Posted On: September 15, 2016

Contributor

Media Organization: Not Mad

Company Description

Not Mad is an online publication that exhibits, reviews and discusses art, music, film, culture, social change and personal narrative through the eyes of social media savvy almost adults — we strive to foster a supportive and rich space for young artists, musicians, thinkers and creators to express what they are most passionate about. At this age, trends don’t just exist around us; they shape us into who we are and the way we think. Social media and technological advancements have enhanced our knowledge and understanding of popular culture, and while this hyper awareness is stimulating, it’s often overwhelming.

Not Mad hopes to dissect these movements in pop culture and social structure, publicizing personal and humorous work that unpacks what it means to live in 2016 through a curious and naive perspective. We’re young, we’re engaged and we love to share. Our tone is both informal and intellectual, naive and passionate, silly and eloquent; it’s curated editorial content for millennials, by millennials.

Los Angeles-natives and best friends since the 7th grade, Rio Viera-Newton and Jackson Howard, recent graduates of Bard College and the University of Michigan, respectively, co-founded Not Mad together in 2014.

We publish everything from op-eds about Bernie Sanders and Drake’s treatment of women to playlists about the California drought; from personal narratives about mental health and attending the Iowa Caucus to criticisms of VETEMENTS, love letters to Missy Elliott and a bunch of music and movie reviews; we’ve also interviewed figures such as legendary skater and photographer Ed Templeton, musical wiz kid Jacob Collier, DJ Harley Viera-Newton and rap group Warm Brew. This past year, we partnered with Beats by Dre and RE/DONE for a college student give away which reached over 3,000 students across the country.

Job Description

Not Mad is looking for content from college-aged writers — we publish a diverse and varied mix of material (op-eds, playlists, interviews, reviews) and are opening to publishing material on pretty much anything.

We don't pay, but we have a dedicated readership, allow for tons of editorial freedom and pride ourselves on being a group of editors passionate about not only publishing the best content possible, but working with young writers to bring out their voice and improve their writing.

Our op-eds and reviews hover between 800-1200 words, and we greatly encourage hyperlinks, first person and experimental structures. Our interviews are more flexible, usually between 700-1500 words, while our playlists sit around 500 words.

Now that we're based in New York, contributors would have the opportunity to do in person reads and edits with some of our staff.

To Apply

Email a writing sample and, ideally, a few pitches that you'd feel excited to get started on immediately. We're happy to help you brainstorm, but pitches from the writer oftentimes get the ball rolling.

Jackson Howard (jackson@notmad.us)