Proof is an award-winning narrative podcast from America's Test Kitchen hosted by James Beard Award-winning journalist Kevin Pang. It’s a podcast that takes listeners into the curious, often unexamined and unexpected corners of the food world, and turns seemingly small questions into expansive storytelling journeys. The questions that Proof stories dive into shouldn’t have easily Google-able answers.
Proof
Proof Accepting Pitches for Season 11 of Award-Winning Podcast
Journalists: We're looking for your story ideas for an upcoming episode of Proof
By Published May 3, 2022
We’re looking for pitches to fill our Season 11 lineup that speak to one of the following themes:
- You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
- All that glitters isn’t gold.
- The proof is in the pudding.
You can interpret these themes however you wish, but remember Proof is a show about unexpected or surprising aspects of food and drink, and the people behind it.
The deadline for pitches is 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, May 31.
Here is a sample of past Proof episodes:
- At the turn of the 20th century, there was a coordinated effort to shut down Chinese Restaurants in the U.S. What happened?
- White Tower. Arthur Treacher’s. Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken. Where did these fast food chains disappear to?
- Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marcia Chatelain investigates.
- Host Kevin Pang dives into how his dad became a YouTube cooking show star.
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How to Pitch
In your pitch, include the following: How does your story adhere to one of the themes mentioned above? Who are the characters we’ll follow? What quest are they on and what challenges are they trying to overcome? What are the stakes? What central question and/or larger themes does your story attempt to answer and explore? To the extent that you’ve gleaned some of this through pre-reporting, what is the proposed narrative arc of your story?
Diversity—subject matter, viewpoints, the reporters telling the stories—is crucial to Proof.
- Show: Airs weekly during the season. (Production for Season 11 begins ASAP, and episodes air July - September 2022)
- Episode length: Your pitch should encompass the scope for a 30-40-minute narrative podcast episode.
- Compensation: $3,200 - $3,500 depending on experience level. Rate is negotiated and determined in advance.
- Pitch: By email, please include “Proof pitch: [INSERT THEME]” in the subject line
- Contact: Yumi Araki, Managing Producer & Editor: yumi.araki@americastestkitchen.com