Ready for Mayday? Whether or not you've got plans, consider putting in a little journalistic labour towards pitching a story to The Dominion. We will pay two contributors $100 each for news features to be published online and to be considered for the July/August issue of our print magazine.
We prioritize solutions-oriented news pieces with a Canadian angle, including photo essays and video pitches. Priority will be given to articles of a time-sensitive nature. If it's an international story, tell us what the Canadian angle will be. If the story focuses on a particular city or region of Canada, tell us why it's of interest to a national audience.
We encourage you to take a look at the story ideas submitted by our readers. They're interested in alternative currencies, the Canada Pension Plan, health care issues and more. While all pitches will be considered, as member-driven media, we'll be paying special attention to pitches that pick up on reader suggestions.
While we are only able to pay for two contributions per month, we do accept unpaid contributions as well. Pitches are welcome from anyone, with priority for payment going to those who have previously contributed.
Please read over past content to get an idea of what we publish. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re not covering a topic we’ve recently covered, unless there is a new angle or update. Consider what other media has covered the topic you are pitching and from what perspective. Be sure your pitch is news-focused, rather than opinion or academic. We like both of those forms, but they’re not what we post or print. Also, tell us about your planned sources and interviewees—this is something we consider seriously when reviewing pitches.
Deadline for pitches: Wednesday, May 1 at Midnight
Response to pitches by: May 5
First drafts due: May 15
Final copy due: May 31
How to pitch:
1. Set up a Media Co-op account (if you don’t already have one): http://mediacoop.ca/user
2. Take a look at some hot topics and details about writing for The Dominion: http://dominionpaper.ca/write For a more in-depth look, check out our Writer’s Guide here: http://mediacoop.ca/writersguide
3. Peruse the Media Co-op discussion page for story ideas: http://www.mediacoop.ca/group/discuss/15363
4. Pitch!: http://mediacoop.ca/pitch
5. Info about making a video pitch: http://dominionpaper.ca/video/create. To pitch a video news clip, contact us: http://dominionpaper.ca/contact
The deal:
Pitches should be less than 200 words and include your planned sources and research. An entire story submitted as a pitch will not be considered for payment. The Media Co-op currently pays a flat rate of $100 for accepted stories. Articles are either 720 or 1500 words. See the video guidelines for length of videos.
Editors reserve the right to suggest changes and edit stories (with your participation, of course!). Pitches should capture the content, tone and style of the story you plan to submit; if the content submitted differs significantly from the pitch, editors reserve the right to withhold payment. We accept pitches at any time, so if these deadlines don’t work for you, please consider contributing at a later date.
We look forward to your story proposals!
The Media Co-op Editorial Collective