Opportunities 1/05/2022

Huck Magazine, Documented, Fast Company 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 has decided their 2022 motto is “no scandals, just bliss.” 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 Typeform page.

►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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COMING SOON: THE 2022 CLASSIFIED ADS

►What’s better than distributing ads to over 4,000 hyper-engaged followers of the media industry (editors, writers, executives) through our Study Hall Opportunities newsletter? Having that ad go out to over 16,000+ or 40,000+ people. 

Later this month, the Classified Ads you know and love are relaunching. This year, we’re teaming up with two newsletters – Links I Would G-Chat You If We Were Friends and Words of Mouth for an all-new, three-tiered pricing model. We’ll release more info on this exciting next chapter for the Ads next week and open up orders, so get ready for an entirely new chapter for the Classified Ads.

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***STUDY HALL EVENTS PROGRAMMING***

►ASK ME ANYTHING: A series of dialogues that will be hosted on our Slack channel covering topics that include: starting a newsletter, feature writing, investigative journalism, content strategy, and longform investigative journalism.

— Book Publishing AMA with All My Mother’s Lovers author Ilana Masad will take place today, January 5 at 3 PM EST.

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RESOURCES

Relying solely on, say, the Study Hall Opportunities newsletter to find work is like trying to do the “Y.M.C.A.” dance alone. It’s sad and please put your arms down. Just as that song takes a Village of People to perform, freelancing also takes a village… of resources. There’s no need to feel down, so pick yourself off the ground. It’s fun to read all the R.E.S.O.U.R.C.E.S.

-The Labor Action Tracker by Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations is a comprehensive database of strike and labor protest activity across the United States. The database should be a key asset for freelance and staff reporters on the labor beat.

-The Rate Sharing database by the Freelance Solidarity Project has a searchable list of publications so you know what rates they’re paying for what kind of content. It’s an essential resource for making sure you get the best rate possible (or skip the stinkers who don’t pay well).

Want more resources? Check out the NPR Diverse Sources Database; Online Violence Research 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; Freelancing Guide/Editorial Contacts spreadsheet; #FreelancerPayGap spreadsheet; Pitch Guide Database; Chelsea’s Guide to Freelancing doc; Missed Pitches newsletter; 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

–World Wildlife is looking for submissions of “short, uplifting personal essays about nature’s impact on a writer” for their new print column, Love Letter. They are specifically looking for full drafts and not pitches. The rate is $1.25 per word for essays of 100-300 words. See their submission form for more info and send submissions by January 31.

–INDIE is looking for pitches relating to the theme of “taste” for their upcoming print issue. They are particularly interested in “pithy, intelligent takes and analyses on how good and bad taste (and trends) are defined and gate-kept across society, culture, fashion, music etc.” The rate is €250 (USD $338) per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] by next Wednesday, January 12.

–Catapult is looking for pitches of argument-driven personal essays on travel and postcolonial writing, television, food and drinks, and style. The pitches must incorporate researched and reported cultural analysis. The rate is $250 per essay of up to 2,000 words. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches in 2022 (not during the holidays).

–Streets Minnesota is looking for pitches of stories on transit, transportation, and land use in BIPOC communities. They are especially interested in pitches from BIPOC writers in these communities. The rates range from $200-$250 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected] by the end of January.

–BirdNote Daily is looking for pitches of stories for their short radio show on birds. The scripts for each show run about 225 words or fewer. The rates range from $175-$200 for scripts that they produce and have their narrators read; $300-$350 for scripts narrated and recorded by you; and $400-$500 for scripts narrated by you that feature interviews or field tape recorded by you. See their pitch guide for more info.

–Huck Magazine is looking for pitches of reported features, oral histories, book Q+As, and other formats on politics, current affairs, activism, culture, and tech from around the globe. They are also commissioning pieces on ”gig economy workers and how they’re fighting back against bad bosses.” The current rates weren’t given despite multiple requests, but the rates in September 2020 were £120-£200 (about $163-$271) for interviews and profiles and started at £225 (about $305) for larger pieces. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].

