Submit Content to the Electronic Intifada

Pitches, press releases and story tips should be sent to info@electronicintifada.net.

Please read the guidelines below before submitting content for publication on The Electronic Intifada.

About The Electronic Intifada

The Electronic Intifada, one of the most widely read and influential publications about Palestine, welcomes text and visual contributions from writers, photographers, multimedia creators and filmmakers.

The Electronic Intifada puts a high priority on well-written original analysis and reportage, contributions from people on the ground and strong visual imagery. We are particularly interested in writing by contributors in Palestine, even if the writer’s first language is not English.

If English is not your first language but you have a compelling story to tell, we will work with you to shape it into an article suitable for publication on EI.

Writers are encouraged to send a brief pitch to the editors that gives an overview of the story you propose to write, an explanation of why it is important, what sources you will draw on, why you are in a good position to write it and how the issues raised in your story will enhance our existing coverage.

How to make your submission

  • SEND AS: Plain text in email or attached as an MS Word file or other common format; accompanying photos can be attached as separate files (do not include them in the Word file with your text). Please do not send your submission as a PDF.

  • LINKS: Please include links to outside sources as in this sample sentence:

The quick brown [fox](http://www.thefoxwebsite.net) jumps over the lazy [dog](http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/dogs/).

Please do not embed the links directly in the text. Using the notation above makes our editing process much faster: square brackets around the text you want to appear as a link, followed immediately – no space – by the url in parentheses.

This is a notation called Markdown.

We do not publish articles with footnotes. All essential information should be incorporated into the article text.

  • INCLUDE: A short one- or two-line bio; captions with photos that you took yourself or have written permission to use, if relevant; the location you are writing from; an explicit statement that the submission is exclusive to The Electronic Intifada.

  • SUBJECT LINE: SUBMISSION

  • SEND TO: info@electronicintifada.net

Types of Content Sought by The Electronic Intifada:

Reportage, video and photo features and reviews are generally eligible for payment when pitched in advance to editors. Opinion pieces and first-person writing are generally not eligible for payment. We are generally not able to pay for cold submissions (stories not pitched to us in advance).

Pseudonyms and anonymous sources

The Electronic Intifada discourages submitting content under a pseudonym. While there are individual cases where it may be justified, in general pseudonyms should not be used simply because a writer would feel “more comfortable,” wishes to anonymously criticize a certain position or public figure, or because of general concern over the consequences of publishing under a real name. Each case is assessed individually.

Authors may only use anonymous sources where doing so is the only way to tell an important story that could otherwise not be reported. In the case that anonymity is granted to a source, editors must be able to verify the credibility of the source and the information they provide. We would seek to present as much information as we can to readers.

This resource discusses the ethics, practicalities and limits of using anonymous sources.

Style and Sourcing Facts

The Electronic Intifada generally follows the Associated Press Stylebook. We ask that contributing writers attempt to follow style in good faith.

Spell-check and review your work carefully before submitting. Material that requires less editing is more likely to be published.

Please do not re-file your story after you have submitted it because we may already have started editing. But please do inform us immediately of any significant updates or developments relevant to your submission.

All content published on The Electronic Intifada is thoroughly fact-checked. Facts presented in an article that are not common knowledge must be attributed to reliable sources. In your submission, provide sources for all claims made in your piece.

You can link to outside sources using the format shown above.

After each paragraph which contains facts that are not common knowledge, put a set of brackets [like these] with a note to editors indicating where you obtained the information presented in the paragraph – for example, an interview you did for the piece, or a news article, website or report from a human rights monitoring group that you might have linked to earlier.

Writing resources:

General Notes for Contributors

  • What we like: Contributions that have strong factual information, that are written compellingly, display good research and background knowledge, make sense and where possible include images to illustrate them.
  • If English is not your first language but you have a compelling story to tell, we will work with you to shape it into an article suitable for publication on EI.
  • Write all material as if you are the only person who will look at it. What that means is that editors, proofers and “other eyes” should not be relied on. Only send us finished submissions which you have carefully proofread and spell-checked, and which include sources to support the factual claims in your submission.
  • Please do not submit your material to multiple publications. The Electronic Intifada prefers original content. This works to everyone’s advantage. The Electronic Intifada is committed to a high standard of professional presentation of content. Please let us know if you are submitting content to us that has been published elsewhere or if you intend to submit to other publications.
  • Article length: For regular articles, 600-2,000 words is an acceptable length, although 600-1,200 words is more standard. Where there is good reason for a longer piece, this should be discussed with editors.

The Fine Print

On any day, most of The Electronic Intifada’s editing, illustrating, publishing and promotional work is done by only a few people. Whatever you can do to ensure submissions require minimal processing is appreciated, and please give us a few days to acknowledge your submission (we will always prioritize material dealing with highly newsworthy current issues or ongoing events).

