How to pitch us!

Pitch us journalism about populism, national movements, and elections around the world.

This year, we are especially looking for stories about:

The international network of the far right and the rise of authoritarian tendencies:

Media moguls buying up newspapers and television stations abroad, fake news and laws against it, how Nicaragua ended up with the same anti-free speech law as Russia, historical revisionism, the exportation of police techniques and weapons, Steve Bannon in Europe, Rudy Giuliani in Latin America, etc.

How authoritarian regimes extend their power beyond their borders:

New alliances, new forms of diplomacy. Where are we seeing soft power? Where are we seeing hard power?

International movements to combat repression: activism, global abolition movements, new parties. What's good? What's promising?

The fate and status of international organizations, whether the UN, SAARC, the Arctic Council, the OAS, NATO...

Pitching guidelines and tips:

We accept stories by early-career writers as well as established journalists. We only publish stories from outside the United States and are especially interested in stories from underreported places and communities. Your pitch should show us you can write and that you have a sense for what makes a compelling story for a global audience. We pay our writers! Some guidelines:

1. Keep it concise, clear, and direct. In one paragraph of about 3-6 sentences, please tell us:

- Who is this story about? Which individual, community, or affected population?
- What kind of text is this? (long-form journalism? Political analysis? Opinion? Interview?
- What is the larger (political? cultural? scientific?) background?
- Why should an international audience care? Why tell this story now?

2. As needed, you may also want to include, also in paragraph form, brief answers to the following questions:
- Have there been other stories on this subject? If so, how is yours different?
- If research/reporting is required, where will it take place? When?
- Does the piece need to appear by X date?

3. Include a short bio. The bio should answer:
- Why you? Why should you be the one to write this story?

Send pitches to: editors@theballot.world