While gal-dem makes decisions on content based on relevance and quality, we also recognise the under-representation of people of colour in journalism and we welcome and encourage contributions from people with a lived experience of what it means to be of that demographic. The current journalistic landscape is 94% white and 55% male and gal-dem is actively trying to redress this imbalance in media more broadly through both our editorial and commercial work.

We believe that taking control of the way we are portrayed in the media is essential – but our end goal is not simply representation: our journalism and creative work can shape debates, shift discussions, create new ways of thinking and contribute to social movements. We empower and support the creative work of our communities through disrupting tired stereotypes and showcasing their work and thoughts as a vital part of discussions in a whitewashed media environment. You can support us and our work by becoming a gal-dem member today.

For more information on gal-dem please see our privacy policy and our diversity policy.

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Our focus is on the stories of marginalised communities and incorporates anything from social justice and institutional corruption to cultural touchpoints and wellbeing. Our vision is to become widely known as an editorial platform for original analysis and ambitious investigative reporting. We write in a tone of voice that is accessible, conversational, compassionate, progressive and punchy.

Our editorial aims:

• We will continue to share stories and perspectives that people cannot find anywhere else
• We will tell people-focused stories that represent the diversity of the human experience and spotlight unheard voices
• We will always seek the truth and apply journalistic rigour throughout our editing and publishing processes
• We will always prioritise quality content over clickbait
• We will continue to learn from others
• We will not be afraid to have fun!

gal-dem is temporarily closed to new pitch submissions over January and February 2023. We will share updates on our re-opening here and across our social channels! 

Top tips

• gal-dem receives a lot of pitches! Before you pitch to us please Google the topic to make sure it is completely original and not on a topic we have already covered on the site and that your pitch really highlights why this topic would be of interest to a wider audience.
• Please do not start writing your piece before it has been commissioned.
• If we accept your pitch we will send you an email including a submission deadline, some advice and ideas on how we’d like to see the piece and a word count. We have experienced editors with specific knowledge in the subjects we cover who will help you to develop your article.
• Please do not expect to hear back on your pitch immediately unless we decide to commission. We are rarely able to offer individual feedback but do send out emails with group feedback once every three months.
• Often the reason why we aren’t able to commission your pitch is due to capacity and budgets (rather than it being a “bad” pitch). Please don’t be disheartened and do pitch to us again!
• For some more generalised pitching tips, please see JournoResources and Nieman Lab.

Article formats

We have six sections to pitch within: First Person, Politics, Music, Culture, Life and Climate. There are roughly six types of article formats that gal-dem publishes regularly. These are:

• Comment pieces (opinion hooked to current affairs)
• Personal essays
• Multi-interview features (where you’re interviewing multiple people within an analysis or news-led piece)
• Profile interviews (where you’re interviewing a single person)
• Q&A interviews
• Listicles

Section guides

FIRST PERSON

The First Person section at gal-dem is a space to tell the stories that matter most to our community from the widest possible range of perspectives. Ranging from emotive personal essays and creative non-fiction, to unique op-eds and joyous columns, the First Person section encapsulates the mantra that the personal is political.

The section’s conscious aims are to amplify marginalised voices; to move away from opinion writing that centres only trauma; and to continue to tell accessible, intersectional and optimistic stories from a first-person perspective. Some recent examples of the range across the section include this account of resisting an immigration raid, this column on dating with an ADHD diagnosis, and this personal essay on growing up in the harsh world of gymnastics.

POLITICS

gal-dem’s Politics section explores what it means to be a person of colour navigating systems not made for us. We’re looking for stories that take us outside of the Westminster bubble, reforming what political reporting is. These are reported features, investigations, interviews, profiles, comment and analysis that address human rights, social affairs, communities, activism and protest. Often stories will be tied to what’s happening in the news, but we actively encourage going beyond and seeking out stories that have been overlooked from underrepresented communities – from exposing injustices to uplifting profiles that spotlight emerging activists, campaigns and community groups.

gal-dem aims to have a global lens, and we encourage international writers to tell us about what’s going on at a local or national level in their communities. A politics story is, first and foremost, led by the lived experiences of people in underrepresented communities. 

CULTURE

gal-dem‘s Culture articles should feel young, fresh, and relatable. We cover all the things that make this life bearable: film and TV, theatre, books, subcultures, internet culture, pop culture, art and photography. The tone of voice needs to be similar to that of a friend, a balancing act between defiant, witty, humorous and urgent. It’s a place for discovery, where you can find shit hot analysis that gives you food for thought, new voices and perspectives. We want to create an affirming space that reflects our lives and loves and isn’t stuffy. We platform on-the-rise scenes, trends and creatives and when a big moment happens, we find new angles or profile someone behind the scenes or looking at how it was made.

