The Civic Voice Project
An independent journalism initiative documenting the state of free expression across American communities. A national corps of student field correspondents reports firsthand on where and why people feel unable to speak openly.
The assignment
Find one person you already know who cannot say what they actually think somewhere in their life. Ask them what they hold back, why, what they are afraid would happen, and what it costs them to stay quiet. Then verify what you can, talk to two to five more people who add context or push back, and write it up as a 1,200-to-1,800-word story.
Six weeks. Top three submissions receive $500, $300, and $200, plus four honorable mentions. Selected work is published on our site under your byline.
Open to
Undergraduate students at any accredited US college or university. Graduate students may enter and are judged in the same pool. You do not need to be a journalism major. Sociology, social work, political science, English, anthropology, religious studies, nursing, business, engineering, or any field where you know an industry from the inside.
Why we are asking
Free expression is usually discussed as a legal question. Can the government stop you from saying this or that. Almost all of the actual silence in American life happens somewhere else—in rooms where no law applies at all: a break room, a family dinner, a group chat, a staff meeting, a congregation. Nobody is measuring that well, because it does not leave a paper trail. The only way to document it is to ask people, one at a time, and write down what they say. You have something a professional reporter does not: people already trust you. A stranger with a notebook gets a careful, guarded answer. You get the real one.
What you will produce
| Deliverable | Specification |
|---|---|
| The story | 1,200 to 1,800 words. Narrative nonfiction. One person the reader remembers, one scene the reader can picture, at least one fact that surprises. |
| Source log | Every person you contacted, the date, the method, whether they responded, and their consent status. |
| Method note | 300 words. How you found the story, what you could not verify, what you cut and why, and anything that made you uncomfortable. |
| Consent forms | One signed form per person quoted or described. If they do not want to remain anonymous, their real name only if they explicitly choose it in writing. |
The timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | September 01, 2026 |
| Applications close | December 31, 2026 |
| Cohort announced | January 15, 2027 |
| Orientation (required) | January 22, 2027 |
| Reporting begins | February 01, 2027 |
| Midpoint check-in (optional) | February 19, 2027 |
| Submissions due | March 15, 2027, 11:59pm Central |
| Winners announced | April 30, 2027 |
How it is scored
Two independent judges score every submission on five dimensions: reporting depth (30%), accuracy and verification (25%), ethical handling (20%), craft (15%), and fairness (10%). Hard rule violations, fabrication, plagiarism, or missing consent forms result in automatic disqualification.
What you get
Awards of $500, $300, and $200 for the top three submissions, plus four honorable mentions. Everyone who meets the completion threshold receives a verifiable "Civic Voice Fellow" designation, written feedback from both judges, and publication rights to your work. You retain your copyright; we take a non-exclusive license only.
This is not a job. It is a voluntary prize competition. There is no employment relationship, no wage, no hours, and no obligation to complete once you start. You may withdraw at any point without explanation.
Full assignment brief, scoring rubric, consent forms, and application instructions are available in the official document.
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