Pitches wanted (gun violence) | up to $2 per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: THE BLACKLIGHT

The Blacklight, the NY Amsterdam News’ investigative unit, is looking for experienced freelance journalists.

Currently we are accepting pitches for stories about the impact of COVID-19 as well as gun violence on Black and brown communities, esp. in NYC.

We primarily work with journalists based in the NYC area but we are also open to pitches from journalists based outside the region. However, we require all our freelance journalists to have a connection to, understanding of, or experience reporting on Black and brown communities in the United States and/or New York City.

Send story ideas to blacklight@amsterdamnews.com along with a brief introduction as well as your CV and some clips.

IN YOUR PITCH PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

• What is the story about? Who is being impacted? Are there solutions to the challenges that you are writing about?
• Has anyone else covered this story? If so, what makes your story different or deeper?
• Who are the main subjects/sources that you will be interviewing/profiling? Are they willing to go on the record and be identified?
• What do you see as the ideal length for your story and what is your proposed timeline for reporting and submitting a first draft?

HERE ARE OUR PAY RATES!

• Fact Checks – $250+
• 500-1000 words
• 1-2 interviews
• 1-2 days of research
  
• Medium length Articles – $1 a word
• 800-1500 words
• 2-4 interviews
• Research 2-5 days
  
• Long form Articles – $2 a word or flat commission fee
• 1500+words
• 4+ interviews
• 5+ days of research
  
• Data Visualizations $250-$500+ per piece
• 1-3 days of work
• May or may not require data cleaning
  

CONTACT INFORMATION (please do not share the email address publicly):

• Submissions: blacklight@amsterdamnews.com
• Website: https://amsterdamnews.com/blacklight/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: The Blacklight is the Amsterdam News’ investigative unit. It is dedicated to exposing wrongdoing and uncovering the truth, with focus on stories that impact communities of color in the New York region and beyond. More information here.
• Read through its selection of recent articles/stories, categorized into: Fact Checks, All Articles
• Check out our collection of pitch excerpts on this page and find more sample pitches at The Open Notebook Database and at SuccessfulPitches.com.
• Do not forget to end your pitch with (1) a short introduction about yourself; (2) a paragraph highlighting your writing experience, relevant credentials and publication credits; and (3) links to your strongest work or portfolio, and online profile.

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