San Francisco is the most interesting city in America right now and we want to cover it the way it deserves. We cover San Francisco with depth and a fresh perspective and reach millions of people every month with our journalism. Now we're experimenting with what local news can be, and part of that is exploring formats beyond traditional articles.
Here's what we're doing about it:
We're paying creators to make compelling video and audio content about what's actually happening in San Francisco. If you can shoot, edit, and tell stories — and you're willing to do actual reporting — we want to see your work.
Submit your work. If it's good, we'll pay you for it and publish it. If you keep making good stuff, we'll keep paying you. Maybe this becomes a regular thing. Maybe it turns into something bigger. But first, show us what you can do.
The kind of stories we want:
- The restaurant that's thriving while everyone says downtown is dead — how are they doing it?
- Inside the organization actually moving people off the streets — what works and what doesn't?
- The AI company burning $50 million a month — what are they actually building?
- The neighborhood changing faster than anywhere else in the city — who's behind it?
- The permit that's holding up 500 units of housing — why can't anyone figure out how to approve it?
- The founder who just raised $100 million — what's the story no one else has?
Stories that require you to actually talk to people. Stories where you learn something. Stories that make people understand San Francisco better than they did before.
What we pay:
- Short video (under 5 min): $300-$1,000
- Long-form video (5-15 min): $1,000-$3,000
- Podcast episodes: $1,000-$3,000
- Other formats: Let's talk
Plus you get published by a real news organization with actual reach. You can put "published by The San Francisco Standard" in your portfolio. You get the credibility of a newsroom that breaks news.
What you need:
Production skills. You know how to shoot, edit, and make something people want to watch or listen to. You don't need a journalism degree or a fancy camera. You need to be able to tell a story in a visual or audio format that isn't boring.
Reporting ability. Or at least the willingness to learn. This means: talking to real people (not just texting), verifying information, getting multiple perspectives, not just repeating what you saw on Twitter.
A San Francisco angle. The story has to be about SF or the Bay Area. If it's about tech, it should be about what's happening here. If it's about policy, it should be about how it affects this city.
How this works:
Already made something? Send us a link. We'll watch it. If we like it, we'll pay you and publish it.
Have an idea? Pitch it to us. Tell us what the story is, why it matters, and how you'll tell it. Show us your previous work. If we're into it, we'll greenlight it and work out budget/timeline.
Either way, it goes through our editors. We'll fact-check it. We might ask for changes or additional reporting. We might ask you to reshoot something. This isn't just uploading to your YouTube channel — there are standards. But that's also why it matters more when it publishes.
What we're NOT looking for:
- Video essays about your feelings about San Francisco
- You reading articles that other people wrote
- Stuff that's already published elsewhere
- Pure opinion with no reporting
- Anything we can't verify
Submit your work:
Send either:
- Finished work: Link + brief description of how you reported it + your background
- Pitch: Detailed story idea + how you'll tell it + timeline + links to your previous work
We review everything. If it's good, we'll publish it and pay you. If it's almost good, we'll give you notes. If it's not right for us, we'll tell you that too.
The city is happening right now. Show us how you'd cover it.