Opportunities 08/17/2022

Insider, The Associated Press, Outside Magazine, Vulture, 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 this week by an actor taking part in the Fielder Method whose primary is the writer Chris Erik Thomas. The newsletter is released on Wednesdays. Once in a while, we take a day off for mental health breaks and holidays. 

►Have a job posting, gig, or fellowship you want to be included in the next Opps newsletter? Send them to [email protected] for approval with “Opportunity:” in the subject line. 

►Editors, submit your time-sensitive or evergreen pitch calls to our webform.

►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 with other Study Hall members. Send them to [email protected] with “Resource:” in the subject line.

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OPPS SUCCESS STORIES

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.

–Lindsay Lee Wallace was paid $0.50 per word to write about the confusion and stigma around monkeypox for SELF. She worked with Sally Tamarkin “who was super responsive, collaborative, and kind.” The original agreement was $0.50 per word for an 800-word article, but when the piece ended up being almost double that length, they reached out to make sure she knew the rate still stood and that she would get $800 for the 1,600 words.

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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 the many, 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. 

-The Resources For Journalists Seeking Therapy guide from the Dart Center’s Journalist Trauma Support Network offers a number of resources, including a directory of therapists specifically trained to work with journalists; funding for mental health services; and self-help webinars, apps, and websites. 

–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. 

-The Trans Journalists Association’s Style Guide is a tool for reporters, editors, and other media makers to improve coverage of transgender people and the various issues happening within the trans community. 

-The NBCC Book Coverage Publication List by the National Book Critics Circle tracks over 80 publications that publish book coverage (reviews, interviews, essays, etc.). The list includes editor names, contracts, pay rates, and more. 

Want more resources? Check out the Spring 2022 Fellowships and Residencies 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 that is listed here. The decision of whether to engage with a publication or company is entirely up to the reader. In regards to pitch calls, we try to only share opportunities that have 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 

-Drizly is looking for pitches of “entertaining, educational, and all-around fascinating stories” on “the big, beautiful world of booze” for their new editorial site. They are particularly interested in “stories about drinking culture with a behind-the-bottle lens” in the realm of “PunchDrink x Food & Wine + VinePair”. The rates range from $1-$1.50 per word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Verywell is commissioning BIPOC and trans or nonbinary writers to report on health and parenting. The rates start at $250 per piece. Send inquiries, including clips and an intro, to [email protected]. 

–Insider is looking for pitches of stories and articles on health and parenting, including disability, sex and relationships, mental health, queerness, healthcare, and other topics. The pitch can have a timely news peg or be evergreen. The rates start at about $250 for 600-700 words, but vary based on scope. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–SFGate is looking for pitches of reported stories on cultural phenomenons at Burning Man and “generally really cool stuff” at the festival. They are specifically not looking for pitches of diaries or personal essays. The rate ranges from $200-$400 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–SFGate is also looking for pitches of creative stories about dating in the Bay Area. “If it’s a personal essay, it’s gotta be truly unique.” The rates range from $150-$300 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] by this Friday, August 19. 

–Vulture is looking for pitches of TV recaps for the following shows (with series start dates in parentheses): “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (9/2); “Monarch” (9/11); “The Serpent Queen” (9/11); “The Handmaid’s Tale” S5 (9/14); “Los Espookys” S2 (9/16); “Abbott Elementary” S2 (9/21); “Bachelor in Paradise” S8 (9/27); “Star Wars: The Bad Batch”; “Ramy” S3 (9/30). The rates range from $150-$250 per episode recap. Send pitches — including “why you think the series would make for a good recap, why you’re the right person to recap it, and if given the assignment, how would you approach recapping the series” — to [email protected]. 

–Balkan TJ (BIRN) is looking for pitches of stories on mass graves from the Yugoslav wars for their “Bitter Land” project. The rates range from €150-€250 ($152-$254 USD) for opinion pieces, €300-€600 ($305-$610 USD) for features and analysis, and at least €1,000 ($1,017 USD) for investigations — and “also often cover travel, photos, etc.” Send pitches and inquiries to [email protected] by this Saturday, August 20. 

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–VICE is always looking for pitches of features on life and culture. The rates start at $0.50 per assigned word. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Outside Magazine is always looking for pitches of listicles from writers who “know how to have fun, care about the outdoors, and don’t take themselves too seriously.” The rates start at $0.50 per word and are fixed fees. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–New York Focus is always looking for pitches of in-depth stories on housing policy and politics around New York State. They are particularly interested in stories related to zoning and housing supply. The rate is $800 per story. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

-The Century Foundation is always looking for pitches of op-ed pieces for their Disabled Writers Commentary Series. The rate is $500 for around 750 words. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–JSTOR Daily is always looking for pitches of features on fresh insights into current affairs. The rates range from $400-$500 per feature. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

–Reviewed is always commissioning writers “with hands-on experience testing and reviewing smart home devices like smart plugs, security cameras, video doorbells, etc.” The rates start at $350 for a full product review, “depending on experience and what all is involved.” Send inquiries to [email protected]. 

