At Richmondside, we believe the people who live and work in the city are at the heart of our local journalism. Every day, we strive to report on the things that shape life here—from what’s happening in our local government and public schools, to the natural environment, the arts scene and community life. But after we’ve published our stories, local communities and individuals continue to be impacted by the decisions, policies and systems we cover.
That’s why we’re inviting you — our readers, neighbors and others whose lives are intertwined with Richmond — to share your firsthand experiences. We’re looking for personal narratives that offer a window into life in Richmond today. These aren’t opinion pieces or political arguments; rather, we’re seeking short personal anecdotes and stories that convey what it’s like to walk in the shoes of Richmonders from various backgrounds as they navigate the challenges and joys of the city.
Maybe you’re a renter struggling to stay in the neighborhood you love, a longtime small business owner adapting to changing times, or a parent navigating the public school system. Perhaps you’ve experienced a moment of community resilience, had an unexpected brush with local history, or an encounter that shifted your perspective on life here. In other words, we want stories that can bring depth and humanity to the issues we cover, and help to illuminate the realities of life in Richmond in a way that our reporting alone might not.
Hearing directly from the communities we cover feels especially urgent right now. The executive orders being issued by the Trump Administration are already having a real effect on many who live and work in Richmond, including immigrants and LGBTQ+ people and those working to combat climate change and racial discrimination, among others. We are especially (but not exclusively) interested in hearing from community members whose lives are being changed as a result of these new federal orders or policies.
If you have a story to tell, or know of someone else who does, we’d love to hear from you. We can’t promise to publish everyone’s story — far from it. We’re a small team and not every pitch will be a perfect fit for our publication. But we promise to read and consider all inquiries.
How we’ll work with contributors
Over the past few years, we’ve learned a lot about how to produce and publish first-person stories at Richmondside’s sister newsroom, The Oaklandside, which regularly publishes them as part of its Amplify Oakland series. One of the things we learned is that not everyone with an important personal story to share is going to be comfortable writing it on their own. That’s why we’ll be taking an “as told to” approach to these stories: Once we identify a community member with a compelling story or experience they want to share, one of our reporters or editors will get in touch with that person, conduct an interview, and then transcribe and edit their story. We’ll publish it in the person’s own words with their name in the byline, and we’ll never publish without first having the author review and approve the final draft.
Contributors should be comfortable with having their photos taken. This is partly about celebrating the city’s diversity and amplifying the voices of Richmond’s people, and we want Richmond communities to be reflected in this work. There are always exceptions, and we’ll consider granting anonymity to people with more sensitive stories who have a reasonable concern of retaliation or negative impact on their livelihood or well-being if they were to be named, and if we feel the perspective shared in the story is important and would otherwise go untold.
How to contribute
We’re asking for short pitches and ideas, not completed stories. If you have a personal experience or story idea to share, or if you want to recommend another individual who you think would be a good fit, you can tell us by using the form below. It should only take 5 or 10 minutes to complete. Your submission will be sent directly to an editor.
Richmond is full of stories. Help us tell them!
