These are first-person accounts of events, experiences, problems, successes or even mini-profiles of the people encountered in the field who have made a particular impression on the writer. These stories should ideally include photos and possibly video. The purpose is to share the human-level, personal experience of working in the field on our platform, which is capable of reaching a broad and diverse audience.
These stories can be as short as 300 words or up to a 1,000 but should be as short, colorful and specific as possible. The writer can expect publication of several dispatches in a series with prior approval.
Important note: These stories must not be pitches for a program or for money. This is not a place to write about you company’s or organization’s agenda. The goal is to provide readers a first-hand experience with lessons learned (when that’s realistic). No moralizing!
Send stories or proposals to Jake Ellison, Online Managing Editor, at jellison@kplu.org.
The format is loose.
- Who are you? (photo)
- Where are you and why are you there? (photos and video)
- Describe the setting and include the setup and identity of the program organizers or sponsor – very short segment.
- Who are the local people involved? (photos/video)
- What’s one takeaway? Or, what’s a specific revelation or key idea the circumstance left you with? (Not mandatory)
- How do you maintain your commitment to the effort? What’s one practical thing you do in the field that keeps you going?
Opinion alternative:
The writer can, with prior approval, construct an essay arguing for a particular approach to global health and the fight against poverty based strictly on his or her experience. Nothing wonky, nor a pitch for a particular organization’s agenda.
No more than 500 words.
Editing:
These post will only be lightly edited for minor mistakes and formatting. If the piece comes in too rough or doesn’t fit the criteria, it will be turned down with a short note of explanation (this will not be a critique of the work since we simply do not have the time to critique writing).
