Contribute to Independent Australia

Would you like to contribute to Independent Australia?

Independent Australia is one of Australia's most popular news websites, with thousands of people reading IA stories every day.

Our stories come from our talented editorial team, our regular columnists and a host of contributors from Australia and around the world.

Contributing is easy. Read the guidelines below and simply email your article to submissions@independentaustralia.net.

**Independent Australia is currently accepting submissions for the Most Compelling Article and Most Enthralling Creative Work categories — full details here.**

Submission checklist (see detailed checklist below)

1. Is your topic suited to IA?
2. Is your submission in Word or Word-compatible format?
3. Is the word count between 700-1200 words?
4. Remember to check spelling, punctuation and grammar.
5. Remember to include hyperlinks to all claims and names.
6. Does your article comply with the MEAA Code of Ethics?
7. Have you attributed sources for any images?
8. Add a title, summary and keywords.
9. Has your submission been published elsewhere?
10. Don't forget to include a short bio and photo of yourself.
11. Check our general submission conditions below.

Code of Ethics

Independent Australia complies with the MEAA’s Code of Ethics and also have reference to the ACMA Code of Conduct. We recommend you familiarise yourself with these before submitting your piece.

IA is also a member of the Australian Press Council, which enforces ethics and standards in Australia's print media. IA has a rigorous feedback and complaints policy, so please ensure all submissions are factually accurate and checked thoroughly.

Please also ensure you inform IA editorial staff if you have a conflict of interest pertaining to any article you submit. 

Topics

Our main areas of editorial focus are federal politics, democracy, the environment, human rights, Australian identity, Indigenous issues, economics, finance, health, law and the justice system.

We publish on most topics and all our stories have an underlying thread — a desire to right wrongs and injustices, and help create a better world.

Pique our interest with original content or a fresh slant on a current issue. Look for issues the mainstream media isn’t reporting, or take a different angle than the mainstream media. We are looking for new ideas, not the same old spin. 

Style Guide

Submissions should be sent in Word or Word-compatible file format. Please do not use a PDF file due to formatting problems. 

Your pieces will be looked on much more favourably if they conform to IA's style. You can find the latest version of the Independent Australia style guide HERE. 

Length

IA’s preferred article length is between 700 and 1,200 words — with 700 being more preferred than 1,200. The minimum length we will accept is 350 words. In exceptional circumstances, we will consider longer articles but this usually relates to investigative pieces.

Try to keep your sentences short and choose shorter words. If you’re unsure, run your article through a readability index tool (like this one).

Proofreading: Spelling, grammar and punctuation

As we receive a large number of submissions, contributors who provide clean copy will not only save us time but will receive priority for publication. 

Where not covered in the IA style guide, we recommend The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.

Links

Always provide links and references (preferably to primary sources or credible institutions) to back up any claims, as well as quotes. We also appreciate it if you could link any names not easily recognised by our readers. 

IA is proud of the fact that our readers can check all claims and quotes, and satisfy themselves that our sources are credible. 

To add a hyperlink: 

• Select the text you want to link. If it is a quote, don't highlight the whole quote, just the vehicle for the quote, such as "report", "he/she said", "article" and so on. Copy the URL link, then click "Insert" and select "Hyperlink". In the "Link to" box, paste in the URL link, then click "OK".

Graphics, photos, images

Images and graphics from other news sites may violate the MEAA Code of Ethics and copyright laws. Please ensure you attribute the sources and licence details of any images, graphs and multimedia used. Please also provide details If you are using someone else's images with permission.

Title, summary and keywords or tags

The provision of a title and a summary is the best way to pitch your story to us. (Note: titles and summaries supplied by you are working titles only, and will likely not be used if the piece is published.)

Please provide a list of keywords, terms, phrases, real names, places and so on. Known as "search engine optimisation" (SEO), this helps direct traffic to your article from search engines like Google.

Has your submission been published elsewhere?

Please make sure you let us know if your piece has been previously published elsewhere. Our preference is for previously unpublished work but if we choose to republish your submission, the original publication must be credited.

Bio

If you are a new contributor, you will need to provide a short bio – written in the third person – and a profile picture.

For a list of IA contributors and their bios, click HERE.

General conditions of publication

• IA reserves the right to publish at its discretion.
• Articles may be edited as necessary.
• As IA publishes under a Creative Commons licence, all articles (except republished pieces, cartoons and images) may be republished elsewhere. 
• We do not accept unpaid native advertising dressed up as news.
• Please note articles chosen for publication will not be removed from the IA website except in extreme situations.

All the best!

Michelle Pini | Managing Editor

**Submissions received between 1 February and 12 September 2024 may be eligible for our writing competition as detailed above.

(Updated 14 March 2024)