Pitches wanted for enterprise stories (Oregon) | $700+ per piece

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: UNDERSCORE MEDIA

Are you a journalist who works in Indian Country? Underscore Media Collaboration is looking for short-term enterprise stories about how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Oregon’s Indian Country. Guidelines: https://www.underscore.news/announcements/call-for-pitches

What kind of stories are we looking for?

• We’re looking for unique stories other media outlets aren’t covering. Stories like Kevin Abourezk's piece about connecting to culture online during a pandemic: https://www.underscore.news/reporting/online-powwows
• We’re looking for stories shining a light on important topics that can run with our partner publications, like this Brian Bull's piece: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2020/09/covid-19-complicates-tribes-efforts-to-complete-census-counts.html
• These short-term enterprise pieces are our focus until the end of the year, but we have funding available for stories that are more in-depth and investigative, like our recent collaboration with Propublica: https://www.underscore.news/reporting/jordan-cove-pipeline

Who are we looking for? Journalists with experience covering Indian Country. Journalists who can cover with sensitivity and awareness of communities that have been ignored and poorly portrayed in traditional media outlets.

Do you have a story in Oregon or the northwest that exposes inequity? Pulls back the curtain on a problem? Pitch us: pitches@underscore.news

COMPENSATION: We're generally paying a per-story rate, which often depends on the funding pool. The short-term enterprise stories, for example, are usually $700 for what's usually a 1,200 to 1,800-word story. Bigger stories pay more.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Questions / submissions: pitches@underscore.news
• Website: https://www.underscore.news

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Underscore supports investigative reporting in Oregon and beyond. It encourages and aims to produce impactful, revelatory stories that might otherwise go unreported and unheard, with a special focus on Indian Country and other marginalized areas. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent coronavirus-related articles/stories here.
• 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.