call for pitches from Latitude News

Latitude News is seeking freelance radio folks to help bring another layer of rich storytelling to their site. Details and contact info below.

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Latitude News is looking for radio reporters who can make strong connections between local/national and international stories. We publish text stories with strong audio clips as a supplement – audio is used to add another dimension to a text article. This is an opportunity for radio producers who would like to get some “print” experience while still working on audio, and you need not be traveling the world to contribute to our growing website.

Latitude News tells “international” stories in an unconventional way – we start by listening on the ground in the US, then finding international parallels. We also feature stories that highlight surprising connections between the US and the rest of the world.

Audio in Latitude News features (500-1200 words) should act like well-placed photos in a magazine article – clips don’t tell the entire story, but move the narrative forward and give it depth. Potential contributors should read through our website before pitching, but here are a few samples of stories that feature audio:

Unlike Netherlands, U.S. gives no shelter to sex trafficking victims

One Syrian activist’s lonely exile

Far from Moscow, Putin’s power faces off with the grassroots

Submissions can be sent to jack@latitudenews.com with the heading “Submission.” Rates available upon request.  

Upcoming events at the J-School, Berkeley

And for you west coast folks, a whole lot of events coming up at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
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Film Screening: Budrus

When: Wednesday, April 4,  7:00 PM

Where: 105 North Gate Hall

Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel's Separation Barrier.  Success eludes them until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women's contingent that quickly moves to the front lines.  Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little-known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today.

In an action-filled documentary chronicling this movement from its infancy, Budrus shines a light on people who choose nonviolence to confront a threat.  The movie is directed by award-winning filmmaker Julia Bacha, and produced by Bacha, Palestinian journalist Rula Salameh, and filmmaker and human rights advocate Ronit Avni. (MORE)

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Nadav Greenberg, the Outreach and Programming Coordinator at Just Vision Media.

The Horace M. Albright Lecture in Conservation
The U.S. Farm Bill: What’s at Stake?

When:  Thursday, April 5,  6:30 PM

Where:  Wheeler Auditorium

The U.S. Farm Bill is the single most important piece of legislation determining what Americans eat. Join us for a panel discussion on what’s at stake in the upcoming U.S. Farm Bill with:

Michael Pollan, John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism and Director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism, UC Berkeley
Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
Ken Cook, President and Co-Founder of the Environmental Working Group

Patricia Crawford, Director of the Atkins Center for Weight and Health and Adjunct Professor, College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley

Moderated by Gordon Rausser, Robert Gordon Sproul Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley

This is a free, public event. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Free tickets are available at the Wheeler Auditorium Box Office at 5:00 PM on the day of the event. Doors open at 6:00 PM.

This discussion will be recorded and available online after the event.

Event Contact: Sasha Keller | 510.643.1051

Living Portraits of the Human World: A conversation with JONATHAN HARRIS, computer scientist, storyteller, statistician, designer and Cowbird creator

When:  Monday, April 10,  1:00 PM

Where:  North Gate Hall Library

Jonathan Harris makes projects that reimagine how humans relate to technology and to each other. Combining elements of computer science, anthropology, visual art and storytelling, his projects range from building the world's largest time capsule to documenting an Alaskan Eskimo whale hunt on the Arctic Ocean. He is the co-creator of We Feel Fine, which measures the emotional temperature of the human world through large-scale blog analysis, and created recent projects about online dating, modern mythology, anonymity, news and language.

View the Cowbird website here.


Does Narrative Journalism Have a Future Online?

When:  Monday, April 16,  6:30 PM

Where:  North Gate Hall Library

A panel discussion with Gerry Marzorati (former editor, New York Times Magazine), Mark Bryant (editor, Byliner) and Eric Ratliff (editor, The Atavist).


******* EVENTS OF INTEREST *******


Primal Ireland: Photo exhibit by Sally Mack

When:  March 1-31, 2012

Where: The Faculty Club

The Newgrange Passage Tomb (Bru Na Boinne) is 5,000 years old, its purpose unknown.  It had been closed up for untold centuries before its re-discovery in 1699 when the owner began building a road through the hillside, uncovering the front of the tomb.  It's on a hillside so rocky that at times it has been used as a quarry.

