Mandatory Reading for All Reporters
Spot.Us is a new marketplace that is constantly learning how the public will value journalism.
As such - we suggest the following as a pricing guide for various pitches.
The prices below are not written in stone. Reporters can suggest their own rates in creating a
pitch, but must justify them.
1. Investigative Report
$600-$1,400 - Most are $1,000
Roughly 60 hours of work at a rate of $10-$25 based on level of experience
Deadlines: Three months to fundraise; two months to report.
- Involves research and original/enterprise reporting that is time consuming.
- Requires expertise in subject matter.
- The story is crafted and the writing has clarity and is organized into scenes.
- Extensive blogging about the reporting throughout the process of reporting.
- Multimedia rich - a part of telling the story.
- A ground upon which new community is built.
- Provides new information that educates and informs.
2. Enterprise Report
$400-$950 Most are $550 Deadlines:
Roughly 40 hours of work at a rate of $10-$25 based on level of experience
Ten weeks to fundraise; one month to report.
- Involves multiple interviews with experts or involved subjects.
- On-site reporting. Interviews conducted in several different places.
- Persistent blogging through the fundraising and reporting process.
- Uses multimedia to enhance story.
- Requires good knowledge of subject matter.
- Works with and bolsters an existing community.
- Provides resources to information that can educate and inform.
3. Beat Report
$350-$500, Most are $350
Roughly 25 hours of work at a rate of $10-$25 based on level of experience
Deadlines: Two months to fundraise; one month to report.
- Minimal use of multimedia.
- Blogging is encouraged through the process of fundraising and reporting.
- Interviews conducted in person or on phone.
- Story is clean and crafted for clarity.
4. Quick Hit
$150-$350
Roughly 15 hours of work at a rate of $10-$25 based on level of experience
Deadline: One month to fundraise; two weeks to report. Note: Not preferred on Spot.Us.
- Does not require speciality knowledge.
- Help update an ongoing story and pushes it a little further.
- Uses links to help build the background.
Spot.Us and Reporter Agreement
Note: This is separate from the
legal contract that reporters agree to when creating a
pitch. This is to lay out the expectations of Spot.Us and the reporter in our working
relationship to produce good journalism.
Spot.Us will do the following:
- Provide any technical assistance necessary within reasonable expectations.
- Be available for consultation regarding the focus of your pitch.
- Add to the blogging efforts of pitches during the reporting process.
- Be available for consultation regarding the fundraising efforts for your pitch.
- Spot.Us fundraises for specific pitches - including yours as resources permit. (see reporters agree to #2)
- Assign a Peer-Review editor to assist the reporter if none is previously identified.
- Promptly deliver money raised to reporter(s) upon publishing and receiving a w-9.
Reporters agree to the following:
- Maintain consistent communication via email, texts or calls, with Spot.Us.
- Blog throughout the process their reporting efforts.
- Help to promote story online and offline to civic groups and to pitch traditional news organizations.
- Agree to being filmed or do to a video for the purposes of marketing the story.
- Work collaboratively with an assigned peer-review editor. Reporter can reject first two assigned editors but third time is the charm ;)
- Upon acceptance of assignment (raised money) to do thorough, accurate and timely reporting.
- Rock out!