Category Archives: Uncategorized

WaPo’s new “Historically Black” podcast seeks submissions, deadline Sept 1

WaPo is launching a new podcast that narrates the stories of personal objects and experiences of black people in the U.S. as part of a project around the National Museum of African American History & Culture, which opens September 24. Submission instructions HERE and below. Deadline Sept 1.
+++++++++++++++++++++
HistoricallyBlack_1400x1400

The Washington Post, in partnership with American Public Media’s APM Reports, is collecting entries for its forthcoming, co-produced podcast series, Historically Black. Set to launch on September 19, the eight episode, weekly podcast series with guest celebrity hosts will showcase objects that tell people’s own personal stories of black history in America. Building off The Post’s Historically Black Tumblr, a crowdsourced “people’s museum” of objects, photographs, songs and stories, the podcast series will take a rich, researched look at how these items contribute to the public’s understanding of black history and culture today.

Entries are due by 12 p.m. noon ET on Thursday, September 1, 2016 to be considered for the podcast series. Entries submitted after September 1 may be featured on Historically Black Tumblr. All entries must be submitted online to historicallyblack.tumblr.com/submit. Past submissions have included family photos of objects, such as the black Santa Christmas tree topper belonging to Christina Tucker’s mixed race family; a photo Duchess Harris discovered of her grandmother working for NASA (then NACA) as a “computer” in the 1940s; love letters Janice Lillian Harris Cotton found in her basement rafters between her great-grandmother and great-grandfather tracing the pair’s romance as they were separated  during the “exoduster” movement; and more.

Entry Deadlines
Deadline: 12 p.m. noon ET on Thursday, September 1, 2016
Entries submitted after September 1 may be featured on Historically Black Tumblr.

How to Submit Your Entry
All entries must be submitted online to historicallyblack.tumblr.com/submit and should include:
-Your name
-Your email address
-Object photo (not required)
-The story behind the object you submitted

Please note photos or submissions may be used in related Washington Post coverage. By submitting your photo you are granting The Washington Post permission to use it on any platform. You are also stating that you took the photo and own all rights to it. Full terms here.

The first episode of Historically Black will air on September 19. It will be available on washingtonpost.com, and via iTunes and other podcast providers.


call for pitches (plus new higher rates!) from Making Contact

Making Contact wants your stories! Plus they have new, higher rates. Plus they're good people. Details below. -Mia

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Seeking Pitches
 

Immigration and Elections: We want your pitches! We’re looking for character-driven stories that focus on how immigrant communities engage in U.S. electoral politics. 

Here are some themes we’re interested in exploring:

  • How are undocumented communities working around elections to mitigate the U.S. Supreme Court decision halting the expansion of DACA and DAPA?

  • What factors contribute to disparities in electoral participation within different communities? How are immigrant communities addressing mis-information about how to vote, new voter ID laws, and other barriers to participating in elections?

  • Are immigrant communities organizing to put politicians in office?  What are the opportunities and challenges?  

  • How are communities organizing outside of the electoral process to influence politics locally and/or nationally?

  • How are groups working against Trump and Trumpism beyond the conventions?

  • How is campaign financing influencing immigration rhetoric and policies?   

Got an idea, let us know!  Open to all and we are especially  looking for reporters who are themselves immigrants for our Immigrants and Elections miniseries. 
 

Guns: We’re looking for stories that bring new perspectives on guns, gun violence, mass shootings, and masculinity. These could be personal stories. They could also be more investigative or explanatory pieces. We’d also welcome other pitches related to guns, maybe a look at one of several states’ legislation to allow or ban concealed carry on college campuses. 

Occupy, 5 Year Anniversary: For this show, we’re looking for a story about a small town in the U.S. that responded to the call to Occupy a public space as part of Occupy Wall Street. We want to know why they decided to participate 5 years ago. What difference did it make? And what lessons did they carry into their organizing today?

People in Prison and Sentencing: We’re looking for stories detailing the effects of the prison systems on children and families, delving into life after incarceration, and stories examining sentence reduction reforms at the state level. For instance in California, Prop 47 passed in Fall 2014. It reduces drug possession and five other felonies to misdemeanors. Are other states making changes similar to California’s Prop 47 ? What have been the preliminary results in California and what of the backlash by those opposed to the sentencing reform?  