From 1699 through the 1960s, the tomb was open, people entered at will, carving their names in the stones, removing any grave goods (or anything else) that might have given clues to the purpose of the tomb.  It has a "light box" above the entrance which aligns perfectly with the rising sun on the day of the winter solstice.  The groups of three carved spirals on the stone in front of the entrance and inside the tomb are comprised of a single line.

Some photos of the exhibit can be seen on Sally Mack's website.  All photos were taken on film with a classic Hasselblad camera and printed through an enlarger from the original negatives.

Please contact Sally Mack (photos@sallymack.us) if you would like more information to to see more photos.

"Understanding the Political Landscape: The Use and Abuse of Polls"
Jon Cohen, Director of Polling, The Washington Post

When:  Monday, April 2,  12:00 PM

Where:  Harris Room, 119 Moses Hall

Lunch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jon Cohen is director of polling for The Washington Post. He is responsible for conceptualizing, implementing and analyzing all Post polls, and co-directs the Post-ABC and Post-Kaiser-Harvard surveys. He instituted the Post’s polling blog, Behind the Numbers, and frequently discusses public opinion on radio and television, as well as online chats. Before joining The Washington Post in 2006, he was assistant polling director at ABC News in New York and associate survey director at the Public Policy Institute of California in San Francisco. He holds an M.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. In addition to reporting on Post polls, Jon is primary editor, gatekeeper and reporter for all public opinion content used by The Washington Post.

Event Contact: 510.642.1473

The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service presents the 31st Annual Review of the Presidency

Election Year: The Obama Presidency and the 2012 Campaign


When:  Monday, April 2,  7:30 PM

Where: 105 Stanley Hall

As President Obama seeks a second term, we examine his presidency and the 2012 election. Is the president to blame for the stagnant economy that has bedeviled his administration? Would any president have been able to engineer a speedier economic recovery? How has the president managed the foreign policy challenges of his time? Has he met the need for symbolic leadership from the president? And what of the Republicans who seek to replace him? Four years after a dramatic election that made American history, what should we expect from the election of 2012?

31st Annual Review Panelists

Andrew E. Busch, Professor of Government and Associate Dean of the Faculty at Claremont McKenna College
John Fund, Senior Editor, The American Spectator and author of Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy

Anne E. Kornblut, White House correspondent for the Washington Post and author of Notes From the Cracked Ceiling
Paul Pierson, John Gross Endowed Chair, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley and author of Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class


Event Contact:
510.642.1473

ASMP NorCal Presents Lee Foster on “Entrepreneurial Travel Photo Publishing”

When: Tuesday, April 10,  6:30 PM

Where: 141 McCone Hall

ASMP member Lee Foster will talk about what he calls “Entrepreneurial Travel Photo Publishing.” Lee hopes to provide ASMP members with practical information and inspiration on how their photo marketing can flourish in a more entrepreneurial manner.

Lee Foster is an award-winning travel writer/photographer, winner of eight Lowell Thomas Awards, the highest prize in travel journalism. All of Lee’s contemporary work in travel writing/photography can be seen at his website www.fostertravel.com. Lee has published 10 books, 3 apps, and 3 ebooks. His work has appeared in all the leading U.S. travel magazines and newspapers, from Travel + Leisure to the New York Times. His partnership with the main worldwide travel book company, Lonely Planet, has presented his photos in more than 225 of their books. Lee’s first “independent” book was his travel literary book (with photos) titled Travels in an American Imagination, which is now out as a print book and an ebook.

Purchase tickets here.

Event Contact: 415.839.3049

The Mugging of Main Street in America: Implications for the World with Robert Scheer

When:  Thursday, April 26,  7:30 PM

Where:  International House

Robert Scheer, Editor-in-Chief of "Truthdig.com", has built a reputation for strong social and political writing over his 30 years as a journalist. His in-depth interviews have made headlines, including the famous Playboy magazine interview in which Jimmy Carter confessed to the lust in his heart and notable Los Angeles Times interviews with Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and many other prominent political and cultural figures. A USC professor and radio personality on Left, Right and Center with Arianna Huffington, Scheer is the author of The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street. Mr. Scheer will speak to the current social, political, and economic climate in the U.S. and its implications for the world today.

Purchase tickets here.

