Write for Meridian
We commission around ninety freelance pieces a year, mostly reported features and analysis in energy, technology, labor, housing and state politics. We are not looking for op-eds about the news cycle. We are looking for the story that requires someone to sit in a hearing, read a contract, or spend three days somewhere nobody has filed from.
$1.20–$2.40Per word, on acceptance10 daysMedian time to a yes or noKill fee 40%If we commission and do not run
Reported featureThe story behind a documentA contract, filing, audit or dataset that changes how something is understood. Bring the document.2,500–6,000 words
DispatchSomewhere nobody has filed fromA place where a national story is being decided locally. We pay travel for commissioned dispatches.1,200–2,000 words
AnalysisHow a system actually worksWritten by someone who has worked inside it, edited to remove the jargon and the self-interest.1,000–1,800 words
PhotographyEssays and single assignmentsSend a link, not attachments. We commission four to six photo essays a year.8–20 frames
What a good pitch contains
01
The story in one sentenceIf you cannot say what happened and why it matters in a single line, the pitch is not ready.
02
Why now, specificallyA hearing date, a filing, a contract expiring, a report about to be published. Not “there is growing interest in”.
03
Who you have already talked toNamed or described. We need to know access exists before we commission.
04
What is left to reportBe honest about the gaps. Editors respect an unfinished plan more than a confident one.
05
Two clipsReported work if you have it. If this would be your first, say so — we commission first-timers every issue.
Please don’t send
- Finished essays reacting to this week's news.
- Pieces written on behalf of a client, employer or campaign.
- Anything produced primarily by a language model. We ask, and we can tell.
- Simultaneous submissions without telling us.