Fees: This nationally distributed weekly radio program and podcast pays a minimum of $100 per minute for fresh content and less for audio features that have aired elsewhere and are being repurposed. The show runs one hour, and most stories are about eight minutes long. Experienced audio journalists will earn more than reporters new to audio who need more instruction and handholding.
Submit to: Host and Creative Director Maiken Scott at mscott@whyy.org or Senior Editor and Producer Lindsay Lazarski at llazarski@whyy.org.
Website: https://whyy.org/programs/the-pulse
Owner: Philadelphia public radio station WHYY
Readership demographics: Listeners are typically between 35 to 55 years of age and are educated and skew affluent.
Frequency of publication: Weekly
What editors look for in a pitch: The Pulse explores health and science, which is a “huge sandbox,” Scott said. But there are some parameters that make for a good story for The Pulse. “There has to be strong characters,” Scott said. “Ideally, there should be some sense of momentum in the story. Maybe we follow an issue over a bit of time, or we get to see a person go through some kind of transformation. Or, we get to meet somebody as they’re doing something.”
The Pulse is not competing with NPR and its news programs. “We tend to lean into the issues that are less covered,” said Scott. “It has to be something that’s a little bit off the beaten path. If it is a bit obscure, if it is something I haven’t heard of, I am way more likely to accept that pitch.” Each weekly show has a theme.
In addition to describing the story, its characters and its arc, freelancers new to The Pulse should include in their pitch an honest description of their audio skills or lack of audio experience. And they should describe the kind of access they have to the characters in the story.
What editors look for in reporters: “We are on about 100 stations, including big public radio stations, so it has to sound a certain way,” Scott said. “We really try to cultivate talent and to help people get there. There have been a few incidents where, unfortunately, we couldn’t get there, where the reporter’s delivery sounded amateur.”
Do they welcome pre-pitches: “It’s totally fine to send us an email and say, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about sending you a pitch. Here is what I have in mind. Are you interested?’ And then we will say yes or no,” said Scott. Scott is a fan of pre-pitches because it saves everybody work.
Most common mistakes editors see with pitches: “A lot of them are way too long and don’t get to the point,” said Scott. She wants to know what the story is, why it should be told and why now.
Lead time for pitches: The editors try to get back to freelancers right away. Sometimes they will put out a call for pitches about a particular topic on listservs for public media journalists, and it can take a bit of time for the editors to wade through all the responses.
Easiest place to break into The Pulse: If a freelancer is new to the show and also new to audio, the best place to break in is with a simpler story that might involve only one character.