Climate Change: “Climate Resilience” and “Social Cohesion” are terms used by environmental justice advocates and academics to mean various things. We want sound-rich stories that explore these terms in practice. How are communities working not just to survive but thrive? How are low-income communities of color, expected to be hit hardest by climate change developing ways now to cope “later?” Unequal impacts of climate change on women?

We’re looking for stories that break out of the gloom and doom, wonk-talk or science-load, and instead give a glimpse of people coming together to take steps now.  Pitch us stories about various bottom-up and grassroots organizing methods and tactics. Perhaps a profile of someone who was previously uninterested or overwhelmed and depressed about the crisis but is now engaged in this activism. How did that personal and political transformation take place?

In addition to the above, we’re always interested in pitches on any of our ongoing beats: prisons, poverty, reproductive health, climate change and environmental justice.  
 

Specifications

Making Contact is an award-winning, 29-minute weekly magazine/documentary-style public affairs program heard on 120 radio stations in the USA, Canada, South Africa, and Australia.  Amplifying voices and perspectives rarely heard in mainstream media, Making Contact focuses on the human realities of politics and the connections between local and global events with an emphasis on creative ways to solve problems.  We’re interested in pitches for sound-rich segments of approx. 7 minutes.  

As with any pitches you send us, please check out our show and read our guidelines before you pitch. Consider the following. Does the story: Link grassroots issues and human realities to national or international trends? Give listeners a historical, political, or social context of major national and international events? Shed light on social and economic inequities? Explore any alternatives or solutions? 

We’re trying out new rates!

Level 1. $800 plus travel reimbursement up to $100

Involve research and original reporting • Require the reporter to have substantial subject matter expertise • Involve time-consuming reporting • Have a sophisticated narrative • Require travel by the reporter • Have sound that does not involve phone tape • Be rich in a variety of sounds demonstrative or supportive of the story.

Level 2. $500 plus travel reimbursement up to $100

Involve multiple interviews • Involve interviews conducted where the interviewee is carrying on activities relevant to the story • Involve sound, scenes, and advanced radio storytelling techniques • Involve reporter having good prior knowledge of subject matter

Full 26 min Documentary  $1000 for veteran producers to do a full documentary edition. An exclusive is not necessary but air dates need to be discussed.  

Send pitches to pitches@radioproject.org. Please be detailed but succinct, and include a description of your idea, narrative/story arc, interview subjects, scenes, and sounds/ambi.  If you’re pitching to us for the first time, please include a brief bio and relevant audio clips. We look forward to hearing from you!  
 

— Monica Lopez, RJ Lozada, Marie Choi


Cash for collaborative journalism from @hostwriter, deadline Aug 31

Cash for collaborative journalism. Deadline Aug 31. Details below!

+++++++++++++++

We are giving out over $5.000 for journalistic pieces and pitches that were done collaboratively, meaning that at least two journalists have to be in the byline. 
If you are interested in sharing the message you can tweet the following: 
Journalists worldwide can compete for cash prizes & story funding from @hostwriter! Send in a story or pitch by 8/31 http://hostwriter.org/sites/prize/index.html  
You can find detailed information, FAQs and the online application form here.

If you need some inspiration check out last year's winners on our blog

/// Apply for the #hostwriterPrize 2016 until August 31st ///
hostwriter.org – collaborate with journalists worldwide

REMINDER – 2016-2017 KALW News Audio Academy application deadline March 31

Hey folks. A bunch of posts coming your way. First, this reminder from KALW.


Only a few more days to apply for the 2016-2017 KALW Audio Academy!

KALW is calling for applicants for our 9-month radio journalism training program based at KALW public radio, an NPR and BBC affiliate station in San Francisco. This program is designed to give you a professional audio production education, tuition-free.

We’re looking for creative thinkers who are great writers and storytellers with a passion for covering diverse communities and some knowledge of the Bay Area.

Audio Academy participants will be trained to produce feature reports for KALW’s award-winning daily news program Crosscurrents. Your voice and your work will be broadcast on KALW during your time in the Audio Academy.

