Why we hand over the microphone
A magazine is only as wide as the range of voices it lets in. Free Microphone exists because we believe the most interesting perspective on a subject often belongs to someone who has never been asked. The volunteer who ran the project. The student who sat the exam. The villager who watched the river change. The young musician nobody has reviewed yet. This section is where those voices belong.
What we publish
- Essays — a considered argument or reflection on culture, society or the way we live now.
- Dispatches — first-person reporting from a place, an event or a community you know from the inside.
- Opinion — a clear, well-made case, including one that disagrees with us.
- Debuts — a first piece of published writing, given real editorial care.
Our promise, and our standards
Free Microphone is open, but it is not unedited. Every piece is read, checked and edited with the same attention we give our own work, because we owe that to both the writer and the reader. We ask contributors to argue in good faith, to respect the people they write about, and to say something true. We welcome disagreement and we have no interest in outrage for its own sake.
How to take part
If you have something to say and the nerve to say it, we want to read it. Pitches can be a finished piece or simply a paragraph describing your idea. There is no roster to join and no credential required — only the willingness to think clearly and write honestly. Send your work to the editors through our contact page, and take a look at the Society and Culture sections to see the kind of subjects our community cares about most. Find your own light, and let us help you share it.