–LatinaMedia.Co is looking for pitches of cultural criticism on TV, movies, podcasts, books, and news from a Latina or gender non-conforming Latinx perspective. The rate is $100 per piece of about 600 words. See their pitch guide for more info.

–Autostraddle is commissioning writers to regularly cover culture. They are especially interested in Black, queer writers. The rates range from $80-$200 per piece. Send an intro, socials, bylines, and what you’re interested in writing about to [email protected].

–Broccoli Magazine will soon be looking for pitches of stories for their next print issue. The rates for their next pitch call weren’t given, but the rates in September 2021 ranged from $0.40-$0.50 per word, “with flat rates for shorter pieces [ranging from] $75-$100,” and rates of up to $1 per word for bigger features. Sign up for the pitch call newsletter to receive more info.

-CatStone Books is commissioning writers to produce reviews and author interviews of speculative fiction and nonfiction from minority voices. They are specifically looking for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers. The rate is $0.12 per word. Send inquiries to [email protected].

NEW EVERGREEN PITCH CALLS, SORTED BY HIGHEST TO LOWEST RATES

–Atlanta Magazine is always looking for pitches of reported features on Atlanta’s past, present, and future — though they “occasionally publish stories from elsewhere in Georgia.” They are also always looking for pitches of reported articles, profiles, explainers, Q&As, and other formats on shorter, front-of-book pieces on “Atlanta news and politics, Georgia electoral stuff, arts and culture, [and] food and drink.” The rate is $1 per word for print pieces. Send pitches to [email protected].

​​-Input is always looking for pitches of reported stories, profiles, reviews, and personal essays on the intersection of technology and culture. They are also always looking for pitches of pieces on style and gaming. The rates range from $0.50-$1 per word. Send feature pitches to [email protected], style pitches to [email protected], gaming pitches to [email protected], and review pitches to [email protected].

–Mic is always looking for pitches of reported features, interviews, profiles, deep dives, essays, analysis, and other formats on culture, entertainment, politics, life, and identity. The rates start at $400 for short essays and $0.50 per word for reported features of 1,200-2,500 words. See their pitch guide for more info and send pitches to [email protected].

–Willow is always looking for pitches of analysis, interviews, and long-form and reported features on real estate, including facadism, history of homes, housing access, affordability, and real estate in video games like Sim City and the metaverse. They are particularly interested in pitches from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers. The rate is CAD $300 (USD $236) for pieces of 1,500 words. Send pitches to [email protected].

–Byrdie is always looking for pitches of style stories, personal essays, and trend reporters on fashion. They are particularly interested in pitches from BIPOC, disabled, and nonbinary writers. The rate is $200 per piece. Send pitches to [email protected].

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

FREELANCE, PART-TIME, AND TEMPORARY JOBS

–LiveArt, an art trading platform, is hiring a data journalist to work with their platform’s data sets. Candidates are not required to have knowledge of artists or the art world, though “having an interest in art will make the work more interesting.” The rates are $20 per hour on a project basis and will begin as a freelance contract. Send inquiries to [email protected].

–LiveArt is also hiring a social media manager to manage and create social content for Twitter and Instagram, with “an eye towards developing YouTube content.” Candidates should have some experience managing social media accounts, and have a strong interest in art. The rate is $20 per hour, and the position requires working at least 30 hours per week. The position can be remote or based in New York.

–The Take is hiring freelance writers to produce video essay scripts that “give viewers deeper context into what they’re watching.” Candidates should have extensive research skills, a deep understanding of film and TV, and be up to date on pop culture and current events. The average rate is $300 per script, but rates are “commensurate based on experience and scope of the project.” The deadline to apply is January 15.

EVENTS

–The Open Notebook is hosting a series of free Science Journalism Master Classes. The classes cover the following topics: how to find an angle for any science story; how to pitch science stories that sell; and how to spot scientific hype and misinformation. There is no start date and you can sign up for the courses at any time.

GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

NEW: -MediaFutures is accepting applications for their paid Open Call grant program. The program aims to address the “challenge of misinformation and disinformation” by supporting unconventional ways for people to engage with journalism. The grant provides up to €80,000 in free funding for startups and up to €40,000 for artists, and includes six months of support. The deadline to apply is January 27.

-The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is accepting applications for their paid Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship grant. The program offers 15 grants of $10,000 to journalists “reporting in-depth print and audio stories on the science, policy, business, and culture of this new era of psychedelics.” The deadline to apply is January 31.

-The Knight Science Journalism Program is accepting submissions for their Victor K. McElheny Award for local and regional science journalism. Applicants can submit any work of journalism that covers science, public health, technology, or environmental issues. Entries can be standalone pieces or series and must have been published by a US-based outlet during the 2021 calendar year. The deadline to submit is January 31.

–Red Pepper Magazine is accepting submissions for their Dawn Foster Memorial Essay Prize in collaboration with HCI Skills Gateway. The contest is specifically for UK-based writers aged 35 and under. Applicants are invited to write an essay of 1,500 words on Britain’s housing crisis. The first prize is an award of £1,500 (USD $1,986) and there are four runner-up prizes of £200 (USD $265) each. The deadline to submit is January 31.

–Sports Illustrated is accepting applications for their paid copy desk summer internship program. Interns will copyedit magazine stories for style, grammar, and editorial consistency. Applicants must be rising juniors, rising seniors, or recent graduates, and should have some copy editing experience. The internship pays $17.39 per hour, and interns are expected to work 35 hours per week for 10 weeks. No application deadline was given, but candidates chosen for interviews will be notified of their application status by March 15.

-The International Women’s Media Foundation is accepting applications for their United States Journalism Emergency Fund program. The program provides financial assistance to US-based journalists of any gender (including men) who have been “targeted as a result of [their] reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the US.” The fund covers medical aid, mental health and legal services, and destroyed or stolen equipment or protective gear. Requests will be reviewed in the order they were received.

–SpotlightDC is accepting applications for its investigative journalism grant. The grant awards up to $10,000 for investigative or explanatory journalism projects focused on health care, crime, transportation, corruption, and other matters of public interest in the Washington, DC; Maryland; and Virginia regions. Grant applications are reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis.

FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS

–NPR is accepting applications for their paid Above the Fray fellowship program in collaboration with The John Alexander Project. The program will provide one “up-and-coming radio journalist the opportunity to cover important but under-reported stories” on global public health or international migration. Applicants should have at least five years of journalism experience. The fellowship covers “all production and living expenses,” and the fellow is expected to prepare and edit the project in Washington, D.C. The deadline to apply is January 15.

–MinnPost is accepting applications for their paid, Minneapolis-based Race & Health Equity Reporting Fellowship program. The fellow will cover “the different ways poverty, discrimination, education, employment, transportation, housing, and the environment affect health and health care among Minnesota’s BIPOC communities.” Ideal applicants are early career journalists. The fellowship pays $48,000, and fellows are expected to work full-time for one year.

JOBS

NEW YORK

–Documented is hiring for multiple positions, including a Chinese community correspondent to design and built a vertical focused on Chinese New Yorkers; a Caribbean community correspondent to design and built a vertical focused on Caribbean New Yorkers; an immigration reporter to focus on the enforcement parts of the immigration system, especially courts and detention; and a labor reporter to focus on immigrant labor issues in the city. The deadline to apply for all positions is January 31.

–Inc. is hiring a staff reporter to pitch, report, and write news and short-form stories for print and digital. Candidates should have at least three years of editorial experience, and a keen interest in business and entrepreneurship, including “the unique experiences of founders and owners.” The starting salary is $65,000, and the position is represented by the Writers Guild of America-East.

