Mike Phillips Media

Journalism Services

Professional reporting, investigative research, and editorial support for newsrooms, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and civic projects.

I work at the intersection of journalism, public records, and policy, with a focus on courts, family law, civil rights, disability, and state and local government—especially in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic.

Whether you need a deeply reported investigation, a clear policy explainer, or help making sense of a pile of documents, I offer project-based, nonpartisan journalism services that meet real-world deadlines.

I am an independent journalist. I do not provide legal advice or act as an attorney or lobbyist.

What I Do

1. Freelance Reporting & Investigative Projects

  • Deep-dive investigations
  • Document- and records-driven stories
  • Interviews with affected families, officials, and experts
  • Longform narrative pieces and multi-part series

Ideal for: newsrooms, independent outlets, podcasts, nonprofit publications.

2. Policy Explainers & “What This Means” Coverage

  • Plain-language explainers of complex laws and policies
  • “Five things to know about…” style pieces
  • Bill and court-decision breakdowns with real-world impact
  • State-specific guides (e.g., Maryland policy deep dives)

Ideal for: outlets and organizations that need to make policy accessible to a general audience.

3. Feature Writing & Profiles

  • Human-interest stories
  • Profiles of advocates, public officials, or everyday citizens
  • Narrative case studies tied to broader systemic issues

Ideal for: magazines, nonprofit publications, issue-focused campaigns.

4. Op-Ed & Commentary Ghostwriting

  • Ghostwritten op-eds and letters to the editor
  • Thought-leadership pieces for executives, advocates, and experts
  • Opinion pieces grounded in reporting, data, and lived experience

Bylines can be assigned according to your publication’s standards; I am comfortable working either as a credited author or as a ghostwriter.

5. Public Records & FOIA/PIA Support for Journalists

  • Strategy and drafting for FOIA/PIA requests
  • Targeting the right agencies and record types
  • Organizing, summarizing, and annotating responsive documents
  • Building timelines and identifying gaps or contradictions

Ideal for: reporters and small outlets without dedicated records specialists.

6. Fact-Checking & Document Verification

  • Cross-checking claims against primary sources
  • Verifying timelines, numbers, and quoted materials
  • Spotting inconsistencies or missing context in documents
  • Creating internal fact-check memos for editors and legal review

Ideal for: longform stories, investigations, and sensitive subjects.

7. Editorial Consulting & Story Development

  • Helping teams move from “good idea” to solid story plan
  • Structuring multi-part investigations or series
  • Identifying sources, records, and data to strengthen a piece
  • Light coaching for early-career reporters on complex beats

Ideal for: small outlets, nonprofit newsrooms, and independent projects.

8. Data & Context Briefs (Light Data Journalism)

  • District and county-level context summaries
  • “Story starter” packets: key data, stakeholders, and angles
  • Clean, usable tables and charts suitable for publication

Not hardcore data science—just clean, clear, contextual information reporters can use quickly.

Beats & Focus Areas

I’m especially experienced with:

  • Family court, child welfare, and custody disputes
  • Civil rights and disability (ADA, access, accommodations)
  • State and local government, especially Maryland
  • Public records and transparency
  • Criminal legal system and court procedure
  • Cost of living, working-class family impacts, and economic strain

If your project touches one of these areas, I can ramp up quickly and bring existing context to the work.

How I Work

  1. Initial Inquiry
    Send a brief note about your outlet/organization, the type of piece or project, and your timeline.
  2. Scope & Agreement
    We clarify deliverables, length, sources/records needs, and whether the work is reported, analytical, or ghostwritten. I’ll provide a quote or rate structure (per piece, per project, or hourly for research support).
  3. Reporting & Drafting
    I conduct interviews, review documents, and draft the piece or materials as agreed.
  4. Edits & Revisions
    We go through your standard editorial process. I’m comfortable working with multiple editors and legal review when needed.
  5. Publication
    You publish through your outlet; I can share and cross-reference according to your policies and any agreed-upon crediting.

Ethics & Boundaries

  • I follow core journalistic ethics: accuracy, fairness, transparency, and minimizing harm.
  • I maintain clear separation between journalism work and any advocacy or consulting work I do in other contexts.
  • I will not write undisclosed paid content that masquerades as independent reporting.
  • I can provide disclosures for any relevant relationships or prior work related to a story.
  • I do not provide legal advice or serve as a substitute for counsel.

If a project presents a conflict of interest with my own reporting or existing outlets I write for, I’ll raise it honestly and we can decide together how to proceed.

Rates & Availability

Rates vary based on:

  • length and complexity
  • travel or intensive records work
  • turnaround time
  • whether the work is reported, analytical, or ghostwritten

I’m happy to work within standard freelance editorial rate structures and I’m open to discussing project-based budgets for nonprofit and public-interest work.

Get in Touch

For assignments, collaborations, or project ideas:

Email:
mike@mikephillips.media

Please include:

  • Your outlet/organization
  • Type of project (investigation, feature, explainer, op-ed, research support, etc.)
  • Estimated length or scope
  • Target timeline and any hard deadlines

I’ll respond with availability and next steps.