Event Contact: ihprograms@berkeley.edu, 510.642.9460

Philosophy Talk: Live at The Marsh

When:  Sunday, April 29 (see below for times)

Where:  The Marsh Theatre (2120 Allston Way, Berkeley)

Philosophy Talk, the nationally syndicated radio program that, "questions everything, except your intelligence," is back in Berkeley on April 29th, to record two new live episodes:

At noon, it's "Identities Lost & Found in a Global Age" with U.C. Berkeley English Professor Bharati Mukherjee.
Throughout human history, people have tended to live and die in the same place, or at least the same region, in which they¹re born. Place is an important part of one's identity. But what happens when people are deprived of this sense of place? What psychological effects do emigrants, exiles, and expatriates endure? What happens to the importance of place when community membership can be based on common interests among people linked by email and facebook? Do we risk losing an important part of human life? Or do we gain freedom from the lottery of birth? John and Ken situate themselves with UC Berkeley English Professor Bharati Mukherjee, author of Miss New India and other novels exploring migration, alienation, and identity.

At 3pm, we confront "Hypocrisy" with Lawrence Quill, from San Jose State University.
Hypocrites believe one thing, but do another. Jefferson opposed slavery, but owned slaves. Jesus professed universal love, but cursed an innocent fig tree. Jerry Brown opposes the death penalty, but as governor of California will be responsible for executions. Hypocrites all ­ but vile hypocrites? Surely it was better that Jefferson was a hypocrite, and articulated the case against slavery, than not opposing it at all. Does it take courage to defend a view that you, yourself, don't have the courage or the character to follow through on? John and Ken try to practice what they preach with Lawrence Quill from San Jose State University, author of Civil Disobedience: (Un)Common Sense in Mass Democracies.

Purchase tickets here.

Event Contact: 415.826.5750

Upcoming Events at UnionDocs, Brooklyn

Hey all. There are a bunch of great events coming up at UnionDocs in Brooklyn. Details below!

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Future Events at UnionDocs:



Saturday, April 14th at 7:30pm. Free and open to the public.

Over 60 students have crafted short docs that lovingly explore the many faces and stories of New York City —from B-boys to nannies, cab drivers to urban farmers, and subway buskers to church tower bell-ringers. This program offers a glimpse of that work and invites audiences to come see the latest crop of DocStudies’ student work at the New School.

When Documentary met Data


Sunday, April 15th at 7:30pm. $9 suggested donation.


We live in a world drenched in data, providing a new seam of content for documentary. With the latest version of the web coding language HTML5, data can also now be connected to video content in new ways. So how are documentary makers responding to these creative possibilities? What storytelling possibilities are emerging around these new resources? Jigar Mehta, (18 Days in Egypt), Laura Kurgan (Spatial Information Design Lab), and Fabien Streit, (Upian) in attendance for presentation and discussion with scholar-artist Mandy Rose.


Coming up next weekend: 

Capturing Palestine: Witnessing and Storytelling with Michael Kennedy

Friday, April 6 at 7:30pm. $9 suggested donation.

Can the photographer, researcher, artist, journalist, human rights worker or activist meet the demands of objectivity and proof required in the documentation of rights abuses and still take the miraculous seriously? Photographer and scholar Michael Kennedy will try to answer this question while exploring the disturbing death of a young boy at the West Bank village of Iraq Burin.

 

Coming up this weekend: 

Master Class: Kim Longinotto on Documentary Filmmaking

Friday, March 30 at 7:00pm. $15. 


Critically acclaimed, Peabody, Sundance, Cannes, and BAFTA award-winning documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto (Rough Aunties, Sisters in Law), will give a special Master Class for documentry filmmakers. Longinotto will share clips, documentary techniques, working experiences, as well as craft and process from her 30+ year career as a documentarian.

Remakes and Reverse Shots: Amie Siegel in conversation with Michael Almereyda

Saturday, March 31th at 7:30pm. $9 suggested donation.


Amie Siegel joins us to present The Sleepers, a film that voyeuristically explores the space between cinema and architecture, sceerning alongside Siegel’s recent film which intertwines histories of cinema and architecture with the cinematic gesture of the remake serving as an uncanny reflection on gender, history and the production of images.

Same as the Old Boss: On the Very Rich History of the Right

Sunday, April 1th at 7:30 pm, $9 suggested donation

In a conversation moderated by journalist Christian Parenti, political scientist Corey Robin will speak with leftist economist (and former conservative) Doug Henwood about the history of reactionary theory, the creation of the right wing, and the role of the ruling class in fostering the conservative movement.

