The Gig

YES! Magazine (www.yesmagazine.org) is recruiting a contributor to provide online coverage of finance and banking that benefits the public rather than Wall Street and unlimited economic growth. The reporter will help expand our journalism to spotlight finance and banking practices that strengthen local businesses, communities, and families.

We're looking for a writer with a background in economic reporting to contribute one article between (1,000 and 1,500 words) per month for $250 per month. The writer will work closely with editors to develop this beat and make it their own, and topics will be selected by the writer in collaboration with editors. After a brief trial package of three articles, the writer may be offered a 6-month contract. The writer is free to work from a remote location.

YES! Magazine is an award-winning, ad-free, nonprofit publication that supports people's active engagement in solving today's social, political, and environmental challenges. Online and in print, we outline a path forward with in-depth analysis, tools for citizen engagement, and stories about real people working for a better world. We practice "solutions journalism"-- journalism that focuses on the ideas and practices helping to create a more just and sustainable world; we ask questions about different solutions and how well they're working; and we try to avoid articles that merely describe the problems.

The Beat

We're interested in taking a different tack than those who are looking for ways to restore the Wall Street complex to its former glory. We're interested in articles about how a different economy could function (or is functioning) beginning where we are today.

We are particularly interested in models of ownership, finance, and exchange that are orienting our economy toward more just and environmentally sustainable behavior. Examples could include public policies and legislation, nonprofit banking, and responses to debt, foreclosure, and other economic issues.

While we're looking for a writer who can offer economic analysis, we're most interested in reported pieces for this beat. Articles should include multiple sources and break down complex financial ideas into plain English. We like pieces that inspire. Think Matt Taibbi with less cynicism, or Paul Krugman with more field reporting.

Here are some examples of stories from this beat we've covered in the past:

How State Banks Bring the Money Home
Big banks freeze out small business, but North Dakota's state bank supports local jobs. The idea is catching on.

Occupy's New Offshoot Set to Cancel Millions in Medical Debts 

Medical debt is the cause of 62 percent of bankruptcies, say organizers of Strike Debt, which threw last night's offbeat fundraiser for their new "Rolling Jubilee." Ordinary people donated enough money to collectively buy an estimated $5.9 million in bad debt in order to cancel it.

Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century"
For years, "vulture funds" have preyed on struggling nations by purchasing their debt for a pittance. Could an upcoming U.S. court decision put an end to the extortion of poor countries?

Making Sense of the Foreclosure Mess
Why are mortgage holders suspending foreclosures? And what does it mean for homeowners?

TO APPLY

Email AS ONE ATTACHMENT, with "Banking Beat" in the subject line:
1) a resume,
2) a cover letter explaining your interest and experience in this topic area as well as how you'd envision the arc of the beat,
3) 3 brief story pitches that fit in the scope of this beat, and
4) 3 samples of your published work, either included in the PDF or as links.