Training will include:

Working closely with reporters on developing stories, producing original feature stories for broadcast, interviewing potential guests/sources, researching topics, fact-checking, script writing, recording sound for pieces in the field, and learning story structure, voicing, digital production, engineering, and sound design. You will be responsible for minor administrative and production duties. You will also pitch and produce an entire Crosscurrents episode. The training will take place inside the collaborative and supportive community of the KALW newsroom. Our editors and engineers, along with other public media producers, will lead workshops on every aspect of production specifically for the Audio Academy. Previous featured speakers have included: Al Letson, Glynn Washington, Roman Mars, Hansi Lo Wang, Susanne Reber, Daniel Alarcón, Marianne McCune, and Jason DeRose.

Selected participants will make a 9-month commitment from September 2016 to June 2017: minimum 20 hours per week (one eight-hour shift at our studios and another 12 hours working in the field). The Academy includes a two-week break in late December and two flexible vacation weeks. Enrollment in a college or university is not necessary to participate.

To apply please put together a cover letter, CV, any audio/writing samples, and if you like, a short, original audio work that you craft for your application. Send it all to:

KALWapplications@gmail.com

Application deadline: March 31, 2016, 11:59 PT

We look forward to meeting you!

KALW encourages a diverse pool of applicants from a variety of backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. We value diversity.

reminder, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE) funding application deadline is Feb 10

Get money for your investigative stories! FIRE – Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors provides freelancers with stipends for investigative work. Applications are due Feb 10. More info below.
+++++++++++++++++++++++

Independent reporters are encouraged to apply to a new program, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE), for support with investigative stories.

FIRE, a collaboration between Project Word and Investigative Reporters and Editors, offers stipends of $2,500 to $5,000, plus a suite of reporting tools. 

Application deadline is Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

To apply, reporters should read the program's Guidelines page before they access the online application.


Project Word
PO Box 311
Great Barrington, MA  01230
(413) 528-6592
http://www.projectword.org
ltownsend@projectword.org

A project of Investigative Reporters and Editors


Announcing FIRE – a pilot project to support Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors

See below for information about a new project in support of freelance investigative reporters and editors from my friend and first journo-boss Laird Townsend of Project Word. More info HERE.

 

Dear fellow journalists and supporters,

Project Word is pleased to announce the pilot of a new program, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE).
FIRE will draw on the results of a 2015 national survey to help freelance investigative reporters do their valuable job in the public interest. The survey found that declining pay and other resource constraints were causing a crisis in independent reporting.
Launched with a $200,000 grant from an anonymous donor, FIRE has heeded the recommendations of freelancers themselves to craft a solution to the crisis.
The program is a collaboration between Project Word and Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and will operate with complete editorial independence from its funding sources.
FIRE will serve reporters with two basic services: 1) a Help Desk for referrals, and 2) a Virtual Newsroom.
The Help Desk will provide advice and consultation to a wide array of investigative reporters, including those new to freelancing. The Virtual Newsroom will serve reporters with stipends accompanied by a suite of reporting tools—from research assistance and professional trainings, to editing help and legal review.
For more, visit Services and FAQs. If you are a reporter, please review FIRE’s Guidelines to determine whether you are eligible to submit an online application. The deadline to apply is February 10, 2016.
Beyond helping valuable stories reach the public, FIRE aims to contribute to a national dialogue about the role of independent reporters in a rapidly changing society. We believe that freelancers deserve the best chance to succeed in their work, to the benefit of us all. We are excited to help that happen.
Thank you for making FIRE possible.
Best,

Laird Townsend,
Project Director

 

resource for budding filmmakers

From what I can tell, ShoHawk is a page much like FC, but specific to filmmaking. From their homepage:


It’s a new era for filmmakers, and we’re here to usher you into it. We founded ShoHawk.com to share years of lessons on building a filmmaking career, and making the art you want to create, on your own terms. Along the way, you’ll see those creations, and learn how we made them happen! If you’d like to know more about who we are, CLICK HERE!

