Call For Pitches - The Pulso Podcast

The Pulso Podcast

Call for pitches

Who We Are

Pulso is a non-profit media start-up that shares news, history and culture stories by Latinos, for Latinos, dedicated to keeping the pulse on nuestra gente.  Our Podcast, “The Pulso Podcast” tells the untold stories & unheard voices of Latinos in the US, stories that make up our history, our culture, nuestra gente.  We are welcoming pitches for our upcoming third season.

We’re looking for stories with clearly defined characters and voices that challenge our assumptions about Latino experiences, unearth aspects of Latinidad that aren't being talked about, and dig into the complexities about being Latino in the United States.

Here are some examples of the kind of topics we’ve covered:

• The little known story of the official Spanish version of the U.S. national anthem that was almost forgotten history, and the team working to give it a second life.
• A Bay area tortilla chef who is on a mission to bring back the reputation of the flour tortilla and in doing so, is exploring the question, what does “authentic cuisine” really mean and is it possible to decolonize our food?
• The history of the first Latinos, the Mexicans who lived in areas of Mexico that were bought or stolen by the US government
• A Latina millennial TikToker who is on a mission to show others that “therapy” is not a bad word, and in doing so explores why it’s so difficult for Latinos to talk about mental health

Each episode runs between 15-30 minutes in length. We offer a flat rate of between $1000-$2000 depending on the type of episode and amount of work needed.  Some of our episodes are based around a conversation with a single person, while some have full narrative storylines and require more reporting & writing.  Rate will be adjusted accordingly.  We will discuss vision and create a contract together before the episode starts.  Our average turnaround time for an episode is between 6-12 weeks.

The Pitch

When you pitch, you should have a sense of the overall narrative arc or direction for the episode: where it will start, who the main characters are, how the narrative will develop over various scenes, and what big ideas the story will explore. These things can change a lot as the editorial process progresses but it’s good if the pitch has a basic arc that reflects how the story could unfold.

Please send 3-4 paragraphs detailing your pitch, We’re looking to get an idea of who the

storyteller is, what happens to them over the course of the story, and why it matters.

Please be sure the following questions are answered in your pitch.  

• What is the theme/topic of this episode?
• Who are the characters we’ll meet? Who are the people who can speak to this theme/topic from first-hand experience?
• Where does the story take place?
• What are the plot points? 
• What is the conflict that needs to be overcome or resolved?
• What are the larger themes the story will touch on? 
• What is the historical context of the story? 
• Why will this story be interesting for our Millennial and Gen X Latino listeners, and how will it challenge the way we think about this topic? 
• What stereotype or new perspective about the Latino experience is this helping to break or bring to life?
• Why is this a relevant theme/topic now?
• Why does the story matter to you?

The Process

We’ll ask you to do all of the reporting and most audio recording as well as take the lead on scripting — while we contribute production help, project management, fact-checking, and editing assistance.

You will report and record the tape with project support + story guidance from us, then write up an initial outline and rough script.  We will read, listen, provide direction and work together on successive drafts of the story

We value open, direct, and proactive communication at all stages of production. Our whole team works remotely — so expect some video calls, Google Docs, file transfers, and remote recordings depending on the story.

We use Descript and ProTools but you don’t need to know any specific audio software to work with us.

If you have significant experience working in a DAW to bring a story to a polished fine cut, then we can increase our flat fee so that you do this work. In this scenario, you’d send over audio stems when the edit is locked and we’re ready for music, sound design, and mixing work.

We handle sound design, mixing, & mastering of episodes, so this won’t be part of your responsibility as a contributor.

We also are open to re-publishing work you’ve already published with another show non-exclusively, and we can pay an honorarium of $200-$300 for that.

We review pitch submissions monthly and will respond to each and every one.

How to reach us

Please submit your pitches On this form

Feel free to email any questions to [email protected]

*Pulso is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQIA+ people must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.