You just have to be on top of policy issues for your state or locality. We think this is a pretty good venue for established journalists who are looking to do something a little different. Since we focus on commentary, our writers get the opportunity to publish pieces that are considerably more opinionated than the news pieces they typically write. A lot of writers find that attractive. These commentaries explore topics or issues that have piqued a lot of interest in one state or community, but that have some clear national relevance.
Urban sprawl is a great example.
We definitely would like writers to pitch 'In Your Backyard' ideas to us. You must be able to tell readers why they should care about that issue, even if they don't live where you live. We're looking for writers to cover the hottest Senate races. This would be a select group of people with solid political reporting backgrounds in about a dozen states. So if you think you can make a good case why your state will be a hot state for the 2000 election season, let us know.