–Digg is hiring a breaking news editor to cover stories published in the pre-workday hours and through the morning. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience and must be able to work early mornings beginning at 4:00 AM EST. The starting salary is $60,000. The position can be remote, including outside of the U.S., or be based in New York.

–Fast Company is hiring for multiple positions, including a senior staff editor to shape their technology coverage; a staff writer to cover breaking news in business, technology, innovation, and the future of work; and an associate photo editor to assist senior photo editors with shoots. The starting salaries are $75,000 for the senior staff editor, $68,000 for the staff writer, and $52,000 for the associate photo editor. The staff writer and staff editor positions can be remote or based in New York, while the photo editor position must be based in New York. All positions are represented by the Writers Guild of America-East.

–io9 is hiring a reporter to focus on breaking news in the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre media, while also writing longer features. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience, and a “strong understanding of the major companies, issues, and reader-focused concerns in the entertainment industry.” The starting salary is $55,000, and the position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement with the WGA-E. The position can be remote or based in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

–Law360 is hiring for multiple positions, including a general assignment reporter to cover corporate litigation and the legal industry, and a senior reporter to cover major court rulings and federal and state regulation and enforcement actions. Both positions can be based in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.

–Type Investigations is hiring a senior editor to oversee their Ida B. Wells Fellowship program, which will include mentoring reporters on their first in-depth investigative projects. Candidates should have strong reporting, writing, editing, and organizational skills, and a “demonstrated passion for making journalism a more equitable industry.” The starting salary is $80,000. The position can be remote or based in New York.

–Morning Consult is hiring a reporter to cover the marketing, advertising, and communications industries for their Brands vertical, including curating their morning email newsletter. Candidates should have at least four years of experience covering, or working in, the marketing, advertising, or communications industries. The starting salary is $58,500, but “can be higher depending on experience.” The position can be remote or based in New York.

–n+1 is hiring a managing editor to oversee their editorial team and execute the production of their three print issues. Candidates should have at least three years of magazine, book publishing, or newspaper experience, including copyediting and proofreading skills. The starting salary is $56,000. The deadline to apply is this Friday, January 7.

–Them is hiring for multiple positions, including a lifestyle editor to curate and edit a new vertical focused on service journalism for LGBTQ+ people, as well as a senior news editor to assign and edit daily news coverage and lead much of their feature reporting. Ideal candidates for the lifestyle editor position should have at least three years of editing or reporting experience, while candidates for the senior news editor position should have at least five years of experience. Both positions can be remote or based in New York.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

–Washingtonian Magazine is hiring for multiple positions, including an editor-in-chief to supervise their staff of editors, writers, and art staffers, as well as a staff writer to cover both the cultural and political scene in the city. Candidates for the editor-in-chief position should have at least five years of reporting or editorial experience, while candidates for the staff writer positions should have some reporting experience.

–Law360 is hiring for multiple positions, including a general assignment reporter to cover corporate litigation and the legal industry, and a senior reporter to cover major court rulings and federal and state regulation and enforcement actions. Both positions can be based in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.

CALIFORNIA

–io9 is hiring a reporter to focus on breaking news in the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre media, while also writing longer features. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience, and a “strong understanding of the major companies, issues, and reader-focused concerns in the entertainment industry.” The starting salary is $55,000, and the position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement with the WGA-E. The position can be remote or based in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

–Law360 is hiring for multiple positions, including a general assignment reporter to cover corporate litigation and the legal industry, and a senior reporter to cover major court rulings and federal and state regulation and enforcement actions. Both positions can be based in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.

SOUTHEAST

–Law360 is hiring an Atlanta-based reporter to cover developments in the federal and state court system. Candidates should have at least one year of reporting experience, including some court reporting experience. The position will require periodic travel between courthouses.

CENTRAL

–Block Club Chicago is hiring a reporter to cover the Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood neighborhoods on the Far Southwest Side of Chicago. Candidates should have at least two years of reporting experience and a familiarity with these neighborhoods, with residents or former residents of the Southwest Side preferred. The deadline to apply is January 20.

