Difference between revisions of "The Bridge"

Revision as of 17:30, 28 November 2013

WHAT IS THE BRIDGE?

The Bridge is Global Voices' original writing section.

WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR HAVING A STORY PUBLISHED ON THE BRIDGE?

Occasionally, Global Voices' editors will select stories from the regular GV editorial flow for publication on The Bridge. But the normal procedure will be to first send your story idea to The Bridge editorial team using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cfVl0HPvhCFn_Di2hQMqjpTIAuqGOk_InZ9-mInLXHM/viewform

The team will then review your idea and get back to you with further instructions.

WHAT KINDS OF STORIES WILL APPEAR ON THE BRIDGE?

For The Bridge, first and foremost, we are seeking high quality human stories. We are looking less for opinion pieces than stories that educate or illuminate differences in perception between local and international coverage of news events.

A good Bridge story:

- Might explain a gap between common perceptions, for instance, and those held by a local community. The goal of such a piece is not so much to say what is right or true, but to illuminate or explain why different groups might have diverse perspectives on an issue.

- Might explain a custom or phenomenon not widely known to the mass of readers.

- Could present a view of an event or topic from the perspective of a person living in a global world.

- Could present original research or investigation of popular phenomena.

- Should make sure to acknowledge and/or address common perceptions and the different conversations taking place globally around the topic at hand.

We encourage you to read the stories on The Bridge page for examples of the range of approaches writers have taken so far.

WHAT IS THE FORMAT AND STYLE FOR BRIDGE STORIES?

Format rules for Bridge posts are more loose than normal GV stories, but they are still in the Global Voices spirit of disinterested inquiry.

Also, we want them to be tightly and well written - be prepared to work closely with a member of the Bridge editorial team (Georgia, Solana, Sahar, Ivan) on both structure and language.

Even when pieces present a personal perspective on a topic, the facts still need to be correct, and supported where possible with hyperlinks to credible sources.

The target length is 600-1000 words.

I'M HAVING TROUBLE COMING UP WITH AN IDEA TO PITCH TO THE BRIDGE, ARE THERE ANY TIPS YOU CAN OFFER?

Things to consider when pitching a Bridge story:

- are you are passionate about the topic?

- do you have a personal connection to the story?

- is it a topic about which you have some special knowledge or expertise?

- do you have something fresh or interesting to say about the topic?

WHO CAN PUBLISH STORIES ON THE BRIDGE?

For the foreseeable future, only members of the Global Voices community can publish on The Bridge.