You can still view all the advice on crafting pitches for health and science stories and covering complex topics for a broader audience from our health and science journalism webinar. So whether you’re deep in the health and science beats or just starting out, this replay is full of helpful tips and conversation.

This webinar covered topics such as building relationships with editors, the importance of polite persistence, contract terms, and more!

Shraddha mentioned the importance of pitching news stories about scientists doing things: “We typically don’t do doctor’s office, consumer health, or medical device stories. We cover news of science, everything from biomedicine and the physical sciences, to archaeology, anthropology, social sciences, and diversity and culture of science issues.”

Lori emphasized that editors are reading every pitch: “There’s no particular bell or whistle you need in the subject line. Don’t follow up until after at least one week (unless it’s time-sensitive).”

Kyung and her team assign pieces to freelancers and loves to pay us promptly.

To watch the full recording, click here.

Speakers included: Lori Leibovich, the editor of New York Times’ Well section; Kyung Song, a managing editor at WebMD; and Shraddha Chakradhar, the deputy news editor at Science.

The Press Forward Coalition Pledged to Invest $500 Million in Local News—But It’s Not Enough

Local, community-centered newsrooms are always on my mind, but this week, they made national news, as the Press Forward coalition, which is led by the MacArthur Foundation, pledged to invest $500 million in local news over the next five years.

In my opinion, hyperlocal journalism is both the soul and future of journalism. As a Houstonian, I got my start writing about food truck owners, 50-year-old bookstores, neighborhood elections, theater productions, and more. And now, as an editor for Scalawag, a South-centered publication, I realize just how impactful those seemingly small gigs were as they were the ones that continued to fuel my passion for the industry—amid layoffs, lack of funding, budget cuts, and more—and reminded me why I’m a journalist in the first place.

Local communities both need and deserve reliable, accessible news, including stories about weather, hyperlocal businesses, the way COVID-19, for example, will affect their specific community. Stories that are told from a local perspective—rather than a national one—help communities stay engaged with each other as well as the larger happenings of the world, but in a way that makes sense to them.

I had mixed feelings about the $500 million “investment,” as oftentimes, this money goes towards the news outlets that can afford to meet the requirements of these bigger funding opportunities. And yes, any money that goes towards smaller newsrooms is great, but local newsrooms need sustainable, reliable funding, instead of donations or grants here and there. News deserts need this money. Local newsroom leaders struggling to pay their reporters, who are doing crucial day-to-day reporting and updates, livable wages need this money.

I urge every IIJ reader to support their local news publications because the loss of community journalism is never just that—it’s the loss of information, trust, engagement, and further exacerbates a community’s growing issues. Don’t let that happen in your neighborhood or city.

—Aarohi Sheth, IIJ newsletter writer

Can You Support the IIJ’s Work?

If you appreciated this webinar, and other IIJ programming that we provide for free or at a deeply discounted rate, we would be so grateful for your support. Here are a few ways you can contribute to our work:

- Make a tax-deductible donation to the IIJ Foundation, which puts on all the free webinars, journalism education and advocacy. Via fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund, The IIJ Foundation is able to fulfill our mission and solicit tax-deductible donations, apply for and distribute grants, host fundraisers/events, and operate mission-driven programs. PPF is a Maryland charitable trust recognized by IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-660178).

- Suggest speakers, funders, partners or introduce us to assigning editors who would be a good fit for our upcoming programs.

- Share our events and newsletter with your audience.

Thank you for considering it!

Going to Chicago for JAWS Camp? Join the IIJ for a Meetup!

If you’ll be in Chicago for the Journalism & Women Symposium’s 2023 Conference and Mentoring Program CAMP, join the IIJ for a freelance meetup Oct. 13 before the welcome reception!

You’ll have the opportunity to chat with IIJ leaders including founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis and other independent journalists in Chicago and beyond!

Click here to RSVP.

Visit the JAWS site for more information.

Pitch Callouts, Fellowships, and Other Opportunities

Voices of Disability Economic Justice Call for Pitches

If you have a story or viewpoint about economic justice issues through a disability lens or a first-person narrative on the economic issues that disabled people face, consider pitching it to Voices of Disability Economic Justice.

Rates: $500+

For more information or to submit your story idea, visit their site.

Insider Call for Pitches

If you have a story idea about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other holidays, consider pitching to Insider!

Email pitches to Conz.

Rates: $200+

The Rooted in Rights Blog Call for Pitches

The Rooted in Rights Blog is seeking reported and investigative articles, op-eds, creative nonfiction, personal essays, interviews, and short fiction on disability and disability rights and justice written by people who identify as disabled.

Rates: $400+

For more information or to submit your story idea, visit their site.

The Wall Street Journal Finance Reporting Fellowship

If you’re an early career journalist interested in covering financial markets or personal finance, consider applying to WSJ’s finance reporting fellowship.

Fellows will spend 12 months in the New York newsroom as full-time reporting staff members. One will be with The WSJ’s Finance team, while the other will be with the Personal Finance team on the Life & Work desk.

The pay range is between $40,000 and $70,000

For more information or to apply, visit their site.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 10, 2023 by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Interesting Reads

This week, we’ve been reading about the “new Black press” and the violence of Border Patrol.

• Read the Equity Labs’ “How to Be a Successful Freelance Journalist” for NBCU Academy. In it, the IIJ’s Katherine Reynolds Lewis recounts her own experiences with the 2008 recession and subsequently deciding to try freelance journalism. Lewis said: “I had this decision between, do I go back into a newsroom in the depths of the Great Recession and then risk being the first person laid off in the next round of layoffs, or do I bet on myself and try a career as a freelancer? I decided to bet on myself.”

• Read Phil Lewis’ essay, “The new Black press is changing the game.” In it, Lewis explains why many Black readers have been frustrated with “Black media,” and what the “new Black press” is doing right in terms of its involvement with civic engagement and social justice.

• Read Sofía Mejías-Pascoe’s reported story, “Border Patrol said it stopped chasing him before he crashed and died. Witnesses say otherwise” for inewsource. In it, she investigates Border Patrol’s pursuit of Saldaña Rocha and why they suspected criminal activity of him in the first place.

• We're always eager to connect with freelance journalists of color who'd like to be involved in the work of the IIJ or contribute to future programs. Email [email protected] to volunteer—or if you have an idea for a partner, funder or topic we should explore.

Calendar

We love growing the IIJ family and connecting with fellow freelance journalists, so please come to one of our events! Here are the upcoming IIJ events:

• Oct. 13 freelance meetup in Chicago at JAWS camp. RSVP here to attend.

• Oct. 27 long-form journalism careers webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Nov. 17 business and personal finance editors panel. RSVP here to attend.

• Dec. 8 travel and lifestyle freelancing webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Jan. 19 insurance for freelancers webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Feb. 9 sports and fitness journalism webinar. RSVP here to attend.