Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Corps (Contract)

Organization: West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Location: Remote
Employment Type: Contract

The Inside Appalachia team is expanding its Folkways Reporting Corps and is seeking 5–10 storytellers from across Appalachia to contribute to the program.

This corps will include contributors from West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Appalachian Ohio who are interested in producing human-interest features focused on Appalachian folklife, arts and culture.

Participants will learn sound gathering and storytelling techniques, along with reporting strategies for creating sound-rich stories for radio and podcast audiences.

About the Inside Appalachia Folkways Project

The Folkways Reporting Corps is part of an initiative from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The Inside Appalachia Folkways Project supports storytellers — both aspiring and experienced — who are passionate about Appalachian culture. The project documents everyday Appalachian life, with a focus on folklife, arts, and culture, and generates content for the Inside Appalachia radio show and podcast.

This opportunity is ideal for:

  • Folklorists interested in expanding their storytelling and media skills
  • Aspiring journalists
  • Independent or freelance journalists interested in cultural reporting
  • Journalists working at small community newspapers or broadcast stations
  • Students interested in storytelling and journalism

Responsibilities

Members of the Folkways Reporting Corps may be asked to:

  • Attend trainings and project meetings
  • Collect audio and video in the field
  • Conduct interviews and reporting
  • Write and produce feature stories
  • Contribute digital and multimedia storytelling elements

Each completed story will include:

  • A broadcast/podcast script
  • Digital audio and/or video files
  • A web article with captioned and credited still photos
  • Social media elements

Stories must meet the content guidelines established through the pitch and editing process.

Qualifications

Applicants should demonstrate:

  • An understanding, appreciation, and passion for Appalachian culture
  • Strong communication and writing skills
  • Ability to work creatively, independently, and collaboratively
  • Familiarity with digital storytelling tools (audio, photography, and/or video) or a strong willingness to learn
  • Willingness to travel for reporting within Central Appalachia

Additional requirements:

  • Reporting must focus on one or more of the following states:
    Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Kentucky
  • Ability to travel within at least one of these states
  • Valid driver’s license and access to personal transportation

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

Please send the following materials:

  • Resume
  • Cover letter
  • Work samples
  • Story pitches

Story pitches should focus on Appalachian folklife, arts, or culture and highlight a topic in one or more of the seven states listed above.

Send materials to: blynch@wvpublic.org.