EachOther recognises that journalism in the UK is disproportionately white and male. There are pathways for marginalised communities to have their voices heard, but the conversation around human rights is still dominated by groups who are less commonly affected by these challenges. EachOther aims to illuminate these challenges from the perspective of the communities most directly affected by them.
We launched our Inspired Source series as a pilot program last year. It was part of our work to amplify voices that are underrepresented in the media and marginalised by society. This marginalisation could be due to multiple factors, including – but not limited to – an individual’s gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, geography or disability.
With a new editor at the helm, we would like to reignite the Inspired Source and are currently looking to commission stories specifically for this series.
About:
At EachOther we publish a wide range of content, from in-depth long reads to practical explainers on what our rights are. The Inspired Source is a series of solutions-focused pieces, containing stories that are generally 400-600 words long and examine a human rights issue by which the writer or their community are affected. Preferably, since we believe in solutions-based journalism, the writer should have a position on how we begin to address the issue.
EachOther is interested in marginalised writers who want their voice to be heard but are unsure of where to begin in a challenging industry. We’re primarily interested in aspiring and young journalists looking for a path into the media.
We recognise that it is not the first job of marginalised people to solve problems posed and perpetuated by society at large. Enduring change will only come when those who benefit most from current structures take action. At the same time, we recognise the importance of highlighting lived experience in designing a better future. This series aims to offer a drawing board for that experience.
Before pitching, take a look at our website to get a sense of what we cover, and have a read through our strategy for 2021 and beyond to see whether we’re the right fit for your idea. If you have ideas on how to address some of the human rights challenges the UK is facing or have a story you think would suit our organisation, pitch to us.
Here are a few examples of Inspired Source stories that we have previously published:
We’ll See More Tragedies Like The Essex Lorry Deaths Until There Are Safe And Legal Routes For Migrants
How Care Leavers At University Are Facing Another Level Of Isolation
Why Men’s Football Is Still A Hostile Environment for Gay Players
The pitch:
Your pitch doesn’t have to be a detailed one. The idea could be big or small, it could be broad or specific and detailed. Perhaps you believe a government policy should be introduced or scrapped. Or that media organisations should change the way they report on a certain issue. Or that society needs to reflect on how it treats a particular group of people. We’re not expecting you to come up with all the answers, but we believe that the voices of people affected by issues must be heard when considering what might be needed.
The Inspired Source series is less about reactive, breaking news. So, your pitch should have a sense of evergreen to it where we can come back to the piece in six months or a year and still feel it is relevant.
The pitch should ideally be informed by your personal experience and must be well-evidenced with independent research. If the idea is strong enough, we’re willing to workshop it with you.
How to pitch:
Keep the pitch to less than 300 words – or two to three paragraphs – which should take us through:
What is the human rights issue that you intend to write about?
What is your idea for addressing it?
What evidence will you draw upon in your piece?
Why are you the person to write about this issue?
In the subject line of the email, please include the words: “Pitch: Inspired Source.” Please send your ideas to editorial@eachother.org.uk
How we work:
To give both the writers and editorial team enough opportunity to work together, we work a fair bit in advance. Pitches accepted in March will be published in May. For example, if you submit a pitch on April 1, it will automatically be considered for publication in June and beyond.
Payment:
As a small charity, we don’t have a lot of money floating around. We are actively pursuing funding to increase our commissioning budget and offer more opportunities for people from marginalised communities to write for us. As things stand, we are only able to commission about four pieces a month.
This means we may end up commissioning your piece for use in a couple of months’ time. It also means that, even if we like your idea, we might not always be able to say “yes”. Please don’t be offended, resources are limited and we do hope to be able to commission more in the future.
We will pay £100 for each Inspired Source piece. As this series is aimed at early-career, aspiring writers, we can also provide detailed feedback on your work by email or phone call to help you hone and develop your craft, if that is something you’d like. Please let us know, if so, when you send us your pitch.
We will assess the submissions received every week at an editorial meeting, and we will aim to get back to you within a week to let you know that we’ve received your pitch and next steps.
We look forward to hearing your ideas.