Publication: The Progressive
Topics: Investigative reporting, current events, activism, social movements, foreign policy
Rate (USD): Up to $1,000 per article
Deadline: Ongoing
Editor: Editorial team; poetry curated by Jules Gibbs
Submit Via: Email — editorial@progressive.org

The Progressive is looking for writers and journalists with strong ideas for investigative reporting, current-events analysis, activism, social movements, and foreign policy stories with a clear U.S. angle.

The publication welcomes concise pitches and says submissions should include substantiating sources. Writers should therefore approach editors with a clearly defined story rather than a broad topic or general article idea.

What The Progressive Publishes

The Progressive is particularly interested in:

• Investigative reporting
• Current events from a progressive perspective
• Activism and social movements
• Foreign policy stories with a strong U.S. connection
• Poetry by invitation

Foreign policy pitches should demonstrate why the story matters specifically to U.S. readers or has a meaningful U.S. dimension.

How to Pitch The Progressive

Keep your pitch concise and focused. Explain the central argument or reporting idea, why the story matters now, and what makes your proposed piece distinctive.

Include credible sources that substantiate the story you are proposing. For investigative or reported pieces, identify the evidence, documents, experts, data, or other reporting resources that support your idea.

A strong pitch should also make clear why The Progressive is an appropriate publication for the story and demonstrate familiarity with its coverage.

Send queries and manuscripts to editorial@progressive.org.

Poetry Submissions

Poetry is curated by poetry editor Jules Gibbs. Poets should not send unsolicited poetry manuscripts; selected poets will be invited to submit their work.

Letters to the Editor

The Progressive also welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be no more than 250 words, and contributors should provide their full postal address when submitting.

Letters may be edited for style, length, and clarity.

Pitching Tip

If you want to improve your chances of getting a response, avoid sending a generic essay proposal. Lead with the specific story you want to tell, support it with credible sources, and establish its relevance to the publication’s audience.

For investigative pitches, evidence is particularly important. Editors need enough information to understand that your idea is based on substantive reporting rather than speculation.

Ready to pitch? Prepare a concise, well-sourced story idea and send your query or manuscript to editorial@progressive.org.