Advancing the work of 24 reporters

In August, 2017, as FIRE awarded 10 reporters our full-service Virtual Newsroom, it also provided an additional 24 reporters with Editorial Consultancies.

The Editorial Consultancy program serves reporters whose experience or story ideas have not yet advanced as far as those of their Virtual Newsroom counterparts, but show promise to do so.

The Consultees receive one hour of the director’s time for whatever they need: story development, proposal revision, help finding an outlet, funding counsel.

Judging from initial feedback, the sessions have proved remarkably helpful. At least three Consultees went on to secure pending story grants with the Fund for Investigative Journalism (as did two Virtual Newsroom awardees).

“You tightened my pitch and helped me keep forward progress,” said reporter Will Huntsberry, one of the Fund for Investigative Journalism pending grant recipients. “I've had many a pitch die without those small breaths of life. I hope it's not too awkward for me to put my typical journalist's cynicism aside to tell you that your work on behalf of freelancers is a serious inspiration.”