always looking for pitches of features on video games, movies, TV, and comics. The rate is $300 per feature. Send pitches to [email protected].

-Monarch is looking for pitches of service journalism pieces on “private practice mental health topics including quick-turn articles on mentoring (how to find a mentor as a therapist, what your first conversation with your mentor/mentee should include, etc).” The rates range from $300-$500. Send pitches to @JessBeeGood on Twitter.

–Fodor’s Travel is always looking for pitches of personal narratives, slideshows, destination pieces, and other content related to travel. The rates range from $300-$375 “depending on the story/writer’s experience.” Send pitches to [email protected].

–Polygon is always looking for pitches of original reporting, essays, op-eds, reviews, and features on “fandom, people-focused, trend, streaming, [and] subculture stories related to video games and blockbuster film/TV.” They are specifically not looking for reviews. The rates start at $300 for reported pieces. See their pitch guide for more info and send culture pitches to [email protected].

–Passionfruit, the Daily Dot’s creator economy newsletter, is always looking for pitches of think pieces, interviews, and reported features on “creator economy business news, viral labor stories, [and] investigations into unfair business practices against creators” centered around Black History Month. They are also interested in “connecting with new writers for longer term relationships.” The rates start at $250 for think pieces, $300 for interviews, and $450 for reported features. Send pitches to [email protected].

–The Art of the Informational Interview is always looking for pitches of personal essays, interviews, and reported features on professional development, vocational self-discovery, and careers. They are especially interested in pitches from “BIPOC [and] LGBTQIA+ writers and writers who identify as working class.” The rate is $0.30 per word. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].

–My Imperfect Life is always looking for pitches of first-person and reported pieces on “fun/unusual dating stories/dilemmas/experiences” for their new column. The rate is £200 (or $239) per piece. Send pitches to [email protected].

–ClearHealthCosts is always looking for pitches of reported stories on how to navigate the healthcare marketplace. They are particularly interested in pitches on saving money, revealing the mysteries of pricing, and helping patients or consumers make their way around our complicated healthcare system. The rates start at $0.20 per word for a “lightly reported essay” and range from $0.30-$0.50 per word for a “thoroughly reported piece.” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].

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

FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS

NEW: –Type Investigations is hiring a researcher on a one-year contract to “do in-depth investigative research, fact-check investigations, and conduct originality searches on story proposals.” Candidates should have at least one year of journalism experience. The rate is $25 per hour, plus a monthly technology stipend, and requires working full-time. The position can be remote or based in New York. The deadline to apply is March 26.

NEW: -The Oxford American is hiring a short-term assistant editor to edit print and web content for six months. Candidates should have some editorial experience and “a passion for the South’s diverse music, literary, and cultural traditions.” The annual salary is $40,000, so this position will pay $20,000. The position can be remote or based in Conway, AR. “Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.”

NEW: –Atmos Magazine is hiring a freelance journalist to cover tribal sovereignty/rights and the Colorado river crisis for their Frontline section. Candidates must be native or Indigenous people. The rates start at $0.50 per word for digital “unless it’s a Q&A, which is [a] flat $500 rate.” Send inquiries to [email protected].

NEW: -Jenni Gritters is hiring a freelance writer to assist with product review writing for her business. The rate is $20 per hour, requires working “20ish” hours per month, and the contract will run from March through June. Send a resume and brief intro to [email protected].

–Inverse is hiring a freelance writer to write one story per week for their Innovation section. Candidates should be interested in “the technologies that will shape tomorrow, like renewable energy, robots, the commercial space industry, and electric vehicles.” The rates start at $300 for “straightforward 700-word study stories” and are higher for enterprise pieces. Send inquiries to @mollyglick on Twitter.

–Podcast.co is hiring freelance content writers to produce monthly articles for their blog. The rates range from $150-$250 per article. Send inquiries, including work samples, to [email protected].

–Today in Tabs is hiring interns to write a short blurb every day from Monday through Thursday for one month. The blurb will be on a link or topic chosen between the intern and founder Rusty Foster. The rate is $1,500 for one month, and each tab should be 200-400 words. They are looking for one intern each for April, May, October, and November, and the deadline to apply is March 5.