UNIONDOCS.ORG
322 Union Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
347.820.3213

Narrative Magazine winter story contest, deadline March 31

Hey folks. Last few days to submit your material for Narrative Magazine's winter story contest. Details below.
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ENTER TODAY
CONTEST FINAL WEEK.
Deadline: Saturday, March 31
, at midnight, PDT.

$2,500 First Prize
$1,000 Second Prize
$500 Third Prize
Ten finalists receive $100 each.

The Contest is open to all writers, and all entries will be considered for publication.

See the Guidelines.

New and emerging writers account for more than a third of the hundreds of writers whom Narrative publishes each year, and the new writers appear prominently alongside today’s most- recognized authors.

Read our recent winners, including a stunning first fiction by Gabriel Tallent and great new stories by emerging writers such as Kirsten Clodfelter, Brian Trapp, and Amy Parker.

Prior winners and finalists have gone on to win other contests, to publish acclaimed books, and to win awards from the Pushcart Prize, New Stories from the South, the Atlantic, and others. View some recent awards won by our writers.

 
SIX-WORD STORIES | RSS | NARRATIVE BACKSTAGE | A Nonprofit Publication

8th Annual SF International Women’s Film Festival, April 13-15

The 8th Annual SF International Women's Film Festival is happening in a few weeks – April 13-15. Details HERE and below.
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What's in store for the SFIWFF this year? A "True Blood" actress gets behind the camera, Obama's older half-sister lands in front, and Internet mover and shaker Tiffany Shlain grabs the mic at the 8th Annual San Francisco International Women's Film Festival (SFIWFF). On April 13th, the Women's Film Institute will present the 8th Annual San Francisco International Women's Film Festival (SFIWFF), a three-day celebration of films directed by women. The 2012 selection of diverse films honors the exceptional contributions of women in cinema, and represents a global panorama of women filmmakers. 


For more information about the festival line-up, schedule and tickets, visit: http://www.sfiwff.com

call for entries SEJ Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment, deadline April 2

Call for entries for the annual SEJ Awards for Environmental Reporting. Details HERE and below. Deadline April 2.

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Deadline to enter: April 2, 2012

Instructions for Entering:

 

NEWS!  SEJ has added a category for Photojournalism. See below for a full description.

Below you will find the definitions for  SEJ's 2012 categories.  When you have selected the appropriate category for your entry, prepare the materials you will need for entering. Once your materials are assembled, click the name of the category (below) to open the online form. Follow the instructions on the form.  Some fields have instructions written below them. Please take note of all instructions!

Materials needed:

• PDFs* or links to each story, commentary or photo

• Publication or air date for each story, commentary or photo
• Cover letter 

• Team contact sheet if you do a group entry
• Broadcast transcript if you enter radio or television stories, of if your online entry includes audio/video components

• Credit card for immediate online payment. (You can opt to send a check on the online payment site.)

* 15MB max file size. Multiple PDFs for one day must be combined. See Help with low-resolution or combined PDF

If you are unable to reduce your file to 15MB, email Awards Director Chris Rigel or call her at (502) 641-1844.

Each entry requires a cover letter in electronic format, either .doc, docx, PDF, .html, or .txt file to be uploaded into the online form.

Book entries: Enter the contest using the online entry form below. After submitting your form and payment, ship four copies of your book and a copy of the cover letter with the author's name and contact info to Chris Rigel, Director of Awards (address below). Note: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form, including the uploaded cover letter.

Print entries: low-resolution PDF or html files of your entry stories. (Check your category for the allowable number of stories and other details.) (Help with low-resolution or combined PDFs) If you are unable to supply links or low-res PDFs, you may ship four copies of your entries to SEJ with a cover letter including the entrant's name and contact information. Be sure to follow the preparation rulesNote: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form, including the uploaded cover letter.

Online and broadcast entries: web links to Internet pages where your television, radio or online news story can be viewed or listened to. (Check your category for the allowable number of stories and other details.) If you are unable to supply links, you may ship four copies of your entries to SEJ with a cover letter including the entrant's name and contact information. Be sure to follow the preparation rulesNote: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form, including the uploaded cover letter.

