call for pitches from Making Contact, October 2014

Call for pitches from the fine (award-winning!) folks at Making Contact. Details and submissions guidelines below.
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Dear Freelancers,

We’re looking for pitches from freelancers on several themes. If you feel
you have a story that fits or a new idea, please let us know!

We’re also always interested in pitches on any of our regular beats:
prisons, poverty, corporations’ undue influence, reproductive health,
climate change and the environment.

Guns

We're looking for stories that bring new perspectives on guns and gun
violence. These could be personal stories, for example, you could focus on
an ex-NRA member who now opposes guns, or a 60s radical who still advocates
their use. They could also be more investigative/ explanatory pieces.
Perhaps a look at ALEC involvement in crafting gun policies or a look at
the international arms trade. We'd also welcome other pitches related to
guns, maybe the economics of gun manufacturing or creative community
responses to gun violence.

Coffee Shop Workers

Starbucks workers are in the news for attempting to form their own union.
We’re looking for a report on how workers in coffee shops are organizing
for wage increases or better working conditions.

The state of long-term caregiving

By 2030 the number of senior citizens is expected to double to 72.1 million
<http://www.agingstats.gov/main_site/data/2012_documents/docs/entirechartbook.pdf>. 

As more seniors move into older age brackets the demand for a younger
generation of workers and family members to help with day to day life will
grow. We’re looking for stories that have a fresh perspective on providing
long-term caregiving to seniors and disabled people. Stories that explore
the quality of care, conditions in the workplace, the effect on care
recipients and givers, and the availability of supportive services in a
community or lack thereof. What are the race/class/gender dimensions of
people in this workforce?  We’d also be interested in stories from the
perspective of elders who are inventing new senior care arrangements based
on communal models and multigenerational living arrangements.

Five Years after Deepwater Horizon

Considered the worst in U.S. history, back in 2010 oil spilled into the
Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. 5 years later, what are the effects of the
estimated 176 million gallons of oil that spewed into the Gulf? Has BP
really taken responsibility, and what has happened since? We are also
interested in stories about BP in other parts of the world. What is this
company’s global environmental legacy? Where are other communities battling
this particular oil giant? How has BP worked to regain their public
reputation since 2010 (this might be a story about their PR effort)

Specifications

Making Contact is an award-winning
<http://www.radioproject.org/aboutus/honors-and-awards/>, 29-minute weekly
magazine/documentary-style public affairs program heard on 140 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, emphasizing positive and creative ways to solve
problems.

This call for pitches is for segments of about 8 minutes (unless otherwise
noted), and we pay $450 per story of this length. but we also occasionally
take longer pieces (12 or 26 minutes).

As with any pitches you send us, please check out our show and read our
guidelines before you pitch.

http://www.radioproject.org/production/submission-guidelines/

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?

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!

Laura Flynn, Jasmin Lopez, Andrew Stelzer & George Lavender

Making Contact producers

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