Guidelines for Multinational Monitor Writers

Multinational Monitor is a monthly magazine devoted primarily to examining the activities of multinational companies. The magazine also covers issues involving labor, the environment, corporate crime, multilateral banks and development. Each issue contains: several short news items; approximately two feature articles; and an interview with a government official, corporate executive, union leader, environmentalist, academic, consumer activist, or other expert on a topic of interest to the magazine. We also usually run an article on a labor issue; an article analyzing an economic issue; and/or a book review.

The Monitor runs news analysis pieces; it does not run opinion pieces or essays. Articles should be written in an accessible manner that is intelligible to a lay reader; the magazine is not an academic or technical journal. Articles run between 1000 and 2500 words; the Monitor pays writers 10 cents per published word. Articles must be submitted in English.

Every article should have a clear topic and focused discussion of the issues raised. For example, a story on Poland’s acceptance of loans from the World Bank should not discuss the World Bank’s activities in Indonesia. The story should not even cover the World Bank’s role in buttressing the world capitalist system.

Articles should also be related to a recent event or development. A piece on environmental degradation in Czechoslovakia might begin by discussing a recent discovery of a toxic dump, for example.

Articles written for Multinational Monitor must include a number of original quotations. On average, an original quotation should appear in every third paragraph of a story. Writers should include the perspectives of people on different sides of an issue. E.g. an article about Monsanto should have original quotes from a Monsanto official, not just the company’s critics.

Writers should submit query letters before sending completed articles.

Writers who wish to familiarize themselves with our style can find back issues at http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/list.html.

The Monitor runs photographs and charts to accompany stories. Writers are encouraged to send photos and charts along with their articles.
Writers should send a short, one- or two-sentence biographical statement with their articles. This will be published in the magazine for identification purposes.