Freelance Services

Freelance Services
To be a self-employed journalist in the 21st Century is to be a jack of all trades. While I've usually got one or two of my own projects cooking, I'm also open to contract work. Depending on your project, I'm ready to wield my keyboard, audio skills, investigative chops, or interviewing finesse to bring nonfiction stories to life—as well as make sure they're factually sound. I offer services-for-hire in the following areas:

1
Podcast Producing
2
Fact-Checking
3
Writing and Editing
Podcast Producing
I've worn hats as a host, creator, producer, and audio editor for both narrative- and talk show-styled podcasts

"I was thrilled to have the chance to work with Chris on a short series for our daily news and culture podcast City Cast Denver. He's one of Denver's top investigative journalists, and his work for us was nothing short of immaculate. Great storyteller. Great producer. Easy to work with." — Paul Karolyi, Senior Executive Producer City Cast Denver

“When we committed to developing a podcast of our own, we knew we didn’t have the expertise, experience or equipment to produce a high-quality product. Working with Chris gave us exactly that, allowing our team to focus on identifying compelling stories and sharing the podcast with our key audiences.” — Chris Yankee, senior director of research communications at the University of Colorado Boulder.

I love working on podcasts because it's such a team sport. While I've taken lead on a couple podcasts of my own, those shows wouldn't have been possible without the close collaboration of talented producers and editors. That's why I've begun to offer those technical and support services as a contractor, providing many of the same skills that I teach students at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in my podcasting and audio storytelling class. If you're interested in employing my services as a podcast producer and discussing a quote, please contact me. I can bring the following skillsets:
Interview prep: I'll suggest / track down relevant guests for your host to interview, and help prepare questions.
Research / Field interviews: If you're creating a narrative show, I can be part of the reporting team that goes out and gathers information and interviews with sources
Recording assistance: handling the technical aspects of recording
Audio editing & post-production: I'm adept in most established DAWs like Adobe Audition, as well as emerging software like Descript.
Interview edits: If you've got a talk show and are trying to cut down, say, a 45-minute interview so that it fits into a 25-minute show, I have a lot of experience making editorial judgments on how to do that while maintaining a natural flow in the recorded conversation.
Music: Though I'm not a composer (I highly suggest hiring one if you have the budget), I do know where to find Royalty-free tunes and have a good ear for where to tastefully mix in music.
Archival tape research: Want to include clips of old news broadcasts or other archival material in your show? I can help scour the Internet and track down those bits of tape to give your podcast an audio-rich listenting experience.
Fact-Checking
With my background in magazines, where fact-checking originated, I'm encouraged to see more creators and production companies taking up the practice. Fact-checking isn't just about ticking off a media lawyer's boxes or establishing peace-of-mind; it signals that your journalism is authoritative, accurate, and can be relied upon by future researchers. In today's noisy and error-filled media environment, fact-checking conveys trust.

I am available to fact-check nonfiction articles, podcasts, books, and documentaries.
Q: What does your fact-checking entail?
I follow best practices established by the Truth in Journalism Project and The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. First, a reporter provides me an annotated draft of their story and a list of contact information for interviewed sources. I then seek to verify every fact in the story including, but not limited to:
Names, dates, and locations
Quotes and the facts within quotes
Descriptions of people, places, and events
Pronouns, identifiers, and descriptors
Causal explanations
The factual bases of opinions
The internal logic of a story, including its chronology
If I do come across any errors, I won't just say so; I'll also suggest corrections or ways to tweak the language to ensure accuracy.

Previous fact-checking projects include the 11-part, investigative podcast series MASTER PLAN by Lever News.
Q: How do you handle sensitive stories?
Before doing any fact-checking, I'll read over the material and hop on a call with the reporter and/or supervising producer/editor to discuss any sensitive areas of the story. I keep a keen eye out for any legal liabilities in the writing—those will be prioritized in fact-checking (although I still might recommend contacting a media lawyer depending on the subject matter). And with decades of experience doing interviews, I understand the importance of handling source conversations with the right combination of nuance, directness, and care.
Q: How soon should I contact you for fact-checking?
As soon as you know your editorial timeline. That means well before you have a final draft of your article, book manuscript, podcast script, or documentary script. Because even though fact-checking is usually one of the final steps in the writing process—in magazine publishing, it comes just before copy-editing—creators often underestimate how long fact-checking takes. In the case of fact-checking a narrative podcast series or nonfiction book, it can take at least a month to verify all the facts in the manuscript. I ask all writers to provide me an annotated draft that will serve as a roadmap to their reporting. For more information on annotating, please see step two of this guide.
Q: How much does it cost?
The overall price will depend on the scope, length, and complexity of the project. A full, magazine-styled fact-check (every single factual statement, no matter how trivial, is examined) is more time-intensive than a more targeted fact-check which might prioritize certain scenes, characters, book chapters, or legal concerns. If the fact-check assignment is shorter in length and it makes sense to quote an hourly rate, I charge $55 an hour (in line with industry standards). If the project is more expansive—such as checking an entire 8-episode podcast series or a 3-part documentary or a nonfiction book—I prefer a flat fee for the entire project. For consultations about longer projects, I ask that you send me some sample material before we schedule a call to see if I'm a good fit. In any case, please drop me a line on my contact page if you're interested in fact-checking. I'd love to make sure your article or project is factually-sound.
Writing and Editing

This is a true story.

If you're seeking a pen-for-hire, I bring over 13 years of writing, reporting, and editing experience to the page. My speciality is narrative longform stories, especially magazine pieces and digital features (see writing portfolio). I've also served as a story editor on various projects, helping other writers craft stories with narrative arcs that have pace, suspense, and stakes. Please inquire at my contact page if you are looking for:

Editing podcast or documentary scripts. Writing for the ear is different than writing for the eye, and listeners process information differently when they hear it as opposed to read it. I can work with hosts and writers to make sure your scripted show sounds great in someone's earbuds. If the story is serialized—spread out over a limited-run series—I'll also make sure there's a strong narrative arc between episodes that makes audiences want to binge the whole series.
Writing or editing narrative features. If you're an editor at a magazine or website and would like to assign a story to me, I'm interested to hear how I might report and write that for you. I'm particularly drawn to adventure stories and profiles of people whose obsessions have led them to lead incredible lives. OR, if your publication is short-staffed and needs editing help, I could potentially step in as a contributing editor. Let's talk.
Reporting local news. While I've stepped away from doing much daily journalism, I'm potentially interested in short assignments for your publication, particularly if the story is local to me in Colorado and the subject matter falls into areas (criminal justice, homelessness, music, drug policy, true crime) that I'm already knowledgeable about and well-sourced in.

Podcast Producing

Fact-Checking

Writing and Editing

Podcast Producing

Fact-Checking

Writing and Editing

This is a true story.