THE BASTION

For Individuals

Development is a concept that sits at the intersection of a lot of different disciplines, like public policy, economics, political science, human rights, and technology (amongst many others). We’re looking for ideas and pitches that sit at this same intersection, and present new ways of reporting on Education, Environment, and Sports. 

We like thinking outside of the development box and we hope you do too. The Bastion welcomes submissions from interested writers, researchers, and filmmakers of all social and economic backgrounds.

The Technical Stuff

We publish analytical articles, ground reports, op-eds, photo essays, data stories, interviews, videos, and debates. The topics and subtopics we broadly cover are:

• Education: the business of education; education for the marginalised; syllabus and pedagogy; technology and education.
  
• Environment: climate change; conservation and development; renewable energy; resource management; urban ecology.
• Sports: the business of sports; gender; law and policy; grassroots development.
• Technology and Indian Society: law, privacy, and digital rights; digital literacy and access [i.e., how do we get the ‘next billion’ online?]; Indians online [i.e. how have Indians created new cultures and experiences online? Think: TikTok!]; innovative tech [i.e., how was technology used to innovatively solve an Indian problem?].
• On the Fence: writers debate topical issues in public policy, the politics of development, ethics and more.

We’re always looking for great ideas in development and public policy that add value and innovation to existing conversations. If you have a story that doesn’t fall within these subtopics or content types, but would like to work with us anyway, please do email us at [email protected]. We’d love to have a go at it with you. 

How and What We Write

Run by Chirag Chinnappa and Aarathi Ganesan, our Editorial desk focuses on coherent, relevant ideas that can be woven into a story with effective writing, well-structured arguments, and strong research skills. For more information on the nitty-gritties of writing with us, please refer to our Style Guide. 

Besides that, here are some important things to remember when submitting a pitch or draft:

• All articles are to be written using British English. Please submit drafts in Word.
  
• All articles must be well-researched using reputed, credible sources. Sources must be hyperlinked, and if necessary, footnoted using the Harvard referencing style. We have a strict no-plagiarism policy. Please ensure that the work is your own, and all sources are appropriately cited. Plagiarised articles will not be considered.
• Analytical articles, interviews, op-eds, and ground reports are broadly written within 800-1200 words.
• Photo essays and data stories can have as many original photos or data panels as desired — however, they must be accompanied by a written essay of at least 700 words.
• For an On the Fence, the initial introduction to the debate is ~300 words, while each commentary is contained within ~1000 words.
  
• Video explainers or documentaries are usually between 4 to 10 minutes long, depending on the topic and type.
• As we are a growing organisation, we currently cannot offer monetary compensation to our contributors. We do promise to broadcast your work to our audience creatively and widely across our website, social media platforms, and newsletter.

Please Note: Ground reports are expected to be conducted with the highest levels of ethical sensitivity to the respondents and their safety. The respondents’ consent to be published, even anonymously, is non-negotiable. Please go through the following guidelines for more information, or contact [email protected] for further clarification. 

Submitting an Abstract or Article

To send in a pitch or an article (in Word!), please email [email protected], with ‘Submission’ in the subject line. When doing so, please also include a brief introduction and why you’d like to work with us. We will try our best to get back to you within one week of your submission with our decision — however, ours is a small, two-member editorial team, so there may be delays! 

Our Editorial Process

Once the submission is confirmed, the writer is assigned an Editor. The Editor will discuss and develop their pitch/draft with them. The Editor will then set a date for a new draft to be sent in, usually within 3-6 days of the original pitch.

Once this draft is in, the Editor will make copy-edits, suggest some structural and content-based changes, and in some cases, suggest rewriting. The writer is expected to turn around the suggested edits within 2-3 days of receiving them.

Once the second draft is sent in, the Editor will conduct final fact-checks and edits. Then, the article will be ready for publication, 10-12 days after the initial pitch. We encourage our writers to also take creative ownership of co-designing relevant social media marketing promotions for their articles. For more insight into our social media, check out our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Internships

We also offer writing- and research-based internships of at least two months’ duration throughout the year. Interns are provided with one-on-one guidance from our Editors, and are encouraged to produce original journalism and research in the field of development. If you’d like to apply for an internship, please send in a copy of your C.V. and two writing samples to [email protected], with ‘Internship’ in the subject line. We will try our best to get back to you within one week of your application with our decision — however, ours is a small, two-member editorial team, so there may be delays!