The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange seeks a diversity of experienced and emerging writers of straight-ahead journalism — including those with lived experience in the areas we cover — who adhere to the facts, fairness, AP Style and other best practices and standards of our craft. Occasionally, we will consider publishing timely, topical first-person essays that are rigorously reported with multiple sources. We do not currently contract writers outside the United States or cover international juvenile justice issues, except as they intersect with domestic issues.
JJIE welcomes pitches on topics related to the juvenile justice system in the United States. We publish written, audio and visual journalism.
We’re looking for rigorously reported stories that center youth voices and experiences, and hold public institutions and policymakers accountable or shed new light on issues facing young people and the industry.
Stories should be of interest to a broad, national audience of people who care about and often work with children and youth in the system.
Topics we cover include:
• Community-based alternative
• Education and training in the system
• Health and mental health
• Homelessness after reentry
• Gun violence and youth
• Indigent defense
• Juvenile detention centers
• Juvenile justice legislation
• Race, ethnicity and gender disparities
• Reentry after detention
• Restorative justice
• School-to-prison pipeline
• Sentence reform
• Solitary confinement
• Substance use
• Youth with disabilities in the system
We publish many stories that don’t fit neatly into one of those topics. If you have a great story about juvenile justice in the United States, but aren’t sure if it fits in one of the areas listed above, please see below, "How to pitch us," and get in touch!
Please note: We rarely publish stories about international issues, unless they intersect with newsworthy domestic issues. We publish a limited number of reported first-person stories and essays, but they must be thoroughly reported with multiple sources.
WRITING AN OPINION PIECE?
If you’re looking to publish an essay based solely on your opinions, please see our guest opinion essay guidelines.
HOW TO PITCH US
To pitch a news story, send a brief email (about 200-400 words) to pitches@csjournalism.org. Your email should include:
• A proposed headline.
• A brief description of your story, including a working lead, nut graph, confirmed or potential sources and any relevant research or data.
• A short bio and links to previously published work.
If you don’t hear back from us within two weeks, feel free to follow up by email.
WHAT WE PAY
We generally pay about $1/word for reported stories (most fall within 800-1,200 words) and $500 for the occasional Q&A with newsmakers and other less densely reported assignments.
We contract professional photojournalists at a standard day rate of $350 for still photos and approximately $1,400 for video stories.
We welcome pitches from experienced and emerging journalists, including journalists with disabilities or other lived experience in the areas we cover.
STORY ASSIGNMENTS
We occasionally contract with journalists for specific story assignments. If you’re interested in being considered, please email pitches@csjournalism.org with a brief bio, links to published clips and any specific topics you’re interested in covering. We’ll be in touch if we have a potential assignment.