Topics: Military Service, Veterans, War, National Security, Military Justice, Veterans Affairs, Defense Policy, Military Families, Investigations, Accountability Journalism, Defense Technology
Rate (USD): $1,000–$3,500 per assignment; higher rates considered for major investigations
Deadline: Rolling
Freelance Writing Opportunity at The War Horse
The War Horse is looking for freelance journalists, researchers, academics, service members, veterans, and military family members with compelling ideas for deeply reported investigations and enterprise features.
The publication focuses on the human consequences of military service, war, and national security policy. Its journalism examines military life, veterans’ systems, military institutions, defense policy, bureaucracy, leadership, culture, spending, technology, justice, health, readiness, and war.
The strongest stories do more than report that something happened. They investigate what happened, explain why it matters, identify who bears the consequences, and reveal a larger pattern, system, institutional failure, or unanswered question.
The War Horse particularly values journalism that holds power accountable, exposes hidden systems, examines institutional failures, and helps readers understand how decisions made by governments and military institutions affect people on the ground.
What The War Horse Is Looking For
The publication is especially interested in stories with a strong human center and a significant public-interest question.
Potential areas include:
- Military justice
- Veterans health care and benefits
- Training deaths and injuries
- Command climate and retaliation
- Sexual assault and institutional responses
- VA and Department of Defense accountability
- Military family housing
- Reserve and National Guard systems
- Defense spending and contracting
- Emerging military technology
- Military education and training pipelines
- National security policy
- Military leadership and bureaucracy
- War and its consequences
- Military health and readiness
- Institutional culture and accountability
This list is not exhaustive. If you have a deeply reported story that could help readers understand something important about military service, war, or the institutions surrounding them, The War Horse wants to hear from you.
The publication generally favors stories supported by original reporting, firsthand interviews, public records, court filings, government documents, data, photographs, video, audio, inspection reports, lawsuits, internal communications, or other credible evidence.
What Makes a Strong Pitch?
A strong War Horse pitch should clearly establish:
- The specific story you want to report—not simply a broad topic.
- The people affected and why their experiences matter.
- The evidence available to support the reporting.
- The larger pattern, system, conflict, failure, or unanswered question.
- Why the story matters now.
- Why the story belongs at The War Horse.
For example, “toxic leadership in the military” is too broad.
A stronger pitch might examine a specific command where there is a documented pattern of complaints, ignored warnings, retaliation, and harm to service members.
Likewise, “problems at the VA” is too broad. A specific benefits backlog, medical delay, failed program, oversight gap, or documented policy failure affecting a particular group of veterans provides a much stronger foundation for reporting.
Similarly, “new military technology” is unlikely to be enough on its own. A story examining how a specific technology is being funded, tested, deployed, resisted, oversold, or affecting service members, civilians, or future warfare provides a clearer journalistic question.
Read The War Horse Before Pitching
Before submitting a pitch, writers should read The War Horse to understand its editorial voice, reporting standards, and approach to military journalism.
These stories provide useful examples of the type of work the publication produces:
- How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap During the Defense Department’s Fight Against Climate Change
- Gulf War Illness Treatments Discovered. Will Veterans Affairs Officials Listen Now?
- Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment
- Why Is It Taking So Long to Identify America’s Unknown Fallen Heroes?
The publication looks for journalism characterized by rigor, humanity, fairness, and consequence.
Sensitive Reporting and Source Protection
Some stories involving the military, veterans, and national security may involve vulnerable sources, retaliation risks, trauma, legal exposure, or sensitive records.
Do not send classified material or highly sensitive source-identifying information in an initial pitch. Instead, explain generally what information or documentation you have, what you are seeking, and any relevant risks.
If the story appears to be a potential fit, an editor can discuss safer ways to proceed.
The War Horse takes source protection seriously. Editors need to know the identity of anonymous sources, but anonymity may be granted when there is a clear public-interest justification and a credible risk of retaliation, harm, or professional consequences.
What The War Horse Expects From Freelancers
The publication edits closely and collaboratively.
For assigned stories, an editor will work with the freelancer on scope, reporting, structure, deadlines, and revisions.
Investigative and enterprise stories may require substantial reporting and editing, including fact-checking, source follow-up, requests for comment, documentation, and legal review before publication.
The War Horse does not share unpublished drafts with sources or subjects. Editors may verify quotes, facts, timelines, documents, and technical details. Subjects facing serious criticism will generally be given a meaningful opportunity to respond before publication.
Freelance reporters should be prepared to participate fully in the editing and fact-checking process.
What The War Horse Does Not Want
The War Horse is not seeking:
- Breaking news
- Opinion pieces
- Personal essays
- Book reviews
- Film reviews
- Satire
- Fiction
- Sponsored content
- Branded content
- PR placements
- Stories pitched on behalf of companies
- Stories pitched by agencies or advocacy campaigns
- Public relations pitches
Reflection essays are handled separately from freelance investigations and features.
Payment
The War Horse pays freelance reporters for assigned work.
Most freelance assignments fall between $1,000 and $3,500, while higher rates may be available for major investigations and ambitious enterprise reporting.
Rates depend on factors including reporting requirements, scope, length, exclusivity, documentation, timeline, and editing requirements.
The publication discusses the rate, deadline, scope, and expectations before assigning a story.
Contributors are required to sign a freelance agreement and disclose conflicts of interest that could affect their reporting or reader trust.
How to Pitch The War Horse
Your pitch does not need to be excessively long, but it should give the editor a clear understanding of the story and why it belongs at The War Horse.
Include:
- What the story is about — Explain the specific story rather than simply naming a broad subject.
- Why it matters — Explain the public-interest significance and why readers should care.
- Who is affected — Identify the people, communities, service members, veterans, families, or institutions at the center of the story.
- The larger question — Explain the system, pattern, failure, conflict, or unanswered question your reporting will investigate.
- Your reporting plan — Describe what you have already reported and what you plan to investigate.
- Your evidence — Mention relevant documents, data, court records, public records, photographs, audio, video, or other evidence you have or intend to obtain.
- Potential sources — Briefly identify important people you already know you need to interview.
- Why now — Explain what makes the story timely or particularly important at this moment.
- Your experience — Include a few sentences about yourself, your reporting background, and relevant previous work.
- Work samples — Include links to your strongest and most relevant published work.
You do not need to have every answer before pitching. However, the editor should be able to understand the central question, stakes, reporting path, and reason readers will care.
If your idea appears promising, an editor may ask you to develop the pitch further with a source list, reporting plan, possible narrative opening, or clearer story structure before an assignment is made.