Documented is searching for a reporter to take on an ambitious project that tackles an issue that matters to New York City’s immigrant communities. We are offering a grant of $10,000 to pursue a story of your choosing over the course of the coming year.
This is the fourth year of the Isaac Rauch fellowship and previous fellows have written about what happens to undocumented immigrants who suffer construction accidents, Chinese-Americans caught up in the political tensions between two countries, and a forthcoming story about the New York City Marshalls.
Previous fellows have produced single stories or a short series. We are open to multiple formats, including written, video and multimedia. While investigative stories will be prioritized, we welcome all applications and ideas. The only requirement is the idea must be fresh and uncover new information. We are not looking for deep dives into topics that have been widely covered.
Please refer to the following guidelines when submitting your proposal. For our complete pitching guidelines, please go here.
If you’re interested, please submit a proposal of no more than 500 words with a description of the story you hope to tell, a list of potential sources, and links to previous stories you have written. You will be expected to deliver your work in six months.
The Isaac Rauch Fellowship is named for Isaac Rauch, who died of cancer at 29 in 2020. Isaac was a sharp political observer with a broad sense for New York’s political landscape and enthusiasm for its intricacies past, present, and future, from Far Rockaway to Yonkers. A dextrous and versatile writer, Isaac’s depth of thought and analysis, combined with his formidable research skills, made him an insightful addition to Deadspin, Time Out New York, and Slate. His passion for social justice was evident in his work with CAMBA, numerous elected officials, and the participatory budgeting process.
Isaac represented the best in what this Fellowship, named in his memory, aims to provide: compelling journalistic narrative that creates real impact and advances equity for the immigrant communities that make up New York City.
Go here to apply by 11:59 p.m. on July 9.
General Guidelines
A Documented story should always center low-income immigrants in its reporting or reveal something about the consequences of the immigration system on our neighbors and communities.
These stories may be place-based, industry-based, or about systems and agencies. Regardless of the framing, the story must tell us something new and keep the experience of living as an immigrant in New York as the focus of the story.
Going deep on a commonly discussed issue is usually not enough. We follow all of the issues very closely, so if the story does not reveal new information about whatever you are covering, then it is not for us.
Note, while we primarily publish written stories, we may consider pitches for other formats including photography, video or short form social media.
Before submitting a pitch, consider the following:
- 1. Does your story tell us something new? If so, what?
- 2. Has the story been done already? If so, see question 1.
- 3. How impactful is the story for the group of persons or for the individual?
- 4. What are the broader themes about New York City that your story touches on?
- 5. If the story is national, is there a way to hone in on the local impact? Given the news lately, several recent policies have the potential to impact local NYC residents.
- 6. Can you name sources? Because of the nature of Documented’s subject area, we are conscientious of providing anonymity, such as using initials, for migrants in fear of their safety. However, Documented does not allow pseudonyms for its sources. Additionally, all spokespersons must be named.
