If you are interested in providing content to The NewStandard, please read this page very carefully.
We are currently building a substantial network of freelance reporters, stringers, photographers and cartoonists in numerous fields, to conduct paid work generating content for the NewStandard website. We are looking for dynamic writers and artists to help us keep the world abreast of current events from a progressive perspective. Because we rely so heavily on our journalists, we choose them very carefully. Though the application process is not difficult, it can take a long time. Currently, response times very between 2 days and 4 months, depending on our need for writers and availability of staff to process applications. We do our best to respond to every serious applicant.
We are still receiving a high number of applications from people with no interest or familiarity with the type of news we publish. Please make sure you read all instructions on this page as well as familiarize yourself with the content on our site before you apply, so as not to waste our time or yours. We also suggest you Take the Tour to find out more about The NewStandard and its publishing organization, PeoplesNetWorks.
Below is a listing of the kinds of content we currently accept and our rates. Reading this section will help you fill out our registration form. Please note: These rates are subject to change. We pay our journalists as much as we can possibly afford, and one of our main goals is to provide paying work for independent journalists. We expect to raise our rates as soon as resources permit.
News Articles
These are full-length articles covering current events. They are usually about words in length, and are paid for according to how difficult they were to research and compile. News articles are based on first-hand sources (interviews, direct access to documents, etc) and field research and are compensated at higher rates than news reports, which are researched primarily through second-hand sources. (We pay between $80 and $250 per news article*)
News Reports
These are also full-length articles covering current events. They are usually about words in length, and are paid for according to how difficult they were to research and compile. News reports are generally based on other news articles from the main-stream and alternative media, though they often contain information from first-hand sources as well. (We pay between $15 and $80 per news report*)
Feature Articles
Between words in length, features take in-depth looks at subjects and are often based on investigative reporting. They are often accompanied by interactive visual aids, photo series, and so forth. Whenever possible, features cover otherwise untouched stories, from unique angles. (We pay around $200-250 for feature articles*)
* The NewStandard pays on a sliding scale based on the amount of work that goes into gathering the information for and writing a news piece. Payment is generally based on number of sources consulted and other factors.
If you wish to contribute hard news content to The NewStandard, please [click here to register]
Media Analyses
One service we would like to provide is a window into the other side
of the news -- corporate, governmental and commercial -- from our
angle and through our lense. We will occasionally run stories on trends
in mainstream media. Media Analysis pieces should be between
words long, but will be run somewhat infrequently. Media Analysis
pieces are more like news stories than like commentaries,
so editorializing should be left to quotations of analysts or laypersons. If you want to write media analysis, DO NOT FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM. Instead, keep an eye on The NewStandard and when we begin publishing media analysis, send finished pieces to submissions (at) newstandardnews (dot) net
Commentaries
Since The NewStandard is primarily a news site,
and not a commentary site, opinion and editorial content will take
a back seat to hard news. Commentaries can and should include opinionated content, and colorful writing is
a plus. Satire and humor writing fall into this category as well. If you want to write commentary, DO NOT FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM. Instead, keep an eye on The NewStandard and when we begin publishing commentary, send finsihed pieces to submissions (at) newstandardnews (dot) net
Cartoons
The NewStandard publishes political cartoons and comics on a reprint basis. We pay $5 for non-exclusive archiving rights to cartoons. To inquire about becoming a cartoon contributor, write to us at cartoons@ourdomainname.
Consultants / Researchers / Fact-checkers
We are building an extensive listing of experts and researches to
form a sturdy backbone for NewStandard coverage. This directory,
which will only be accessible to NewStandard editors and journalists,
will allow our reporters to consult specialists in various fields for
comments and analysis. It will additionally enable TNS editors
to rapidly find researchers or experts to help verify facts noted in
articles submitted for publication. Accuracy and analytical depth are
two elements of news stories we find indispensable, so if you have an
area of expertise on which you are professionally available to be consulted,
please register using the form below.
Getting Involved
If you think you might help fill any of the above needs, we
want to hear from you. As a primarily web-based publication, all NewStandard
contributors will eventually be registered with our online workflow
system, which will track contributions, content editing, pay and so
forth. For now, however, we just want to get a feel for what you have
to offer. Please fill out the form below, letting us
know the basics about yourself and your abilities.
We have released The NewStandard Content Contributors' Handbook ( download PDF now), a comprehensive primer for TNS content contributors. It includes a complete (and somewhat unique) journalist's guide and protocols, an introduction to how TNS relates to freelancers and stringers and will soon include technical instructions for using TNS's browser-based content workflow system. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS HANDBOOK BEFORE REGISTERING YOUR INTEREST IN THE NEWSTANDARD.