CAREERS

TEMPORARY REMOTE: Oct. 11-Nov.8

Queer News Network (QNN) is a collaborative of LGBTQ+ newsrooms across 11 states. The network is currently starting as an “election desk” project for the 2024 General Election, and aims to provide vital elections coverage and monitoring by focusing on candidates, bills, and organizations promoting anti-LGBTQ+ or anti-Democracy messaging, as well as those with pro-LGBTQ+ stances.

From October 1 to November 12, QNN will monitor select candidates (from federal to school board level) notable for endorsements from organizations promoting gender-based or political violence, alongside related ballot initiatives.

Each participating newsroom will identify candidates for monitoring and contribute content before October 1 to populate the website with articles and information. This initial work will serve as both a national voter guide for those states and a central hub for national awareness of the candidate and initiative landscape.

QNN is governed by three newsrooms: LOOKOUT (Arizona), Q Voice News (Southern California), and QVegas (Nevada).

Ultimately, QNN strives to empower queer voters with critical information about the candidates and initiatives impacting the LGBTQ+ community, fostering informed decision-making at the polls.

Currently, we have received funding to bring on eight interns for 60 hours of work over four weeks leading into the election. The work will be as follows:

Regional desktop reporting:

Interns will be split off into pairs for four different regions, West Coast, Central, South, and East Coast. Each intern will meet with editors of newsrooms from their regions to identify specific anti- and pro-LGBTQ+ candidates they will monitor for the four weeks leading into the general election. 

Each intern will be reporting to LOOKOUT Editor in Chief Joseph Darius Jaafari and will be required to write blog-style posts on campaign updates for candidates each week. 

Examples of blog posts may include: a candidate spoke at an online town-hall disparaging trans people or teachers, making inaccurate claims that schools are sexualizing children; a candidate released a new ad that made election denialism claims; a candidate posted on Truth or X an anti-trans remark; a candidate took funds from an anti-LGBTQ+ donor. 

On election night, interns will monitor their candidates for any claims of election denialism, voter intimidation at polls in their districts, as well as keep up on election results via their county election supervisor pages. 

On the final week of the internship, interns will monitor social media for any local unrest because of election results. 

PAY & TIME COMMITMENT: $1,200 stipend, 60 hours 

LOOKOUT values applicants who have lived queer experience, but it is not a requirement for the job. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive workplace and encourage qualified applicants of all backgrounds to apply. 

Send resume and writing clips to LOOKOUT Editor in Chief Joseph Darius Jaafari at: joseph@lookoutphx.org. We are looking to fill these positions as soon as possible.