How to Pitch Us

Sentient Media is a non-profit, nonpartisan news outlet publishing stories and solutions for a changing world. We’re the only outlet dedicated to meat industry accountability journalism — that is, reporting on factory farms and their impact on food, climate, health, politics and more.

A successful pitch will fit within at least one of our verticals: food and farming, science, climate and environment, health or policy.

Types of stories we publish:

Accountability Journalism: investigative reporting that aims to hold bad actors accountable.

Example: Inside the Pork Industry’s Attempts to Charm and Influence Academia

Solutions Stories: stories on the solutions that are working, and sometimes the ones that are not. Solutions stories follow these four pillars from the Solutions Journalism Network: (1) response to a problem (2) evidence the response is working (3) limitations to the response and (4) insights (e.g., can this scale, how might we apply this solution somewhere else?).

Example: How Campus Cafeterias Became Hotspots for Climate Action

Disinformation Debunkers: Fact-checked reporting that debunks misinformation and disinformation.

Example: ‘Common Ground’ Isn’t Factual When It Comes to Cows and Climate Change

Fact-checked Explainers: Explainers that break down complicated topics in a science-driven way for curious readers.

Example: The Best & Worst Protein Sources for the Environment, Explained 

Science of…Stories: The latest science on animals and the natural world.

New Research on Animal Communication Shows Their Cultures Are Often Complex and Cumulative

What we are NOT looking for:

Traditional op-eds.

Stories or essays that are aimed entirely at a vegan audience.

Our rates start at $300 and go up from there. We pay higher rates for experienced journalists, and for stories that require significant reporting or research. Our contract for journalists is available here.

Keep in mind that our stories are also animal-sensitive — which means we always include the experience and well-being of animals in our reporting and analysis.

How to Submit:

Please send your pitch including the following to managing editor Jenny Splitter at [email protected].

• One short paragraph with the big takeaway of your story and why it’s important to cover this angle right now. Tell us what’s new that hasn’t been covered elsewhere.
• 3-5 bullet points of the main points.
• What are your sources: interviews, research, evidence — what backs up the main points of your piece.
• If you haven’t written for Sentient before, send a few links to your published work.