Send Us Your Criminal Justice Reform Pitches

PRESS RELEASE — September 24, 2019

70 Million, the award-winning open-source solutions journalism podcast, will begin production on its third season in January 2020. Season three will raise the bar on reporting on criminal justice reform through the lens of the local jail.

We’re looking for long-form audio narratives that: explore local solutions, inside or outside the walls of the actual jail; introduce compelling characters who are system-involved; and immerse listeners in sound and scene-rich audio storytelling. Below are some topics we’ve been thinking about. Feel free to expand on any of these in your own pitch. Please listen to the previous seasons to avoid pitching stories that we may have already covered.

Reporter/producers will pitch, report, field record, script, and track their own stories. Mixing will be handled by our sound designer, but reporters will be responsible for using their own professional recording equipment and delivering organized audio. Travel expenses available if needed.

Sample Topics

• Women and opioid abuse and incarceration

• Public defenders

• Court procedures around police testimonials (false statements, questionable evidence, coerce confessions, plea deals etc.)

• ICE detention at local jails

• Sanctuary cities vs. ICE

• Jails as income sources for localities

• Charging juveniles as adults

• Addiction treatment in custody

• Parents in custody

• Tech at the local jail

• Risk-assessment algorithm

Pitches should include:

Link to your website/work portfolio/LinkedIn; Link to 1-2 long-form reported audio pieces; How the local angle reflects a national issue; Who you would feature in the piece; Why you are the best person for this story; Your expected fee, based on experience; Timeline for reporting the piece.

Ideal Reporters

Live in or are from the area they’re reporting on; Report on their own communities; Have previously reported on criminal justice; Have experience with long-form narrative audio; Can think in sound; Love meeting deadlines; Work well with editors; Fact check their work thoroughly; Speak a second language that can enhance the reporting as appropriate.

Please send your 500-word pitches to hello@70millionpod.com by Nov 1, 2019.

This is a press release which we link to from our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. This is reprinted verbatim; we may rewrite headlines and descriptions. Press releases can be sent to updates@podnews.net