Shipping address:

SEJ Awards
C/O Chris Rigel, Awards Director

186 North Bellaire Ave
Louisville, KY 40206

Follow the preparation rules for preparing your entries for shipping. Shipped entries that are incorrectly prepared will not be sent to judges. Please pay special attention to the instructions, since your payment is non-refundable.

 

ENTRY FEES

 After completing your entry form, the payment site will open. Please pay your fee immediately after submitting your entry form. For those needing to pay by check, the payment site includes a check option. Your entry will not be processed for judging until payment is received. 

$40 Member Rate

You must already be a member of SEJ to enter at the member rate. If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact SEJ at sej@sej.org or (215) 884-8174.

$60 Prospective Member Rate

To enter SEJ's awards contest at this rate, you must complete a membership application. (After you click the link, scroll down until you see the maps: In North America and Outside North America. Click on the appropriate map to open the membership application. Please note on your application in the comments field at the end that you are applying for membership with your contest entry.) After completing the application, return to this page to complete your entry.

This special discounted $60 fee is only for non-members who are joining SEJ for the first time. It covers your first year of membership (discounted) as well as the contest fee. 

$100 Non-member Rate

CAUTION!

As you complete the awards entry form, be sure to fill in all required fields. If you miss one, the files you've uploaded will not "stick." Your other information will remain intact, but you'll have to upload your cover letter and other files again.

You can recognize required fields by the red asterisk for all fields except upload fields. Uploaded cover letters ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL ENTRIES.

AWARDS CATEGORIES

Deadline to enter: April 2

Read the descriptions carefully, then click on the name of the category you want to enter to open the corresponding entry form. Have your electronic files and web links ready.

CLICK TO ENTER: Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Large Market: An investigative or explanatory feature or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included in the cover letter. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 or more; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 10 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: sites with 1 million or more monthly unique visitors. Cover letters must include a description of the reporting's impact.

CLICK TO ENTER: Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Small Market: An investigative or explanatory feature or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included in the cover letter. Eligibility: All outlets and publications falling outside the large-market definition. Cover letters must include a description of the reporting's impact.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Large Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. Broadcast entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 or more; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 10 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: sites with 1 million or more monthly unique visitors.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Small Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. TV & Radio entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online publications falling outside the large-market definition.

CLICK TO ENTER: Rachel Carson Environment Book Award: A nonfiction book, published between January 1 and December 31, 2011, covering an environmental topic. Memoirs and picture books are not eligible.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Feature Story: One environmental feature or commentary published between March 1, 2011,  and Feb. 29, 2012. Multi-part stories, sidebars and other supplemental material are prohibited.  Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online entities.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Photography: Up to five photographs on one or more environmental topics, published between March 1, 2011 and Feb. 29, 2012. Only photos published as photojournalism will be accepted. Entered photos must not be manipulated or digitally enhanced in a way that changes the content and/or context of the image. A caption that describes the event or situation captured in the photograph must be included for each photo entered. Photos must be submitted as jpeg files, maximum 2MB.

Back to the main Awards page.

upcoming events at UnionDocs

A few announcements and events from UnionDocs in Brooklyn.

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Call for Entries: Gaze Looking for Works made by Women
by UnionDocs

Former UnionDocs Programmer Mallary Abel is working with GAZE on a film series dedicated to screening independent film and video made by women. GAZE promotes women’s artistic expression and… more»

Call for Video Fellow: Five Borough Farm

by UnionDocs

  The Design Trust seeks a Video Fellow to produce between three to six high-quality, web-based videos (each three minutes or less) that will serve as advocacy and education tools for… more»

Gardener on the Roof: Examining Urban Farming 

Saturday, March 24th at 7:30pm

Examined Waterways with J.P. Sniadecki and Sarah J. Christman

Sunday, March 25 at 7:30pm

BackStory radio call for Pitches

BackStory, a new show on American History, is seeking story ideas. Details below!

