Listing updated Nov. 10, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2022:
The Lawrence Times is looking to add more voices to our Community Voices (opinion) section.
This is a freelance position. Compensation is generally per piece and will be negotiable, but no less than $15 per hour spent working (and depending on a writer’s efficiency, it should average out to more than that).
We hope to include many people and perspectives, but we’re still a tiny publication with limited resources; therefore, we will generally aim to publish a piece from each columnist no more than every other week. That’s subject to change, however, and less frequent writing is fine, though we will expect some consistency.
Applicants should live and/or work in the Lawrence/Douglas County area. Our highest priorities are that columns:
- Pertain to Lawrence/Douglas County-area issues and concerns, and/or
- Highlight your unique perspective and experience of life in Lawrence/Douglas County.
Above all else, we aim to amplify the voices of people from marginalized populations.
We want to hear from people who aren’t afraid to spotlight problems in Lawrence and ignite conversations about how to fix them, and those who can contribute their knowledge about a subject to further community discussions. (You can see some examples at this link).
We are not seeking columns that could run with the same impact in any publication — those pieces that are well-suited for a regional or national newspaper, for instance, are likely not well-suited for the Times. We are looking for work that resonates with the hyperlocal Lawrence audience we love. Although we are certainly not opposed to working with experienced columnists, we are generally not interested in those who currently have a platform.
Your work does not necessarily need to be in a traditional column format. Storytelling with multimedia is accepted and encouraged, though it should be accessible (videos should be captioned, audio should be transcribed, and so on).
If you’re interested in this opportunity, please send an email to joinus (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com containing:
- Your name and pronouns
- A little bit about who you are and how long you’ve been part of the Lawrence/Douglas County community
- What you’d like to write/write about (or how else you’d like to make your voice heard)
- A work sample or two of sorts — we’d prefer to see previous work of this variety (opinion column-esque writing), but that’s not essential. Alternatively, you could write a few paragraphs to introduce a piece you’d like to write for us.
Feel free to send a résumé if you’d like. No separate cover letters, please. No drug tests or background checks (and those with criminal histories are encouraged to apply), but we will definitely creep on your social media and Google you.
Update, Jan. 3, 2022: We’ve decided to keep this listing open indefinitely. The ideal time to seek more opinions and voices is always.
Questions? Please reach out to the email above. Thank you for your interest!
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