Contributor Program

961 is Lebanon’s leading digital media company. We’re a small group of passionate Lebanese devoted to reporting stories that Lebanese want and love to engage with.

We’re happy to return our paid contributor program after a few years of hiatus!

Why 961

Our main focus is to inform our readers about what is happening right now and why it matters – in an easy-to-understand way. That’s why our articles have been read 70+ million times. We’re on a mission to revolutionize storytelling in Lebanon.

Your Role

We are seeking storytellers with experience writing SEO-focused content who are excited to create engaging and relatable stories for 961 based in Lebanon.

You should have a knack for finding unique local angles that will resonate with what our audience (Gen Z and Millennials).

Contributors should be able to cover everything from restaurant lists to trending stories and things to do.

We’re currently looking for contributors for these sections (with examples):

• Food & Drink
  • Joe And The Juice Is Officially Coming To Beirut
  • We Tried These New Knefe Donuts, And We’re Going Crazy For It!
  • I Tried FlatWhite’s ‘Coffee In A Can’ Taking Over Lebanese Tiktok, Here’s My Honest Opinion
  • Cerelac Ice Cream Is A Thing Now & It’s Bringing Back Lots Of Memories For Lebanese
  • Lebanese People Are Sharing Their Weird Food Combos, And You Might Actually Be Down For It
• Travel, Things to Do, and Guides
  • 10+ Day Trips You Can Take In Lebanon That Are 30 Mins, 1 hour, And 2 Hours Away From Beirut!
  • 20 Beach Resorts In Lebanon Just Shared Their 2024 Prices With Us, Here’s How Much It’ll Cost You
  • 9 Lakes And Rivers In Lebanon To Cool Down In This Summer Heat
  • 10 Italian Restaurants In Lebanon That Are So Good You’ll Shout “Mamma Mia!”
• Listicles
  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Date A Lebanese Woman (FYI, this article is our most popular one with over 500k+ views)
  • 7 Reasons Why You Should Date A Lebanese Man
  • 15+ Lebanese Sayings That Make Absolutely No Sense In English
• Stories
  • Watch Coldplay Stop His Concert To Ask About The Lebanese Flag
  • We Spoke To A Miss Lebanon Runner-Up About What It’s Like Competing, Here’s What She Told Us
  • We Spoke To The Travel Creator With 6.5M+ Followers Who Said Lebanon Has The Best Nightlife, Here’s What He Said
• History & Heritage
  • New Study Proves Lebanese Ancestry Is Mostly Phoenician
  • The 5 Roman Emperors You Didn’t Know Were Phoenicians
  • How Spain Got Its Name From The Phoenicians
  • How The Phoenicians Discovered The Purple Color And Killed Those Who Made Them
• Diaspora
  • Lebanese-Owned Vineyard Was Just Acquired For $1 Billion
  • Ottawa Just Broke A Guinness Book Record For Lebanon (Video)
  • 31 Things Only Lebanese People Living Abroad Will Understand
  • A Lebanese Festival Is Taking Place Next Month In Ottawa, Canada

What You’ll Do

• Publish original, exclusive, or timely stories while still being passionate about producing evergreen, search-focused content.
• Should have a knack for finding unique angles that resonate with what our young audience is searching for.
• You will receive specific assignments, but are expected to propose your own topics.
• Ensure all information is accurate.
• Create content using 961’s voice and tone
• Before pitching, please visit our site to get a feel for what kind of content we publish.
• Consistently demonstrate a deep knowledge of what is happening and trending in Lebanon and the diaspora.

Your Qualifications

• Exceptional verbal and written English skills. Arabic and French are major assets. Without relying on ChatGPT to replace your creativity and voice.
• Knowledge of SEO best practices & experience optimizing content for search is a major benefit.
• Availability to contribute regularly and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Have an eye for visuals and be able to pick visually appealing images for the article.

Position

This is a contributor position that will be compensated on a per-story basis. Earn up to $10 per story.

You have complete flexibility on when and where you work – you’ll gain access to our offices to get work done or just hang out with the team.

Next steps after we receive your application:

*Please note that incomplete applications or pitches that do not follow the instructions provided will not be considered. 

• Initial review: If we love your pitches, we’ll reach out for a trial assignment and discuss the details.
• Trial assignment: Write an article for your pitch.
• Feedback: If your pitches don’t align with our current needs, we’ll try our best to provide feedback.