–Parents Magazine is always looking for pitches of reported features on Black families for their Kindred section. They are particularly interested in stories on “kids taking risks, unique takes on step-parenting that go against the grain, losing friendships after divorce or kids, thoughts on being ‘friends’ with your kids,” and other topics. The rates range from $250 to upwards of $400 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected]. 

-The Institute for Palestine Studies is always looking for pitches of news or culture coverage, analysis pieces, historical narratives, interviews, and reviews on topics relevant to Palestine or Palestinian-Israeli affairs for their blog, Palestine Square. The rate is $100 for 800-1,200 words. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected] or [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 

–Stat is hiring a freelance reporter to take on “a series of up to six stories on reproductive health care.” They are specifically interested in pitches that have an “overarching reporting area and at least three specific story targets” and a plan to report the ideas out. The rate will be a flat fee “but will land at a minimum of $1 [per] word.” Send pitches to [email protected] by this Friday, August 19. 

–City Cast is hiring a roving newsletter editor to fill in for newsletter writers and editors across “any and all City Cast cities as needed.” Candidates should have at least three years of writing or editing experience, including copy editing experience, and some experience writing and editing newsletter products. The salary range is $60,000-$80,000. The deadline to apply is next Friday, August 26. 

FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

-The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is accepting applications for their paid editorial fellowship program. Fellows will either cover climate change or biosecurity during the one-year program, which will include writing four articles or columns (one per quarter). The rate is $750 per piece, for a total of $3,000. The fellowship is remote from anywhere in the world and renewable after the one-year contract, “upon excellent performance.” The deadline to apply is August 31. 

–Texas Observer is accepting applications for their paid David McHam Fellowship for Investigative Reporting program in Austin, TX. The program aims to allow journalists to pursue investigative projects and enterprise stories about Texas politics, policy, and social issues. Applicants should have at least five years of reporting experience, and “experience reporting on Texas is a plus, but not required.” The fellowship pays a stipend of $60,000, and fellows are expected to work full-time for one year. Fellows “must be based in or willing to move to Texas.” The deadline to apply is September 12. 

–The American Prospect is accepting applications for their paid editorial internship program. The interns will “assist with research, fact-checking, social media, data entry, and library services for both the print magazine and the daily website,” as well as contributing editorially. The rate is $100 per day, and interns can work full- or part-time from September through December 2022. The fellowship can be remote or based in Washington, D.C. The deadline to apply is September 16. 

JOBS 

NEW YORK

–Vital City NYC is hiring for multiple positions, including a managing editor to manage the editorial calendar for each journal issue, as well as an editorial assistant to draft newsletters, proofread manuscripts, and other tasks. Candidates for the managing editor position should have at least seven years of journalism or editorial experience and some “previous experience working in New York is strongly preferred.”

-The Associated Press is hiring a video output producer to produce, write, and edit video stories for their broadcast, digital, and mobile customers and platforms. Candidates should have at least three years of video production experience. The position can be based in New York or Washington, D.C. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.

-The Associated Press is hiring for multiple positions, including a US Congress reporter and a video output producer. Candidates for both positions should have at least three years of relevant experience, and must be willing to “work at night and on weekends, as coverage demands.” The video output producer can be based in Washington, DC or in New York, while the reporter must be based in Washington, DC The deadline to apply for both positions is August 31. 

TEXAS

–Texas Monthly is hiring a social media editor to oversee their social media platforms and “occasionally pitch and write quick-turn stories.” Candidates should have excellent writing skills and have some experience using Google Analytics, Parsely, or other analytics platforms. The position can be remote but “preference will be given to candidates who are based in, or willing to relocate to, Austin.” The minimum salary is $50,000, according to their director of editorial operations, Anna Walsh. Potential candidates who have questions about the role or about TM generally are welcome to book a call here with Anna Walsh before applying. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, August 21. 

NEVADA

-The Associated Press is hiring a Las Vegas-based sports reporter to cover “professional teams in the NFL, NHL and WNBA, as well as weekly combat, auto racing, and golf events.” The beats will include the Raiders, Golden Knights and Aces. Candidates should have at least three years of journalism experience and a “proven track record of building reliable sources with players, leagues, teams, agents and officials.” The deadline to apply is September 11. 

CALIFORNIA

-The Associated Press is hiring a Los Angeles-based videojournalist to report from red carpet events, courthouses, and junkets for their entertainment news team. Candidates should have strong knowledge of entertainment beats and the ability to communicate and produce stories in both English and Spanish is strongly preferred. The deadline to apply is September 11. 

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–NBC News Digital is hiring a reporter to join their Culture & Trends team covering “news, trends, personalities and cultural shifts that are native to the internet and social platforms.” Candidates should have at least three years of relevant experience, including “multiple examples of well-written and deeply reported internet culture stories.” The position can be remote or based in New York. 

–Rest of World is hiring a US tech editor to oversee coverage of how US-based tech companies operate outside of the West, including managing their team of US-based reporters. Candidates should have at least six years of editing or reporting experience, and a solid list of sources in Silicon Valley. No salary information was given for this role. The deadline to apply is August 31. 

-The Associated Press is hiring a video output producer to produce, write and edit video stories for their broadcast, digital and mobile customers and platforms. Candidates should have at least three years of video production experience. The position can be based “in any city in the Pacific Time Zone with an AP bureau.”