Check 'em out!
-Mia


AIR list of grants, fellowships, and awards for October and November

Passing these along from AIR. Join up for access to all of these posts, all of the time. It's well worth it if you're into public media. -Mia

+++++++++++++++

• Fulbright – National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship
Deadline: Oct. 13, 2015
Details: opportunities for U.S. citizens to participate in an academic year of overseas travel and digital storytelling in up to three countries on a globally significant social or environmental topic. In addition to receiving Fulbright benefits (for travel, stipend, health, etc.), Fellows will receive instruction in digital storytelling techniques and will be paired with one or more National Geographic editors.
Website: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/fulbright-nat-geo-fellowship

• Soros Justice Fellowships in Media
Deadline: Oct. 21, 2015
Details: A stipend of $58,700–$110,250 as well as funding for project-related expenses and health insurance for media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important U.S. criminal justice issues.
Website: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/soros-justice-fellowships

• American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowships
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: Up to $23,000 to individuals to pursue research, study or creative arts projects in one or more Scandinavian country for up to one year.
Website: http://www.amscan.org/study_scandinavia_details.html

• American Academy in Rome Prize
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: Awarded to thirty emerging artists and scholars in the early or middle stages of their careers who represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities: stipend, meals, a bedroom with private bath, and a study or studio. Winners of 6-month and 11-month fellowships receive stipends of $14,000 and $26,000, respectively.
Website: http://www.aarome.org/apply/rome-prize/procedure-requirements

• Luce Scholars Program
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: Stipends, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia for 15-18 Luce Scholars who have had limited exposure to Asia and are under age 30.
Website: http://www.hluce.org/lsprogram.aspx

• American-Scandinavian Foundation Grants
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: Grants (up to $5,000) to individuals to pursue research, study or creative arts projects in one or more Scandinavian country for 1-3 months
Website: http://www.amscan.org/study_scandinavia_details.html

• Shuttleworth Foundation Fellowship
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: Equivalent of a year’s salary, a contribution towards expenses plus access to a travel allowance for social innovators who are helping to change the world for the better and are looking for some support through an innovative social investment model
Website: http://www.shuttleworthfoundation.org/

• Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Details: € 3,000 monthly stipend & compensation package, intensive German language training, during an in-depth understanding of issues facing the EU & Germany in this 9-12 month professional development program.
Website: http://www.culturalvistas.org/bosch

• JoLT (Journalism Leadership Transformation) Fellowships
Deadline: Nov. 18, 2015
Details: Three funded Fellows simultaneously will earn a Master’s of Art in Game Design while working to reorganize the way media are communicated, analyzed and produced from a leadership perspective.
Website: http://www.american.edu/gamelab/#!jolt-fellowship

• ABOG Fellowship For Socially Engaged Art
Deadline: Nov. 23, 2015
Details: Project support of $20,000 with minimal restriction for artists who demonstrate artistic excellence and serve as innovative conduits for social change. Proposed projects will be judged on artistic excellence, capacity to enact social change, viability in everyday life, and fit with fellowship resources.
Website: http://www.abladeofgrass.org/application/guidelines/

photog/videographer needed in Santa Clara, CA, this Sunday

Passing along this post from a long-time FC member.
+++++++++++++++++

Yo freelancers!
My colleague David Kravets is going down to Santa Clara on Sunday for a demonstration of this new football stats tracking thing (he can explain more). 
He’s looking for someone to accompany him to shoot some stills and video (total of 5 hours, starting at 3pm). Ars would pay $400.
You can meet him down there or roll with him (he’ll be driving from Walnut Creek).
If you’re interested, email: david.kravets@arstechnica.com
Thanks!
-C


Cyrus Farivar
"suh-ROOS FAR-ih-var"

Senior Business Editor, Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/author/cyrus-farivar/
+1 510 394 5485 (mobile)

Twitter: @cfarivar
iMessage: cyrus.farivar@arstechnica.com
PGP/OTR/Signal: http://arstechnica.com/ars-staff-pgp-keys/#cyrus-farivar

Audio Under The Stars is looking for love!

Audio Under The Stars, Durham, N.C.'s summer-long audio festival, is on the hunt for love stories of all stripes for our August show.

Do you have a story about love? It could be passionate, romantic, familial, idealistic or platonic, about any person, place or thing that makes your heart sing. We're also looking for stories of love gone wrong, or what happens when happily ever after isn't.

The pieces that fit best are less than 15 minutes, with 4-7 minutes being ideal. If you have a story you'd like to share, you can pass it along here: http://audiounderthestars.net/share-a-story/

If you've got questions, you can send them my way or write to us audiounderthestars@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Elizabeth Friend