The Buckeye Flame is seeking up to two (2) fellows to cover Ohio LGBTQ+ communities of color, each for a six-month contract (April-September).
The Reporting Fellows will be required to write, at minimum, two reported articles a month covering LGBTQ+ Ohioans of color. At least half of each Reporting Fellow’s stories must be focused on queer public health problems, solutions and experiences including, but not limited to, medical access, mental health, environmental health and housing. The remainder of the stories can cover anything from queer joy to inspiring profiles to organizational efforts aimed at amplifying LGBTQ+ Ohioans of color.
Pay for the fellowship is $15,000, disbursed monthly over the course of six months as a 1099-contracted reporter. There is no required weekly time commitment, but stories are expected to be submitted on a deadline agreed upon between the Reporting Fellows and the Editor.
This position will work closely with the Editor in weekly one-on-ones to build stories that can be added into the fellow’s portfolio by the end of the six months. The Reporting Fellows will have the opportunity to do community-building and storytelling within a population that is historically under-covered and distrustful of current media and will develop invaluable skillsets in trust and source-building.
The Buckeye Flame’s mission is to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles our triumphs, struggles and lived experiences. These fellowships will play an integral role in that storytelling.
Qualifications and expectations
We’re looking for storytellers with a passion for amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans and who have demonstrated the ability to craft clear and compelling written content. We don’t expect you to be an expert, but we want you to be able to be a good problem-solver and communicator in cases where you’re stuck.
The Buckeye Flame values applicants who have lived queer experience, but it is not a requirement for the job. We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. We especially encourage members of historically underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. Please let us know if you would need accommodations for this process.
Although our brick-and-mortar newsroom is in Cleveland and the fellows are welcome to join us in person, this can be a fully remote position. We do require that applicants be based in Ohio.
Other requirements:
- Must be able to conduct interviews.
- Knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues.
- Solid news judgment and media fluency.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate those skills into a complete story.
- Openness to the editing process and being part of a newsgathering team.
- Familiarity with Associated Press style.
- The passion and drive to cover LGBTQ+ Ohioans of color.
We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, please don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
To apply
Please email:
- Three to five clips (or a portfolio website)
- A resume
- A few paragraphs on how this fellowship might work for you and a sense of where your mind immediately goes to for stories (Don’t worry, you don’t have to stick to it if hired. We just want to see your thoughts.)
Send the above to Editor Ken Schneck at editor@thebuckeyeflame.com by noon on February 13.
Our thanks to our colleagues at LOOKOUT for their help with the verbiage in this description.
Know an LGBTQ+ Ohio story we should cover? TELL US!
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