Posted On: April 26, 2011
Contributor
Media Organization: Etsy.com
Company Description
You may know Etsy as the online craft marketplace, but we’re also a media company with an online magazine and video series that get millions of monthly views. We see ourselves as anthropologists of commerce: curious about people and what they make, exchange and consume. By looking at the “stuff” that matters to our lives, we hope to understand more about what moves us as human beings.
Nowadays, there’s a clamoring to know the story behind what we buy — who made it, how, what route did it travel to our door? Our mission is to reveal these global stories, to introduce our audience to makers, collectors and the history of their goods. Etsy aims to restore community and culture to our commerce, and storytelling is one way we pursue this vision.
Job Description
You may know Etsy as the online craft marketplace, but we’re also a media company with an online magazine and video series that get millions of monthly views. We see ourselves as anthropologists of commerce: curious about people and what they make, exchange and consume. By looking at the “stuff” that matters to our lives, we hope to understand more about what moves us as human beings.
Nowadays, there’s a clamoring to know the story behind what we buy — who made it, how, what route did it travel to our door? Our mission is to reveal these global stories, to introduce our audience to makers, collectors and the history of their goods. Etsy aims to restore community and culture to our commerce, and storytelling is one way we pursue this vision.
As we develop our global reporting team, we are seeking new writers for our blog who can scout and pitch short features (500-800 words) or take assignments. This is a paid position with the expectation of monthly or bi-monthly articles. At present, we are looking for writers based in the U.K., JAPAN and MEXICO, but writers in other countries are welcome to get in touch as we will continue to develop our global team throughout 2011.
Most posts will involve original reporting, but some may be developed off the news and online sources. You might introduce us to an street artist who works with scrap materials, or a teenager who steals copper from gravestones for reselling. Write a book review about beekeeping collectives. Find out who trawls the Goodwill auction sites for undiscovered treasures and tracks their provenance. Tell us about the iPhone factory worker whose photo reminded everyone that industrial products are often handmade. You can focus on objects and what they reveal about people… or tell the stories of the people behind objects… or illuminate how objects connect people.
To Apply
To apply, please send a resume and cover note telling us about yourself, including relevant details about your work in the country where you are based and your background or personal interest in the issues Etsy covers—design, crafts, the DIY movement, sustainability issues, and commerce. Please include a relevant clip or links to samples online.