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We’re looking for pitches from freelancers on several themes. If you feel you have a story that fits or a new idea, please let us know!
We’re also always interested in pitches on any of our regular beats: prisons, poverty, corporations’ undue influence, reproductive health, climate change and the environment.
Currently we’re seeking pitches on these themes:
Guns
We’re looking for stories that bring new perspectives on guns and gun violence. These could be personal stories, for example, you could focus on an ex-NRA member who now opposes guns, or a 60s radical who still advocates their use. They could also be more investigative or explanatory pieces. Perhaps a look at ALEC’s involvement in crafting gun policies or a look at the international arms trade. We’d also welcome other pitches related to guns, maybe the economics of gun manufacturing or creative community responses to gun violence.
Coffee Shop Workers
Starbucks workers are in the news for attempting to form their own union. We’re looking for a report on how workers in coffee shops are organizing for wage increases or better working conditions.
The State of Long-term Caregiving
By 2030 the number of senior citizens is expected to double to 72.1 million. As more seniors move into older age brackets the demand for a younger generation of workers and family members to help with day to day life will grow. We’re looking for stories that have a fresh perspective on providing long-term care to seniors and persons with disabilities. Stories that explore the quality of care, conditions in the workplace, the effect on care recipients and givers, and the availability of supportive services in a community or lack thereof. What are the race/class/gender dimensions of people in this workforce? We’d also be interested in stories from the perspective of elders who are inventing new senior care arrangements based on communal models and multigenerational living arrangements.
Five Years after Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill
Considered the worst in U.S. history, back in 2010 oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. Five years later, what are the effects of the estimated 176 million gallons of oil that spewed into the Gulf? Has BP really taken responsibility, and what has happened since? We are also interested in stories about BP in other parts of the world. What is this company’s global environmental legacy? Where are other communities battling this particular oil giant? How has BP worked to regain their public reputation since 2010 (this might be a story about their PR effort).
Specifications
Making Contact is an award-winning, 29-minute weekly magazine/documentary-style public affairs program heard on 130 radio stations in the USA, Canada, Australia.
Amplifying voices and perspectives rarely heard in mainstream media, Making Contact focuses on the human realities of politics and the connections between local and global events, emphasizing positive and creative ways to solve problems.
This call for pitches is for segments of about 8 minutes(unless otherwise noted), and we pay $450 per story of this length. We also occasionally take longer pieces (12 or 26 minutes).
As with any pitches you send us, please check out our show and read our guidelines before you pitch.
Consider the following. Does the story:
- Link grassroots issues and human realities to national or international trends?
- Give listeners a historical, political, or social context of major national and international events?
- Shed light on social and economic inequities?
- Explore any alternatives or solutions?
Send pitches to pitches@radioproject.org. Please be detailed but succinct, and include a description of your idea, narrative/story arc, interview subjects, scenes, and sounds/ambi. If you’re pitching to us for the first time, please include a brief bio and relevant audio clips.
We look forward to hearing from you! Laura Flynn, Jasmin Lopez, Andrew Stelzer & George Lavender
-Making Contact core producers.
