Work with us

The Lawrence Times news team is small but mighty.

We do our best to go above and beyond to serve our community the best we can, especially considering our limited resources.

Although we do not usually have full-time positions available, we are generally looking to meet and connect with folks who could fit in on our team on a part-time or freelance basis.

We prefer to grow our team when it’s possible, practical, and when we find the right person — or when the right person finds us. Most of our core team members originally joined the staff because they just happened to send an email at the right time and got our attention.

Here’s some info to give you an idea of who we’re looking to work with, what working with us might look like, and how to get involved if you think you might be a good fit. (This page will be updated on occasion depending on our needs as they change and evolve.)

Nothing here is meant to discourage anyone who wants to work with us from reaching out, even if you don’t quite fit what we’ve written here.

Who we’re looking for:

• Reporters who genuinely care about the Lawrence-Douglas County community and the impact of their work, and who treat others respectfully and professionally.

• Journalists who have experience with news writing and news production, whether that’s at a student publication, in a professional newsroom or through a class, and who understand the differences and boundaries between journalism and activism.

• We are open to folks whose focus is generally on multimedia, but basic writing skills are essential. For instance, photojournalists should be able to gather information to write cutlines, and they should be prepared to write a suggested headline and a few paragraphs to accompany a photo gallery and/or video.

• People who fit in well with our current team members, whose skills complement the team, and who can be team players.

• People who bring a unique perspective to the team and are willing to express themselves while showing respect for other team members.

• Curious people who are motivated to find and cover stories of all kinds.

• People who do not crack under pressure and instead thrive in the delightful chaos of busy news days.

What working with us could look like:

• We have a robust team of freelancers; some take assignments as frequently as multiple assignments per week, and others work as infrequently as once every few months or so. We like to give people flexibility to work with us when they can.

• We have some freelancers who are paid on a per-assignment basis, and other folks who work for hourly pay (all as independent contractors).

• We love it when folks pitch their own story ideas to us, but there will also be assignments up for grabs and plenty of events that we’ll want to cover.

• We operate largely remotely, meaning everybody works from wherever they choose, but there will be in-person meetings and workdays, especially when we’re actively collaborating on big news stories.

• We cover a wide range of community news — everything from in-depth investigative reporting on corruption to literal fluff pieces about kittens. But we are hyperlocal, and we prefer our coverage to stick to topics and issues that aren’t covered anywhere else in a way that is accessible to community members.

• We want reporters to pursue stories and projects that interest them, hone their skills and flourish with us.

If you’re interested:

Firstly — thank you!

If you’d like to apply as a freelance reporter with us, please fill out this application.

If you’d like to apply to do freelance photo assignments with us, please fill out this application.

In the past, we have asked folks to email us with the following information that we don’t request in the applications. We are now using the forms instead to stay organized, but if you want to embellish a bit, you could include — especially in the open-ended last question — any of the following (bearing in mind that we’re not looking for novels and brevity is a good thing):

• A little bit about your background — as a person and/or as a journalist (we care about both);

• Unique factors that shape your perspective and your approach to this work;

• Anything else you think might be good for us to know (your favorite dessert, how many cats you have, what animal most closely aligns with your personality, your favorite song to listen to for journalism motivation, whatever); and

• Your general availability — which days of the week and hours you’re typically available, if possible. This is not set in stone, and we understand if your availability fluctuates. We’re just trying to get a basic idea of how our schedules might align.

Want to stand out?

• A great way to get our attention is to provide a well-constructed, detailed pitch for a story you would like to cover for the Times.

• Show us that you consistently pay attention to what our team does and how we do it. Also, it sure doesn’t hurt to show that you actually read this page 🙂

What’s next?

We review applications on a rolling basis. We are a very small team and we’re stretched pretty thin. At certain times of year — changes of semesters, for instance — we often get inundated with a bunch of applications and inquiries.

However, we will try our best to get back to you as soon as we can to try to set up a meeting (via video or in person) to get to know you better. Consider it a job interview, but know that we also want you to ask questions to decide whether this is a team you want to join — you can interview us, too.

If you don’t hear back within a week or two, please don’t give up! We may have gotten buried in news, so please feel free to email us again to nudge us.

If you have specific questions about working with us, the best way to reach out is by emailing us at Hello@LawrenceKSTimes.com. (Don’t forget the “KS”, or your email won’t reach us!) Please stick to reaching out via that email address as opposed to trying via social media, individual team members, etc., to help us stay organized. Thank you!

Page last revised Feb. 5, 2026