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Backstory

Each week, the show chooses a topic and tells stories, conducts interviews, and shares insight on how that topic has played out through American history. We’re looking for features that have a couple key components: First, a story. Your characters might be alive, or they might be long dead. Either way, you should still have some character(s) with something at stake. Second, when pitching your story, think about ways to bring these characters to life. We’re open to re-enactments, experts telling the story second hand, oral histories, all the typical stuff. But don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Questions we’re always going to ask are: Why did this happen when it happened? What does this reveal about America at the time? Why should we care about that now? Most of themes will have a news peg of some sort. You can see some of the themes we plan to produce at our independent producers page: http://backstoryradio.org/producers/
show: one hour/weekly
segments: 2-8 minutes

compensation: $200 – $500+ depending on difficulty and skill of the producer. All the rates below are flexible, but are meant to give you a sense of what we offer.
Level 1 Piece: $200-$350
– May include a snapshot essay of a particular moment in history, typically with simple production requirements.
– May be a shorter, 2-3 minute sound rich “audio postcard” style piece.

Level 2 Piece: $350 -$450
– Medium length story with at least one interview and some reporting.
– May include some field tape. Probably requires little travel
Level 3 Piece: $450 – Negotiable
– Longer feature with multiple interviews.

– Significant research and creative use of sound and/or content.
pitch: Email Associate Producer, Eric Mennel at EMennel@Virginia.edu, with the word “PITCH:” in your title. The more concise your pitch, the better. Include what, if any, sources you would use in your story and how you would produce them. Also include what you think this piece would sound like (field tape, scoring, effects, readings, those kinds of things). We understand we’re a new show, so we won’t be offended if you compare it to something you might hear on another radio show. We’re open to non-narrated features, written essays, and reported pieces. You don’t need to have worked in radio or history to pitch, but if you can give us a sense of your experience (radio or otherwise), please do, and include a couple of links to your best stuff.
contact: Eric Mennel, Associate Producer: EMennel@virginia.edu (email preferred)

phone: 434-924-4403
mailing address: 145 Ednam Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903
website: http://www.BackstoryRadio.org

Call for pitches WBEZ’s Race – Out Loud Series, deadline April 2

Very cool storytelling opportunity from the folks at WBEZ. Details and contact information below. Deadline April 2.
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WBEZ is looking for great material for a series we’re calling Race: Out Loud. Here’s the idea: What would it sound like if people said what they really think and feel about race, about ethnicity? What if they really talked about how it shapes them, their lives, and attitudes? What would we hear, if we listened?

This is a call for all manner of stories and ideas—in as creative an approach or production manner as you can imagine.  Think original. Think things we haven’t heard.  Things we don’t talk about.  And don’t limit yourselves to black and white—this is race, ethnicity in our time. Between races, ethnicities.   Within races.   We’re dealing here with Chicago and metro area.  But if you have some wild and wonderful idea beyond, try us.

A few examples of ideas already bubbling from reporters:  Nightlife: why don’t we play together?; Code words; What conversations do you have with your own race that you’d be squeamish having with people not of your race?

Multi-media. Video. Blog.  Music. Non-narrated stories. Investigative.  Stretch yourself and our listeners.

If you want to participate but don’t have an idea—let us know.

Otherwise, here’s the deal:  Deadline for written pitches [a brief description of the content and form of your idea] is Monday, April 2. 

 Send pitches and questions to: ccahan@wbez.org or nmoore@wbez.org 

 Thanks,

Cate and Natalie, WBEZ

2012 Dag Hammarskj

Interesting fellowship opportunity for young journalists from developing countries. Spread the word. Details HERE and below.

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The Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2012 fellowship program. The application deadline is Friday, March 30, 2012.

The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and web journalists, age 25 to 35, from developing countries who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The fellowships will begin in early September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance.

The fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and are currently working full-time for a bona fide media organization in a developing nation. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to international affairs and to conveying a better understanding of the United Nations to their readers and audiences. They must also have approval from their media organizations to spend up to two months in New York to report from the United Nations. Click here for full eligibility criteria and documentation requirements and the fellowship application form.

In an effort to rotate recipient countries, the Fund will not consider journalist applications for 2012 from nations selected in 2011: China, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria. Journalists from these countries may apply in 2013.

Four journalists are selected each year after a review of all applications. The journalists who are awarded fellowships are given the incomparable opportunity to observe international diplomatic deliberations at the United Nations, to make professional contacts that will serve them for years to come, to interact with seasoned journalists from around the world, and to gain a broader perspective and understanding of matters of global concern. Many past fellows have risen to prominence in their professional and countries. The program is not intended to provide basic skills training to journalists, as all participants are media professionals.

Questions about the program, eligibility and application process can be directed to fellowship@unjournalismfellowship.org.