Opportunities 06/08/2023

Yes! Magazine, Cosmopolitan, INDY Week, 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 watching Swedish dramas about love to distract from their ongoing mental spiral. 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. 

NEW: -The Working Sources database by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project compiles contacts for expert sources 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 

–Cosmopolitan is looking for features on the subject of “rebellion” for their year-end issue. Pitches must be directly relevant to young women in the US. The rate is $2 per word with a “target word count” of 3,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected] by this Wednesday, June 14. 

–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. 

–Yes! Magazine is looking for pitches of op-eds, cultural critiques, media analysis, and other formats on the theme of “growth” for their upcoming fall issue. The rate is $0.50 per word. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] by June 20. 

–New Scientist is looking for pitches of reported features on science and technology that are “less serious, more quirky” for their Christmas issue. The rates start at about £620 ($777 USD) for 1,200 words. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] by mid-June. 

–Andscape is looking for pitches of reported pieces, artist interviews, cultural criticism, reported articles, and essays “reflecting on hip-hop’s 50th birthday” specifically from a Black lens. They are also interested in cultural articles and essays about TV, film, and visual or performing art (but no reviews). The rates start at $550. Send pitches to [email protected] with “PITCH” in the subject line. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Popular Mechanics is always commissioning experienced freelancers to write how-to and service pieces on the home and DIY space. “Think: a guide on how much to expect to pay during a home reno, [or] an explainer on how evaporative cooling works.” The rate is $1 per word, and stories will range from 600-1,000 words. Send inquiries to [email protected]. 

–The New Republic is always looking for “your best and weirdest and smartest climate takes.” The rates weren’t given but previously started at $250 in September 2022. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Good Beer Hunting is always looking for pitches of features that “explore the origins, craft, traditions, and geography” of drinks that “go beyond beer.” The stories should be rooted in people, places, and culture. They specifically do not want pitches of fleeting trends, gimmicks, or hype. The rates start at $200 for one-off pieces with primary sources and interviews. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches through their pitch form. 

–Current Affairs is always looking for pitches of reported pieces, critiques, essays, and other formats on politics and culture. The rate is $200 for online pieces and $300 for print. “Payment will be provided immediately upon receipt of a final draft, via check or PayPal.” See their pitch guide for more info and submit pitches through their web form. 

***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 US is hiring a part-time contributing writer based in the Southeast US to cover voting and elections on their Democracy team. The rate is $3,000 per month for roughly two to four stories per month. Send inquiries to @kira_lerner or [email protected]. 

–The Verge is hiring a freelance reporter to cover AI on a temporary, six-month contract. Candidates should have a strong knowledge of artificial intelligence and AI policy. The salary range given was $77,000-$92,400, however, it’s unclear if this is for six months or the annual salary. The position is part of the Vox Media Union, represented by the Writers Guild of America, East. 

–The Guardian is hiring a London-based commissioning editor on a one-year contract to help shape their “environment coverage within the clear remit of [their] Age of Extinction biodiversity project.” Candidates should have some experience writing or editing for a media organization covering national and international issues. The position can be full- or part-time, four days per week. The deadline to apply is next Friday, June 16. 

-Superpath Marketplace is hiring B2B SaaS freelance writers to produce content in June and July, and maybe beyond. Candidates should have experience writing about “martech, sales, fintech, IT, productivity, UI/UX, crypto, and more.” The rates range from $500-$700 for articles of 1,000-1,500 words, and writers must be able to write at least four pieces per month. 

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EVENTS

-The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) is hosting a Virtual Annual Conference from next Tuesday through Thursday, June 13-15. The three-day event will include expert-led sessions in three content tracks: books, content marketing writing, and journalism. All sessions, except informal “snack chats,” are recorded. The prices for non-members are $325 for full registration, $245 for single-track registration, and $175 for single-day registration.

-The Institute for Independent Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association Freelance Affinity Group are hosting an all-day, in-person workshop on the business of independent journalism on Thursday, July 20, in Washington, DC. The workshop will include an editors panel where assigning editors at CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox will discuss what they look for in a pitch. The all-day workshop is $79 to attend. The deadline to sign up is this Sunday, June 11. 

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

–Grist is now accepting submissions for Imagine 2200, a “climate fiction short story contest.” It is looking for stories that are 3,000 to 5,000 words that “envision the next 180 years of climate progress” and that imagine “intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope.” The first-place winner will receive $3,000, second place will receive $2,000, third place will receive $1,000, and nine finalists will receive $300. The deadline to submit is this Tuesday, June 13.

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FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

NEW: –INDY Week is accepting applications for their two, year-long fellowships for emerging or early-career journalists. One fellow will focus on politics, accountability, and place, and the other will focus on culture, identity, art, and people. The program is supported by Scalawag and The Assembly, and the salary is $60,000. “Following the fellowship, INDY and its partners will work to help place people in permanent, full-time positions.” There is no deadline to apply, but they will begin reviewing applications next Thursday, June 15.

NEW: -The Pulitzer Center is accepting applications for its one-year Ocean Reporting Network Fellowship program. The fellows will “devote a full year to their ocean investigation” and receive training and data, communication, research, and coordination support. The program covers a reporter’s salary for one year. The deadline to apply is June 18. 

–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 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

–The Architect’s Newspaper is hiring an awards manager to oversee their three awards programs: Best of Practice, Best of Products, and Best of Design. Candidates should have at least one year of experience in media marketing, editorial, or awards management. “Strong interest in the architecture and design industry is imperative.” The salary range is $55,000-$60,000. 

NORTHEAST

–PublicSource is hiring a Pittsburgh-based deputy editor to supervise two to three reporters, manage interns, and guide and edit stories. Candidates should have at least five years of newsroom experience, including some editing experience. The salary range is $58,000-$65,000. The deadline to apply is June 21. 

CALIFORNIA

–SFGATE is hiring a local editor to “dig deep to cover the Bay Area’s neighborhoods in incredibly unique ways.” Candidates should have at least three years of writing and editing experience and “know the Bay Area inside and out.” The salary range is $80,000-$85,000. No application deadline was given for this role. 

-Penske Media is hiring a Los Angeles-based E-commerce writer to “create shoppable content across Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.” Candidates should have at least two years of “professional experience in digital media, preferably in e-commerce.” The salary range is $65,000-$70,000. 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

–The Markup is hiring a data journalist to “report and tell important stories about how technology affects the lives of everyday people.” Candidates should have extensive experience “working on data-driven projects in a newsroom, academic, or research setting.” The salary range is $80,000-$115,000. They began reviewing applications on Monday, June 5, and will continue reviewing them on a rolling basis. 

INTERNATIONAL

–+972 Magazine is hiring an editor-in-chief based in Israel-Palestine to lead and manage their team of editors, staff writers, and freelancers. Candidates should have at least five years of journalism experience, including three years of editing, and must have native English and very strong Hebrew language skills, with Arabic also strongly preferred. No salary info was given for the role. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, June 11.