Culture offers food for thought in leading conversations and is an affirming space reflecting our lives and loves and giving a space for writers to share their passion. We’re not afraid of covering passions that are off the beaten track.

MUSIC

This section aims to soundtrack events, spotlight new talent and provide the story behind great music! We’re open to all genres and our focus tends to be on celebrating POC talent, especially those from marginalised genders. We are looking for creative artist profiles on rising artists as well as established names. Consider why this person or group is relevant to be interviewed at this moment in time. Check to see whether we’ve already covered the person you want to speak to – if so, what has changed for the person since the last time they spoke to gal-dem?

We’re also looking for stories on music trends. Explain the trend you’ve noticed and tell us which voices you’d include to best shed light on the subject. Also keen on any commentary pieces regarding industry shortcomings and/or the game-changers that are working to make the scene more equal and inclusive. Other feature stories are always welcome: is there a story behind an iconic song that no one knows about? Is an overlooked genre finally getting its due? Is there a certain scene we should know about that’s cultivating the freshest sounds? Pitch us!

LIFE

The Life section at gal-dem should work as a respite for the somewhat heavy aspects of identity-related journalism. Lifestyle is fun, informative and highlights creative, nuanced and dynamic stories as well as reflecting aspects of the lives of our audience. It’s inclusive and accessible in tone. Life covers wellbeing, beauty, travel, food, hobbies, fashion, nature and relationships.

When pitching profiles or Q&A’s to Life, think about interesting and new talent (sports stars, chefs, models, designers, makeup artists, gardeners etc.) like designer Shriya Samavai Manian. Ideally, this person would have something active happening in their career – such as a new cookbook or a show coming out.

Multi-interview features within life are for deep dives into interesting and unusual topics, such as food trends, like this piece on black food businesses during Covid-19. You should think about who your case studies might be, usually including at least one expert voice to help solidify your point.  Sports and food pitches always catch my eye because we get the least of those.

While we do accept personal essays and first person pieces in Life, if it doesn’t directly link to the topics listed it may actually be better suited in the first person section. Well researched and sparky first-person pitches stand out, such as this piece on Primark’s ‘modest fashion’ range.

There may be multiple people you might want to spotlight, such as in this listicle piece on PoC to follow during the pandemic. If you have a talent and want to share it you could do a how-to style article giving practical advice, such as this piece on growing your own food.

CLIMATE

gal-dem’s climate section explores underreported climate stories and platforms unique as well as necessary perspectives on climate justice. Mainstream climate coverage has often overlooked the voices and experiences of communities of colour — especially in the Global South, so we want to put these voices front and forward. As climate injustice intersects with other social and societal issues, deepening pre-existing marginalisations within our communities, gal-dem’s climate contributors are urged to reflect this reality and use critical thinking in their analysis.

The section provides the space to look forward, think big and propose solutions to the climate crisis. We are looking for accessible and radical stories told from the perspective of our communities that challenge the doom and gloom narrative and inject hope into climate justice. Articles range from opinion pieces, to reported features, investigations, reviews, interviews and profiles.

INVESTIGATIONS

We are also looking to expand the number of long-form investigative projects we embark on. Please pitch these projects directly to our Editor-in-Chief, [email protected], including plenty of detail.

Upcoming writer’s events

We do not currently have any writer’s events in the diary. Check back here for future dates!

If you are a writer pitching to gal-dem, please read our pitching guide here. Editors are not able to respond to pitches sent in via email.

If you are trying to reach the commercial team with an advertising, partnerships, or event request, please email [email protected] to find the right contact details for your request.

If you have a concern about editorial content (articles, photography, illustrations or other journalistic content) that has appeared on gal-dem.com or would like to make a correction to a piece of content please email our Editor-in-Chief, [email protected].

Please do not use social media to reach the gal-dem team, as your message may get lost.

If you have a complaint or see an inaccuracy, please get in touch so we can fix it and improve in the future. You can see the full details of our complaints and whistleblower policy here, but the long and short of it is to drop us an email on [email protected].

Please note, we can only deal with your complaint if you are:

• personally and directly affected by an alleged breach of the Code,
• a representative group affected by an alleged breach of the Code, where there is public interest in your complaint,
• a third party seeking to ensure accuracy of published information.

Make sure to include your name, address, email, and phone number and you’ll receive an acknowledgment within seven days and a resolution within 21 days. Please read our full complaints guidelines here before you submit a complaint.

We’ll always make sure to correct the complaint transparently. If you’re not satisfied with our answer, there are provisions within our guidelines to escalate this with our regulator, IMPRESS.