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Our Standards
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Work with Us

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HeadLines Decoded is building a home for clear, well-reported news and analysis, and we’re always interested in hearing from writers, photographers, and contributors who share that goal.

We cover politics, business, technology, culture, and travel, with a standing focus on Orlando and Central Florida, including Disney and theme park travel. If you have expertise or a strong pitch in any of these areas, we’d like to hear from you.

What we look for

Clear, factual writing; original reporting or genuine expertise; and a point of view that helps readers understand a story, not just react to it.

Full writer guidelines

Before pitching, read Our Standards. It sets out how we verify a story, where our images come from, and what we will never publish. The full working brief we hand contributors is a confidential document. We release it once you have signed and returned our contributor confidentiality agreement, and we will send you both when you get in touch.

How to reach out

Send a short introduction, a couple of writing samples or clips, and a pitch or two to [email protected]. Freelance and contract opportunities will open up as we grow.

Write with us. We build clear, fair, non-partisan coverage— Clarity in a Noisy World—and we welcome experienced journalists and journalism students alike. Applying takes two steps, and the first one is the one that counts.

1Email us — this is what we read first

Send one email to [email protected] with:

  • A short intro — who you are, in a few sentences.
  • Any published work you have — optional, and completely fine to skip if you’re a student.
  • The exercise (this is the part we weigh):
Pick a genuinely two-sided issue — keep it out of hot-button partisan politics for this — and in about 300–500 words make the strongest honest case for each side without choosing a winner. No thumb on the scale. That balance is the whole job here.
Need a starting point? Try: Should college athletes be paid? · Is the four-day work week good for business? · Do zoos do more good than harm? · Should AI tools be allowed in classrooms? — or bring your own.

Why an email instead of a box on this page? Because composing a message that presents you and holds two views fairly is the real skill — and the first sign you’ll follow a brief.

2Leave your details

The easy part — so we can credit and reach you.