Guidelines for submissions to The Mississippi Independent
Freelance pitches
The Mississippi Independent welcomes freelance journalists to submit proposals for paid content. For details about payment structures or for more information about these guidelines, contact Mississippi.Indy@gmail.com.
When proposing an article, the first consideration should be why the topic is relevant to readers of The Mississippi Independent. The site’s welcome post describes our purpose – to objectively cover issues of interest to progressive readers. How does your idea fit that aim?
We publish many types of articles: political news, human-interest features, investigative reports and first-person accounts. The goal is to tap an array of voices, many of which are under-reported in other media.
Writers pitching an article for the first time should include two samples of published work and a brief bio and note any relationship they may have with relevant sources or personal involvement with the subject matter.
Pitches should include:
· Format of submission (news article, first-person account, feature, investigative report, long-form reporting, video, audio or photo essay)
· Approximate length (for reported articles, typically, a minimum of 500 words)
· News hook, when applicable
· Planned sources (typically, 2-3 people; other sources may include government reports, studies, media reports, etc.)
· Suggestions for photo illustration(s)
· Envisioned audience
· Proposed deadline
In most cases, we approve or decline articles and, for those that are approved, provide specific guidance by email. We may enter into formal agreements for continuous collaborations or for certain types of stories, such as those that require extensive investigative research.
Format and content
Once a proposal has been approved, writers are encouraged to seek editorial guidance as they research and write their article, a draft of which should be submitted by email. After the initial round of edits, the same document will be returned for approval of suggested changes and to address any editorial questions.
Each article should include 2-3 sources, including average people and/or experts, depending on the topic and editorial guidance. All other factual content must be supported by documentation and the text should include relevant hyperlinks, when available. For investigative pieces, writers should be prepared to respond to any legal or fact-checking questions raised during the editorial process.
A photo illustration should also be included. This can be a cellphone image if a higher quality image is unavailable, with attribution and a caption. Any use of A.I.-generated content or images will result in rejection of the article.
Deadlines
Deadlines are not discretionary. When the contributor and The Mississippi Independent agree to a deadline, it should be considered firm. Exceptions include cases in which additional time may be needed for further research, or due to notable, extenuating circumstances, both of which are subject to editorial approval. Failure to meet an agreed-upon deadline may result in rejection of the proposed article.
Other types of submissions
In addition to conventional news, human-interest articles and investigative reports, The Mississippi Independent is open to shorter breaking news reports. Such submissions may range from the length of a long social media post to multiple paragraphs but are subject to the same general guidelines (e.g., factual backup and/or source attribution). We will also consider proposals for photo essays or video content.
Rejections
Rejection of a specific proposal should not deter a potential contributor from submitting other proposals. In most cases, proposals are rejected because they do not fit the parameters of the site, do not meet our guidelines, or because the writer has not shown a necessary grasp of the story. Writers may choose to revise a rejected proposal with editorial guidance.
Should a writer be granted approval to research and write an article that is ultimately found unsuitable for the site, The Mississippi Independent will pay a kill fee equivalent to half of the original agreed-upon fee. Kill fees will not be paid for articles that are rejected due to negligence, errors, failure to meet these guidelines (including deadlines) or violations such as use of A.I.-generated content.