Pitches wanted (democracy) | up to $2,000 per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: U.S. DEMOCRACY DAY

Deadline: 24 July 2023

Our democracy is under threat, and we are eager to hear your perspective. As a part of the U.S. Democracy Day collaborative reporting initiative, we are launching a nationwide call for reported stories, inviting you to share insightful narratives around this central theme.

We are offering up to $2,000 for reported stories that explore various facets of democracy. These stories and commentaries should have a national reach and will be used for republication among our partners.

This could include solution-oriented stories about how communities are combatting threats to democracy, engaging Q&As with thought leaders who are shaping the democracy discourse, or compelling op-eds that bring lessons from global democratic practices to the forefront.

The goal? To provide the public with the context and information they need and to incentivize robust media coverage around this vital issue. On Democracy Day, Sept. 15, 2023, we want all media types to unite — print, radio, TV, digital, both on the national and local levels — sounding the alarm collectively about the challenges our democracy faces.

Our initiative is rooted in the philosophy of service journalism.

We want to help citizens better understand the roles of their county and election commissioners, and the potential impact of lawmakers’ decisions and policies on them and their communities. We want to highlight the stakes, not just the competition or the odds, of democratic processes and elections.

This call isn’t about taking partisan sides or ignoring inconvenient realities. Rather, it’s about emphasizing the gravity of what’s at stake for democracy and maintaining transparency throughout the reporting process.

“Transparency in the reporting process is key to countering accusations of bias,” said Beatrice Forman, U.S. Democracy Day coordinator.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

• Solutions reporting on how communities are responding to threats to democracy
• Reported features that demystify government and advocacy organizations — think fun profiles, and behind-the-scenes looks at how things work
• Well-crafted Q&As with thought leaders on fixing polarization and stemming mis- and disinformation
• Op-eds that offer an international perspective on what we can learn from democracy abroad.

If you are as excited about this opportunity as we are, submit your story pitch via this form by July 24.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Submissions: Via the webform

Website: http://usdemocracyday.org

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