Pitches wanted (public media) | 75 cents per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: CURRENT

Current’s primary audience is made up of people who work at public radio and television stations, networks and production companies.

Our readers typically expect more details and context in coverage of public media than what other publications usually provide. They also expect reporting that takes them behind the scenes to explore developments that affect their work and helps them understand the thinking behind decisions that shape programs, policies and special initiatives.

We aim to provide public media professionals with valuable insights and information that helps them and their institutions reach new levels of success.

SUBMISSIONS FROM FREELANCE JOURNALISTS

We are particularly interested in these kinds of stories:

• Coverage of how public media stations, networks and producers are seeking greater diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces and among their audiences.
• Trends and developments in radio, TV and digital publishing/distribution technologies and how public media is responding or is being affected.
• Profiles of people working in public media who have achieved notable goals for stations or networks. Beyond hosts and other talents who are well known to audiences, we look for subjects whose experiences and knowledge offer windows that reflect on public media’s goals for community service.
• Features about new radio shows, TV shows and podcasts in local and national public media, and coverage of how long-running programs are adapting to new platforms and audience expectations.
• Developments in public media programming, fundraising, station ownership and federal policy that influence or inform the work of public media professionals.
• Trends in media usage, distribution and revenue strategies and how they affect public media, including competition, new technologies, content development and the regulatory environment.
• New strategies for audience service and engagement, especially among local stations that have developed new approaches for responding to community needs or reaching underserved populations.

If you’d like to explore our website to get a sense of what we usually cover and review all the reporting shared as links above, we can grant temporary access behind our paywall.

We generally pay 75 cents/word for freelance assignments, though rates may vary for certain article formats such as Q&As. Submit your pitch to pitch@current.org.

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

• Questions / submissions: pitch@current.org
• Website: https://current.org

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Current is a nonprofit news organization covering public media in the U.S for professionals in the industry. It covers public radio and television stations and networks, as well as growing new forms of public media in the U.S. More information here.
• Read through its selection of recent articles/stories, categorized into: Programs/Content, People, Development, System/Policy, Tech
• Review the submission guidelines here.
• 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 few lines 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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