Opportunities 07/06/2023

Mental Hellth, The New York Times, ProPublica, 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 back from their meat holiday in Prague and feeling vaguely refreshed. 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

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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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.

–Kate Ryan was paid $1,500 to write about cringe comedy creators on TikTok for the Business section of the New York Times. She was paid “promptly after it was published” and reports that “Mike Dang is a fantastic editor. One of the best freelance experiences I’ve had to date.”

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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 IRE23 Tipsheets & Audio page of the Investigative Reporters and Editors site has a variety of slideshows and other materials from their ongoing conference sessions, including “Investigative techniques you can use in everyday reporting,” “Freelancer secrets: How to get paid for doing good investigative work,” and more. 

-The Working Sources database by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project compiles less-visible experts with on-the-ground and professional experience 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.

–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 Accessible Social; 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 

-Tom Banham is looking for pitches of short and longform articles on “travel, food, gear, motoring, watches, fashion, wellness, tech and everything else that makes mega lives lives” for a new editorial arm of a luxury lifestyle brand that has yet to be announced. “International stories [are] especially welcome.” The rate is around £0.50 ($0.64 USD) per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–The Spruce Eats is looking for pitches of features on beige Thanksgiving foods. They are interested in “strong opinions about turkey,” or “a hot industry scoop around one of the iconic side dishes,” and other topics. The rate is typically $0.50 per word. Send pitches to their senior editor Kristin at [email protected] by TOMORROW, July 7. 

–How Music Charts, a publication from Chartmetrics, is always looking for pitches of data-driven features on market trends, tech trends, TikTok trends, and artist case studies. The rate is $0.50 per word for articles of 1,000-1,500 words and content can be written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Japanese. See their pitch guide for more info, including how to pitch. 

–Insider is commissioning a Casper, Wyoming-based writer to attend and write about a local store opening on July 14. The rates start at $450 for the quick-turnaround piece. Send inquiries and work samples to @nuclearunicorns on Twitter by this Saturday, July 8. 

–Container Magazine is looking for pitches of tech and climate features, including stories from people “that have been erased from dominant white Western narratives” and “pitches for experimental formats, live events, video content and podcasts.” The rate is £300 ($381 USD) for 1,000 words or a range of £200-£250 ($254-$317 USD) per day for “freelance contributions (illustrations, event fees etc).” See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches by July 31.

–Austin Weekly News is commissioning Chicago-based reporters to write features for an upcoming “West Side Community Guide.” The rate is $200-$300 for 1,000-word articles. Send inquiries — including a resume and writing samples — to editor Lacey Sikora at [email protected]. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Bloomberg Businessweek is always looking for pitches of reported narrative features on topics related to business. They are specifically not looking for pitches of personal essays. The rate is generally $1 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Insider is always looking for pitches of “deeply-reported, character-driven narrative features that break ground, help us make sense of the world, and are fun to read.” The rates start at $1 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Business Insider is always looking for pitches of first-person essays, reported features, and other content on making big moves, weird and fun travel, work anxiety, and other topics. The rates start at £300 ($381 USD) for single-interview “as told to” stories and varies “depending on logistics and the amount of research required.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Mental Hellth is always looking for pitches of interviews and personal or reported essays on anything related to “why your brain feels bad and what to do about it.” The rates start at $200 for interviews and range from $300-$400 for short essays or $400-$800 for long, deeply-reported essays. There is also a new revenue sharing program that pays out $15 per subscriber for “every new subscriber between the day the article is published and a week later.” Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Off Assignment is always looking for pitches of completed essays on journeys, strangers, and other topics that fit into one of their submission categories. The rate is $300 for “Letter to a Stranger,” “No Equivalent,” and “Under the Influence” essays, and $100 for “Witching Hour” essays of 300-500 words. See their submission guide for more info. 

–Top Five Records is always looking for pitches of articles, listicles, and other content on music. The rate is $0.25 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Well+Good is always looking for pitches of reported stories, personal essays, and op-eds on health and mental health, food, lifestyle, and more. They are particularly interested in pitches of sex and relationship explainers and service pieces, articles on trending interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics, and other topics. The rates start at $150 for reported pieces and $200 for personal essays and op-eds. See their pitch guide for more info, including which editor to pitch to. 

NEW: THREE FEATURED EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS THAT PAY WELL

-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.

–The New York Times is always looking for pitches of reported stories on money that “reveals to readers something about who we are and the different ways we live” for their Business desk. The rate is $1 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Rest of World is always looking for pitches of longform narrative features on “technology’s impacts in Africa, Asia, or Latin America.” The rates start at $1 per word and “the majority of [their] feature stories are 3,000 words.” See their pitch guide for more info, including how to pitch. 

