Freelance Pitch Form

About ProPublica

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

Opportunity for Independent Journalists

While the vast majority of ProPublica’s work comes from our staff, we occasionally consider supporting ambitious accountability stories or projects from independent journalists whose ideas align with the mission of our organization.

What We're Looking For

We’re open to investigations that are revelatory or substantially advance what is known on a subject of importance. The investigation should have the potential to trigger needed reforms by identifying a problem, who’s responsible and what should change. It should also clearly show harm. The investigation can be rooted in a place or focus on a person, but it should illuminate an issue of broader relevance.

The best proposals have a clear hypothesis, typically based on significant reporting: They don’t wonder whether something bad is happening, they know it. Please include not only a general description of the topic, but also a sense of the anecdotes/data/documents you have gathered, what you expect to find and possible accountability stories you want to tell.

Application Requirements

• General description of the topic
• Anecdotes, data, or documents already gathered
• What you expect to find
• Possible accountability stories you want to tell
• Detail what the investigation will require: data work, travel, obtaining public records
• What data, documents, and/or source relationships you already have
• Why you are particularly suited to do this investigation

Compensation and Terms

For those proposals we accept, we pay competitive freelance rates, including reporting expenses. Freelancers are independent contractors and will not be treated by ProPublica as employees for any purpose. Independent contractors are responsible for paying any required taxes on any compensation received and for understanding the applicable tax laws.

Review Process

We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, and aim to notify candidates regarding your proposals within two weeks of submission. Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org. No phone calls, please.

We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.