How to Pitch Us

Sentient Media is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet publishing stories and solutions for a changing world. We’re the only nonprofit outlet reporting solely on factory farms and their impact on food, climate, health, workers, 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 powerful actors accountable.

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

Solutions Stories: rigorous journalism on responses to an impact of factory farming. Solutions stories follow these four pillars from the Solutions Journalism Network: (1) response to a problem (2) evidence the response is working (3) limitations of or challenges to implementing 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: Reporting on big, important developments in a field that relates to factory farming, its impacts and groups on the frontline. Some examples might be a new development in animal sentience research (e.g., fish passing the mirror test) or new accounting of the climate impact of meat.

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

How to Submit:

Please send your pitch with the following elements to [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. Note:
• 3-5 short 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.

What NOT TO PITCH:

An idea not a story.

Stories outside the food system, including zoos, marine parks or other animal entertainment and animal testing (unless tied to food production).

Opinion pieces or essays. We’re looking for reporting.

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

Our rates start at $300 but we frequently pay more, as each story will go through at least one round of edits and a check by our fact-checker. 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 include the experience and treatment of animals, but just as with our other stories, these elements of the story are grounded in facts and are fact-checked, not theory or opinion.