Implicit understanding: By submitting your work to The Electronic Intifada, you are giving us a non-exclusive right to use the material on our website and in multimedia presentations and other media in perpetuity. If you wish to republish the article after it has been on The Electronic Intifada, please ensure the publication notes the article was originally published by The Electronic Intifada and if it is a web publication, it offers a link to The Electronic Intifada. In the case of submissions of material published elsewhere, please let us know where and when the article was published so we can do the same. Do not submit material that you do not hold the rights to.

Articles on The Electronic Intifada are not removed from our server. We believe that this archive adds to the value of The Electronic Intifada. We do not alter articles once they have been published, except to correct factual inaccuracies. We may edit your piece for clarity, grammar and brevity. If we substantially edit your piece, we will clear the edits with you. Headline, summary and illustration decisions are made solely by The Electronic Intifada although suggestions are welcome.

Guidelines for content sought by EI:

Reportage

Reportage is original journalism based on the author’s own interviewing, usually supplemented by statistics/background from secondary sources, such as reports from human rights monitoring groups. Reportage should generally range from 800-1,500 words in length.

What we are looking for:

  • News stories on timely issues, including multiple sources, giving a range of opinions, and including dissenting views when relevant
  • In-depth, interview-based profiles of a project or person of interest to EI’s readership which places the project or person in a wider context of the situation in Palestine, Palestinian cultural production, or international solidarity with Palestine
  • Investigative journalism on public figures, institutions or sets of relationships with implications for Palestinian rights or the Palestine solidarity movement

What we generally don’t want:

  • Stories or analyses that have already been well covered on EI – please be familiar with our past coverage of an issue
  • Stories well covered elsewhere and which don’t provide new insight or information
  • Summaries of conferences or specific events

The examples below of reportage published on EI show that there are different ways to present a story. Some use the traditional “inverted pyramid” structure, in which the most fundamental facts are presented first.

Others use a personal anecdote to introduce the reader to a wider issue. What all reportage should do is draw the reader in and encourage them to keep on reading.

Here are two resources with tips on how to write with clarity and pitfalls to avoid:

Opinion and analysis

An opinion piece gives the author’s own argument for a certain prescription, backed by sourced facts, usually between 700-1000 words in length.

Examples of opinion pieces:

Here are some resources on writing opinion pieces. Note that they are aimed at people writing for newspapers, which more strictly limit word length, but many of the same ideas apply to writing for the web too.

An analysis piece draws on research and the author’s own expertise to give a deeper look at a timely issue or trends or to shed new light on historic events.

Examples of analysis pieces:

First-person narrative

A first-person narrative is an account, usually between 700-800 words, of the author’s own experience which sheds light on some aspect of the Palestinian experience, engagement in solidarity work or other relevant experience.

Examples of first-person narratives:

Video features

A video feature is a short editorial video package featuring footage recorded and edited by the author(s). It may document a particular event or have a strong human interest emphasis.

A video feature should normally be pitched to the EI editors in advance of submission. Scripts for video features are edited and fact-checked like other content.

Do not use copyrighted material without explicit permission in your video package.

Examples of video features:

Photo features

We seek high-quality photojournalism – photo essays that incorporate reportage and quote people shown in the photographs.

The Electronic Intifada does occasionally publish a collection of photographs documenting a single event, accompanied by a brief introductory text and detailed captions. But we generally prefer photo essays with a strong editorial theme that might cover a longer period of time, and which go behind the headlines to show a more human dimension of an issue.

Examples of photo features:

Audio features

An audio feature is a short editorial audio package featuring sound recorded and edited by the author with accompanying introductory text. It may document a particular event or have a strong human interest emphasis. Scripts for audio features are fact-checked by the EI editors and edited for house style.

Audio features may be incorporated into the regular EI podcast. Contributors of this material work directly with the EI podcast producer.

Like our written features, audio pieces should be timely and news-driven. However, audio pieces focusing on culture – such as an interview with an artist or author, or live music, theater, performance and exhibitions – are welcome. All submissions must be pitched ahead of recording and production.

Do not use copyrighted material without explicit written permission in your audio feature.

Examples of audio features:

Reviews

The Electronic Intifada is one of the foremost publishers of reviews of books, films, art exhibitions, performances and albums that relate to Palestine.

While reviewers have different styles, there are some common elements that help to make these types of articles informative to the widest possible audience.

A book review is a critique of a new or recent title and is usually between 700-1,000 words in length.

In the case of nonfiction, a review lays out the purpose of the book, the author’s argument and the relevant context and uses fair criteria to determine whether the author was successful.

In the case of fiction, the general plot and the formal elements of the work are described and evaluated.

Examples of book reviews:

A film, album, performance or exhibition review is a critique of a new or currently showing creative work or documentary film and is usually between 700-1,000 words in length. It describes and evaluates the content and formal elements of the work.

Examples of film, recorded music, performance and exhibition reviews:

If you have read through our submission guidelines and unsure whether your proposed submission is something EI is interested in, or if you seek more guidance, please email the editors at info@electronicintifada.net. We look forward to hearing from you.