EVENTS

-Sterling College is hosting an eight-week workshop on food and environmental nonfiction. The course will teach students to craft compelling stories, allow them to workshop their pieces and pitches, and include multiple guest speakers. The tuition will be $1,250, but nine fellowships are available — eight Diverse Voices fellowships and one Veteran’s Fellowship. The course begins the week of March 6.

GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

NEW: -GALECA is accepting submissions for their Crimson Honors Scholarship contest. The contest requires submitting “up to [three] reviews or essays” on film or TV, and contestants must be “BIPOC LGBTQ+ women, [or] nonbinary students of color” who “attended a public college or university in the US or its territories in 2022.” The grand prize winner will receive $3,000, with two finalists each collecting $1,500. The deadline to submit is April 1.

NEW: –Narratively is accepting submissions for their 2023 Profile Prize contest. They are looking for profile pieces that “tell the story of ordinary people or communities doing extraordinary things.” The grand prize winner will receive $3,000, and the two finalists will receive $1,000 each. There is a $20 entry fee and the deadline to submit is April 14.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting nominations for their paid Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award. The award celebrates women, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming photojournalists, and includes a cash prize of $20,000. Third-party and self-nominations are accepted. The deadline to nominate is March 3.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting nominations for their annual Courage in Journalism Awards. The awards honor women and nonbinary journalists who “report on taboo topics, work in environments hostile to women, and share difficult truths.” Self-nominations are not accepted. The deadline to nominate is March 3.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting nominations for their Gwen Ifill Award. The award is open to women and non-binary journalists of color working in the news media. Third-party and self-nominations are accepted. The deadline to nominate is March 3.

JOBS

NEW YORK

–New York Focus is hiring an Albany-based state government reporter to “expose how decisions in Albany are made.” Candidates should have some “experience in political reporting, whether at the state, local, or national level.” The salary range is $60,000-$70,000. The deadline to apply is “no later than March 9, and earlier if you can.”

WASHINGTON, DC

-The Washington Post is hiring a fashion writer to lead their “coverage of the fashion industry, from high-end houses to fast-fashion startups to consumer trends.” Candidates should have “at least several years of journalism experience,” and “prior experience covering fashion is not strictly required.” No salary info was given for this role. There is no deadline to apply as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, however “those received by [this Sunday, February 19] will be prioritized.”

CALIFORNIA

–Bloomberg is hiring a California litigation content editor to work with reporters on content for “legal, government, and financial professionals on the Bloomberg Law and BGOV services and the Bloomberg terminal.” Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience. No salary info or application deadline was given for this role.

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–Forbes is hiring an assistant editor to train and work with contributors for their Lifestyle vertical, which covers art, luxury, fashion, style, and travel. Candidates should have at least two years of journalism experience and some familiarity with the luxury lifestyle industries. The salary range is $63,400-$65,000. Send inquiries about the position to assistant Lifestyle editor Isabel Lord at [email protected].

–Lonely Planet is hiring a TikTok social media manager to manage their content for the app. Candidates should have at least three years of social media or content creation experience and “a thorough understanding of social video, photo, and copy is a must.” The salary range is $68,750-$112,500, however “actual salary is based on geographic location, qualifications, and experience.”

-The Freedom of the Press Foundation is hiring a deputy director of advocacy to write blogs posts, op-eds, newsletters, and social media content, and expand their audience on new platforms. Candidates should have at least four years of experience in advocacy, journalism, First Amendment law, or a related field. The salary range is $80,000-$95,000. The position can be remote or based in New York. The deadline to apply is March 10.

–Gas Leaks is hiring a digital manager to manage their site and social channels, including shaping their brand strategy. Candidates should have at least two years of experience in digital, social media, or project management, and excellent writing and copy-editing skills. The salary range is $75,000-$90,000. There is no deadline to apply, but interviews will begin on Monday, February 20 and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.