***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 

–The Wall Street Journal is hiring a publishing editor on a temporary contract to join their real-time news editing team in New York. Candidates should have at least three years of news editing experience and “a sense of urgency along with a capacity to remain calm under pressure.” The rate is $48 per hour and the contract is for six months “with options to renew.” No application deadline info was given for this position. 

–The New York Times is hiring for multiple temporary positions, including an Immersive Graphics senior staff editor to help shape its “spatial news projects on virtual and augmented reality platforms” and an International senior staff editor to “commission and edit op-ed guest essays about Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.” The Immersive Graphics position is “initially expected to last for up to 18 months,” while the International position is “expected to be at least three months, no more than six months.” The annual salary range is $120,126.82-$125,000 for both positions, but pay will vary based on the length of the contract. No application deadline info was given for either position. 

–Wellcome is hiring a science writer on a paid consultancy basis to attend two neuroscience workshops and produce reports on them on September 20-21 and October 19 in London. The rate is £750 ($952.46 USD) per day. The deadline to apply is next Friday, July 14. 

–The Wall Street Journal is hiring a publishing editor on a temporary contract to join their real-time news editing team in New York. Candidates should have at least three years of news editing experience and “a sense of urgency along with a capacity to remain calm under pressure.” The rate is $48 per hour and the contract is for six months “with options to renew.” No application deadline info was given for this position. 

–The New York Times is hiring for multiple temporary positions, including an Immersive Graphics senior staff editor to help shape its “spatial news projects on virtual and augmented reality platforms” and an International senior staff editor to “commission and edit op-ed guest essays about Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.” The Immersive Graphics position is “initially expected to last for up to 18 months,” while the International position is “expected to be at least three months, no more than six months.” The annual salary range is $120,126.82-$125,000 for both positions, but pay will vary based on the length of the contract. No application deadline info was given for either position. 

–Wellcome is hiring a science writer on a paid consultancy basis to attend two neuroscience workshops and produce reports on them on September 20-21 and October 19 in London. The rate is £750 ($952.46 USD) per day. The deadline to apply is next Friday, July 14. 

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EVENTS

-The Institute for Independent Journalists is hosting a freelance business workshop with the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) on July 20 in Washington, DC. The program will include assigning editors at CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox discussing what they’re looking for in a pitch. Registration is free for those attending the AAJA 2023 conference, and the fee is $99 for those not attending. 

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

-PEN America is accepting applications for its Bare Life Review Grant program. The program aims to support literary works in progress by immigrant and refugee writers. The works must be fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. The program awards grants of $5,000 each. The deadline to apply is July 21. 

-Little, Brown Spark, in partnership with the Psychotherapy Networker, is accepting submissions for its New Voices Award program. 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 Columbia Journalism School is accepting applications for its 2023 Age Boom Academy Fellowship program. The program is designed to train journalists on issues of housing and healthy longevity, and the 2023 program will focus on “housing for an aging population.” The fellowship is entirely online and includes panel sessions and 1:1 interviews with expert sources. “There is no cost for accepted fellows but [they] expect fellows to generate reporting.” The deadline to apply is July 21. 

NEW: -Poynter and Google News Initiative are accepting applications for their Misinformation Student Fellowship Program. The program is “focused on combating mis- and disinformation in communities,” and places fellows in local newsrooms, including The Kansas City Defender, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and La Esquina in Houston, TX, among others. The program provides a $10,000 stipend for the duration of the fellowship. The deadline to apply is July 21. 

–The Walrus is accepting applications for its 2023 TD Fellowship on Disability and Inclusion program. The fellowship is exclusively open to media professionals with a disability. The fellow will work with the marketing, events, digital, and editorial teams to produce marketing and editorial content. The position pays $800 CAD ($608 USD) per week and the fellow is expected to work 35 hours per week for nine months. The deadline to apply is July 9. 

–CalMatters is accepting applications for its 2023/2024 College Journalism Network Fellowship. The program is aimed at undergraduate student journalists at California colleges or universities who want to cover higher education. Fellows will “receive training in reporting, higher education policy, and navigating the journalism industry.” The program includes a stipend of $1,200 per month and fellows will work about 10-15 hours per week. The program begins September 1 and runs through May. The deadline to apply is July 17. 

-Humanity in Action is accepting applications for its 2023/24 Landecker Democracy Fellowship program. Each fellow will create or expand on a project that “helps strengthen democracy,” with the theme this year being: “Democracy and the Politics of Memory.” Applicants must have at least five years of professional experience. Fellows will receive hands-on training, support, and a stipend of €15,000 ($16,380.90 USD). Applicants can be based anywhere within the US, UK, EU, or Ukraine. The deadline to apply is August 6. 

