America’s Test Kitchen is looking for food writers

I’m looking for pitches for Season 11 of Proof from America’s Test Kitchen. Read the article below to see how to pitch! As part of our production process, we have the writers report and write the script, and then our post-production team handles the post-production (cutting, sound design, etc.). So, experience with writing for the ear is preferred, but experience with a DAW (digital audio workstation) isn’t.

Deadline: 31 May 2022

ABOUT THE COMPANY

We are passionate about cooking—discovering why recipes work and why they don’t—and sharing what we learn to help everyone cook with confidence. We test cookware and supermarket ingredients to find the best quality products for home cooks.

To accomplish our goals, we rely on an exceptional group of diverse employees. Everyone brings their own mix of talents and characteristics and is important to the process of creating our magazines, cookbooks, television shows, podcasts, and websites. America’s Test Kitchen seeks to hire a diverse group of employees who bring a wealth of skills, ideas, personal experiences, and multicultural perspectives to our endeavors and to the audience we serve.

ABOUT THE ROLE

PROOF ACCEPTING PITCHES FOR SEASON 11 OF AWARD-WINNING PODCAST

Journalists: We’re looking for your story ideas for an upcoming episode of Proof

Proof is an award-winning narrative podcast from America’s Test Kitchen hosted by James Beard Award-winning journalist Kevin Pang. It’s a podcast that takes listeners into the curious, often unexamined and unexpected corners of the food world, and turns seemingly small questions into expansive storytelling journeys. The questions that Proof stories dive into shouldn’t have easily Google-able answers.

We’re looking for pitches to fill our Season 11 lineup that speak to one of the following themes:

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
All that glitters isn’t gold.
The proof is in the pudding.

You can interpret these themes however you wish, but remember Proof is a show about unexpected or surprising aspects of food and drink, and the people behind it.

The deadline for pitches is 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, May 31.

HERE IS A SAMPLE OF PAST PROOF EPISODES:

At the turn of the 20th century, there was a coordinated effort to shut down Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. What happened?
White Tower. Arthur Treacher’s. Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken. Where did these fast food chains disappear to?
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marcia Chatelain investigates.
Host Kevin Pang dives into how his dad became a YouTube cooking show star.

HOW TO PITCH

In your pitch, include the following: How does your story adhere to one of the themes mentioned above? Who are the characters we’ll follow? What quest are they on and what challenges are they trying to overcome? What are the stakes? What central question and/or larger themes does your story attempt to answer and explore? To the extent that you’ve gleaned some of this through pre-reporting, what is the proposed narrative arc of your story?

Diversity—subject matter, viewpoints, the reporters telling the stories—is crucial to Proof.

Show: Airs weekly during the season. (Production for Season 11 begins ASAP, and episodes air July – September 2022)
Episode length: Your pitch should encompass the scope for a 30-40-minute narrative podcast episode.
Compensation: $3,200 – $3,500 depending on experience level. Rate is negotiated and determined in advance.
Pitch: By email, please include “Proof pitch: [INSERT THEME]” in the subject line
Contact: Yumi Araki, Managing Producer & Editor: yumi.araki@americastestkitchen.com

COMPENSATION