–io9 is hiring a reporter to focus on breaking news in the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre media, while also writing longer features. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience, and a “strong understanding of the major companies, issues, and reader-focused concerns in the entertainment industry.” The starting salary is $55,000, and the position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement with the WGA-E. The position can be remote or based in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

REMOTE-FRIENDLY

–The Verge is hiring a copy editor to edit “everything from quick news posts to investigative features to Instagram captions.” Candidates should have at least one year of copy editing experience, and an interest in consumer tech, US policy, internet culture, entertainment, or science is preferred. The starting salary is $53,000, and the position is represented by the Writers Guild of America-East.

–Quartz is hiring a global editor of branded content to join their Quartz Creative studio. Candidates should have at least seven years of content marketing or journalism experience, including a portfolio of published writing and editing projects.

–The Associated Press is hiring for multiple positions, including an education data journalist to focus on the impact of the pandemic on the U.S. education system, and a climate data journalist to focus on the environment and climate in the U.S. and globally. Candidates for both positions should have strong data analysis and reporting skills. Both positions can be based in any U.S. city with an A.P. bureau, and both positions will last for two years. The deadline to apply for both positions is January 20.

–Law360 is hiring for multiple positions, including a general assignment reporter to cover corporate litigation and the legal industry, and a senior reporter to cover major court rulings and federal and state regulation and enforcement actions. Both positions can be based in New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.

–BuzzFeed News is hiring an internet culture reporter to join their Social News team. Candidates should have at least a few years of journalism experience, and while past journalism experience does not need to include social news coverage, you should be “internet obsessed.” The position requires working from Tuesday through Saturday. The position can be remote or based in New York, but will require working EST hours.

–io9 is hiring a reporter to focus on breaking news in the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre media, while also writing longer features. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience, and a “strong understanding of the major companies, issues, and reader-focused concerns in the entertainment industry.” The starting salary is $55,000, and the position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement with the WGA-E. The position can be remote or based in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

–Them is hiring for multiple positions, including a lifestyle editor to curate and edit a new vertical focused on service journalism for LGBTQ+ people, as well as a senior news editor to assign and edit daily news coverage and lead much of their feature reporting. Ideal candidates for the lifestyle editor position should have at least three years of editing or reporting experience, while candidates for the senior news editor position should have at least five years of experience. Both positions can be remote or based in New York.

–Fast Company is hiring for multiple positions, including a senior staff editor to shape their technology coverage, as well as a staff writer to cover breaking news in business, technology, innovation, and the future of work. The starting salaries are $75,000 for the senior staff editor and $68,000 for the staff writer. Both positions can be remote or based in New York, and both positions are represented by the Writers Guild of America-East.

–Digg is hiring a breaking news editor to cover stories published in the pre-workday hours and through the morning. Candidates should have at least one year of writing experience and must be able to work early mornings beginning at 4:00 AM EST. The starting salary is $60,000. The position can be remote, including outside of the U.S., or be based in New York.

–Type Investigations is hiring a senior editor to oversee their Ida B. Wells Fellowship program, which will include mentoring reporters on their first in-depth investigative projects. Candidates should have strong reporting, writing, editing, and organizational skills, and a “demonstrated passion for making journalism a more equitable industry.” The starting salary is $80,000. The position can be remote or based in New York.

–Morning Consult is hiring a reporter to cover the marketing, advertising, and communications industries for their Brands vertical, including curating their morning email newsletter. Candidates should have at least four years of experience covering, or working in, the marketing, advertising, or communications industries. The starting salary is $58,500, but “can be higher depending on experience.” The position can be remote or based in New York.

–City Cast is hiring a newsletter editor-in-chief to develop a vision for and lead the writers producing their newsletter products. Candidates should have keen editorial instincts and some experience building a successful newsletter. The salary range is $75,000-$10,000, depending on experience. The deadline to apply is tomorrow, January 6.