CORRECTION: An earlier version of this newsletter, published Tuesday, contained a photo incorrectly identified as Norm Parish. At the IIJ, we work to prioritize BIPOC voices and identities, and we deeply regret this mistake and lack of care. We apologize to Norm Parish and to the whole community. We plan to revise our editorial procedures with a goal to never make this kind of error again.
We're thrilled to share that Nikita Stewart, real estate editor at the New York Times, and Norm Parish, deputy managing editor of DEI, administration and planning at the Chicago Sun-Times, will speak on the IIJ’s Freelance Business Workshop’s editor’s panel July 31 in Chicago! IIJ leader and independent journalist Meena Thiruvengadam will moderate.
This panel will cover what editors look for in a pitch, how to become a go-to contributor, strategies for managing conflict, and more!
Kelly Glass, deputy manager at Stacker, and IIJ leaders Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Sylvia A. Harvey (SAH) and Shernay Williams will also present at the workshop.
The full-day workshop will help freelancers develop a sustainable independent journalism practice. Topics include:
The 3 P’s model of structuring a freelance portfolio and what to negotiate for in addition to higher pay.
Effective networking, recruiting anchor clients, identifying your brand and niche, and when to say no.
A range of organization, time management, and mental health strategies.
Details:8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CTWednesday, July 31Columbia College ChicagoFor more information, see: https://theiij.com/2024-chicago-freebiz
You’ll get a $25 discount if you register for the 2024 NABJ convention! Email your registration receipt to [email protected] to receive your discount code.
Pitch Callouts and Other Opportunities
Longreads Call for Personal Essays + Pitches
Longreads is accepting personal essay drafts and pitches for reported personal essays and reading lists.
Pay 💰 $350 for reading lists, $500 for personal essays, $500+ for reported personal essays
For more information or to pitch, visit the site here.
Briarpatch Magazine Call for Labor Pitches
Have labor history or lessons from the picket line to share? Briarpatch Magazine is looking for pitches for their annual Nov/Dec Labour Issue!
Pay 💰 $150 for profiles/short essays/book reviews, $250 for feature stories/photo essays, $350 for research-based articles
For more information or to pitch, visit the site here.
Pitches due July 5
FACTUAL Needs Fact-Checkers
FACTUAL is a fact-checking agency matching fact-checkers to nonfiction writers, publishers, and producers.
Pay 💰 $30-$80/hour
For more information or to apply, visit the site here.
Applications due June 30
Kapoor Foundation Research Fellowship
The Kapoor Foundation is looking to award grants for researchers, graduate student candidates, and journalists currently investigating issues related to racial equity in tech and the general tech ecosystem within the cities of Oakland, Atlanta, and Detroit.
The priority topics include:
CS Education Equity
Inclusive Pathways to Tech Jobs
Tech Accountability
Investing in Entrepreneurs and Investors
Responsible AI
Pay 💰 $40,000 grants
For more information or to apply, visit the site here.
Applications due July 12
Interesting Reads
📖 Read Habiba Katsha’s “Black Women Are Leaving Journalism & It’s A Huge Loss” for Refinery29. In it, she reveals the financial and personal risks that Black women face when choosing to stay in the journalism field as well as the state of the industry as a whole.
📖 Read Alisha Gaines’ “The strange history of white journalists trying to ‘become’ Black” for NiemanLab. She writes: “To believe that the richness of Black identity can be understood through a temporary costume trivializes the lifelong trauma of racism. It turns the complexity of Black life into a stunt.”
📖 Read Bill Mitchell’s “Journalism memoirs: More than just war stories” for Poynter. In it, he recommends some of his favorite journalism memoirs that reveal various journalists’ purposes.
Calendar
Look for IIJ leaders at the upcoming conventions for journalists of color in Hollywood, Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Austin!
🗓️ July 9-13: The National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention in Hollywood. IIJ leaders Erika Hayasaki, Valeria Fernandez, and Sa’iyda Shabazz will present a freelancing panel on Friday, July 12 from 2:15-3:15 p.m. and host a freelance meetup at 6 pm. RSVP here. For more information, click here.
🗓️ July 25-27: Indigenous Journalists Association convention in Oklahoma City. IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis will present a two-hour workshop on Saturday, July 27, from 8-10 a.m. Katherine will be joined by Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, founder and director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, and journalists Joseph Lee and Adreanna Rodriguez. The IIJ will also host a freelance meetup on Friday, July 26, from 6-7 p.m. RSVP here. For more information, click here.
🗓️ July 31 ⏰ 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT: The Freelance Business Workshop, an all-day pre-convention workshop on the business of freelancing, before the National Association of Black Journalists convention. For more information or to register for $69, click here. Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Meena Thiruvengadam, Sylvia A. Harvey, Shernay Williams and Kelly Glass will present along with New York Times editor Nikita Stewart, editor at NYT; Norm Parish, editor at Chicago Sun-Times; and Katie Brandt, editor at Chicago Health.
🗓️ July 31-Aug. 3: The National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. The IIJ will host a workshop (details above) and a freelance meetup on Aug. 1 from 6-7 p.m. RSVP here.