–ProPublica is accepting applications for its Diamonstein-Spielvogel Visual Journalism Fellowship program. The fellow will join the editorial team for two years and collaborate on in-depth investigative projects, and pitch and produce independent visual stories. Candidates should have at least three years of professional photojournalism experience and be able to travel for photo assignments around the US. The salary is $75,000 and will begin by September 15. The deadline to apply is August 8. 

-The Cullman Center of the New York Public Library is accepting applications for its 2024-2025 Fellowship program 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. 

-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.  

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JOBS 

NEW YORK CITY

–The New York Times is hiring for multiple positions, including a health and science staff editor for its Opinion section, a senior editor for The Ezra Klein Show, and a 3D multimedia artist for its visual team. The health and staff editor and 3D multimedia artist positions are both represented by the NewsGuild of NY. The salary ranges are $109,521.19-$112,000.00 for the staff editor, $138,000-$157,000 for the senior editor, and $109,521.19-$136,000 for the multimedia artist. No application deadline info was given for any of the positions. 

–The Drift Magazine is hiring an essays editor to commission and edit longform essays for issues that come out three times a year in print and online. Candidates should have at least three years of editing experience. The salary range is $50,000-$70,000. “While The Drift is based in New York City, [they] are open to considering remote candidates.” The deadline to apply is next Friday, July 14.

WASHINGTON, DC

–POLITICO is hiring a digital producer to assist with copy editing and publishing content. Candidates should have some experience in a fast-paced newsroom, and must be able to work “late weekday or weekend hours.” No salary or application deadline info was given for this role. 

CENTRAL

–Wisconsin Watch is hiring a digital producer to assist with distributing editorial content online and to its statewide and national news partners. Candidates should have some experience working in a digital news environment, and some familiarity with Wisconsin, its history, and its politics. The salary is $47,500 and the position can be based in Wisconsin, “ideally close enough to Madison to work occasionally in-person with the editorial team.” The deadline to apply is TOMORROW, July 7. 

CALIFORNIA

–EdSource is hiring a senior reporter to “shed light on the complex and critical issues facing California’s K-12 public schools.” Candidates should have at least seven years of daily journalism experience, and “audio or video reporting skills are a plus.” The salary range is $70,000-$100,000 and the position can be based anywhere in California. No application deadline info was given for this position. 

–Orange County Register is hiring a restaurant critic to “help readers navigate a dining scene with more than 8,000 restaurants.” Candidates should have a demonstrated track record of restaurant criticism and must reside in Southern California. The salary range is $28.85-$36.65 per hour and “also includes an expense budget to cover the cost of dining.” No application deadline was given for this position. 

-The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is hiring a content writer to create content for its 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 this Monday, July 10. 

–El Tímpano is hiring a Bay Area-based community reporter to engage with its Spanish-speaking audience “via service journalism and interaction primarily through text-messaging (SMS).” Candidates must be bilingual with spoken and written Spanish proficiency and have at least three years of journalism experience. The salary range is $70,000-$85,000. The deadline to apply is July 17. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–Wirecutter is hiring for multiple positions, including a staff writer to focus on gifts, a lead editor to manage its Baby & Kid catalog, and a senior staff writer for its home office section. The staff writer and senior staff writer positions are covered by the collective bargaining agreement between Wirecutter and The NewsGuild of New York. The salary ranges are $71,000-$82,000 for the staff writer, $76,500-$95,000 for the lead editor, and $76,500-$105,000 for the senior staff writer. All positions can be remote or based in New York City. No application deadline info was given for any of the positions. 

–The Drift is hiring an editor to commission and edit longform essays for print and online. Candidates should have at least three years of editing experience and “a strong interest in cultivating and introducing emerging writers.” The salary range is $50,000-$70,000. The position can be remote or based in New York. The deadline to apply is July 14. 

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is hiring a communications coordinator to “create and [execute] innovative social media campaigns and content.” Candidates should have at least one year of experience working in external-facing communications, and some “experience in a media, journalism, gender equity, or related/adjacent issues-based industry is a plus.” The starting salary is $55,000. The position can be remote, “however, residency in Washington, D.C., New York City, or Los Angeles is a plus for this position.” The deadline to apply is July 15. 

-The Tiny News Collective is hiring an executive director to help build “sustainable news organizations that reflect and serve their communities.” Candidates should have a strong understanding of non-profit management and “experience managing relationships with partners, donors, founders, board members and other stakeholders.” The salary is $165,000 and the position is fully remote within the US. The deadline to apply is July 17. 

–The Marshall Project is hiring an engagement reporter to support its Life Inside essay series, produce a “Reader to Reader” column for its quarterly magazine, and other tasks. Candidates should have extensive community journalism experience, and some familiarity with FOIA requests “would be helpful, though not required.” The salary range is $80,000-$95,000. The position can be remote within the US or based in New York City. The deadline to apply is July 28.