Job Description

Pitching, Placing, and Prepping Progressive Local Leaders for Earned Media 

Overview:

This Request for Proposal (RFP) seeks to secure a highly qualified consultant to support the Local Progress (LP) communications team’s ongoing efforts to position our members (progressive local elected officials) as strong voices on immigration in national, state, and local media. The consultant will identify opportunities to pitch and place local electeds for print, radio, podcast, and television earned media opportunities; and ensure the electeds are prepped for such opportunities. The consultant will work closely with LP’s communications team to train key spokespeople, get their buy-in, and identify both proactive and reactive opportunities for them to engage as a source of authority on immigration in their communities and beyond. 

The goal of this work is to uplift progressive local elected officials – who are unapologetically standing up for their immigrant neighbors amid the onslaught of federal attacks – as strong voices of authority on immigration, with the ultimate goal of moving the portion of the public who is undecided or unengaged to our side.  

Key Objectives:

• Highlight the proactive, creative, and critically important ways that localities are protecting and supporting immigrants at this moment – presenting a stark contrast to our opposition. 
• Uplift LP members as voices of authority on immigration to shift the local and national narrative to ultimately move the public towards the side of immigrant justice. 
• Expand the capacity of the LP communications team to more proactively pitch and place LP members, specifically on cable television and in more multilingual / multicultural outlets. 
• Build the capacity of LP members to take advantage of earned media opportunities and seize on high profile moments related to immigration.

Scope of Work:

We expect the consultant to contribute 10-15 hours per week to fulfill our scope of work. The consultant will primarily be reporting to Michael Whitesides, Deputy Director of Communications. The consultant will be expected to complete the following tasks:

1. Help Develop Key Member Spokespeople
   
    
   • Work closely with the LP communications team to identify 10 key member spokespeople – this will most likely be the forthcoming LP Immigrant Justice Steering Committee, which is currently in early stages of formation 
   • Join virtual meetings with key member spokespeople and LP communications staff to secure spokespeoples’ buy-in, collect their contact information for future opportunities, learn about their immigrant justice work, and answer any questions they might have
     
      
2. Track Pitching Opportunities
   
    
   • Track the local media landscape where key member spokespeople are located
   • Work closely with LP staff across teams to keep up to date on local policies that key member spokespeople are advancing 
   • Track the national media landscape on immigration – i.e. what the Trump Administration is doing – with a particular focus on the impact on localities / local elected officials
     
      
3. Pitch and Place LP Members
   
    
   • Pitch key spokespeople for earned media opportunities at the local, state, and national level across print, radio, podcast, and television – with a particular focus on broadcast television and Spanish-language outlets  
   • Secure earned media opportunities for key member spokespeople 
   • Write and place op-eds in coordination with the LP comms team and member spokespeople
     
      
4. Prep LP Members for Media Opportunities
   
    
   • Offer prep session for LP members before interviews and other earned media opportunities 
   • Work closely with the LP communications team to ensure member spokespeople have messaging guidance ahead of media opportunities 
   • Provide group media training to the entire spokesperson group (most likely the Immigrant Justice Steering Committee) at least twice during consultancy
     
      
5. Provide Media Relations Support to Additional Immigration-Specific Campaigns and Projects 
   
    
   • Provide additional media relations capacity to immigration-specific campaigns and projects as needed – such as pitching support, reporter connections, training opportunities, etc. 

Deliverables / Outcomes:

• Memo identifying key member leaders (likely pulled from the LP Immigrant Justice Steering Committee and the Board of Directors) with a proposal and plan on how we further develop and position them as key and influential messengers on immigration. This proposal and plan should include specific geographies selected in consultation with LP staff.
• A language-inclusive, diverse group of LP members (most likely the Immigrant Justice Steering Committee) are trained, prepped, and ready to serve as spokespeople on immigration during the Trump Administration 
• Each LP member spokesperson has at least one earned media opportunity within the first 6 months of consultancy – ideally at least one is a more longer-form opportunity, such as a podcast or feature  
• Half of the the member spokespeople secure at least one earned media hit within the first 6 months of consultancy, with at least one Spanish-language hit 
• At least two group media trainings and several (tbd number) 1:1 media prep sessions are conducted during consultancy  
• Relationship building with reporters covering immigration / related beats 
• Potentially: Quarterly press release or press call to share local pro-immigrant actions with reporters 
• Monthly or quarterly progress reports and memos are shared with LP Communications team 

Consultant Qualifications:

The ideal consultant will have the following qualifications:

• Consultants must be bilingual in Spanish and English and have demonstrated experience working with Spanish-speaking spokespeople and cultivating relationships with Spanish-language media outlets and reporters.
  • Experience in non-English press, beyond Spanish, a plus.
• Extensive media relations experience – ideally within the immigration space – with a clear track record of achieving measurable strategic communications goals 
• Strong experience executing communications strategies for Spanish-language media.
• Exceptional writer with ability to persuasively pitch stories to reporters, draft op-eds, and write other earned media tools such as press releases, press statements, media advisories, etc. 
• The ability to design and implement customized media training, workshops, and tailored support for individuals and groups 
• Strong organizational skills, with the attention to detail necessary for successful implementation of communications activities
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to maintain strong relationships and open lines of communication with Local Progress members and staff
• A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and an interest in local policy, politics, and government
• Experience working with elected officials is a plus 
• Strong relationships with reporters covering immigration is a plus 

Timeline:

• Proposal Deadline: October 10, 2025
• Consultant Selection: October 31, 2025
• Duration of contract: Work would ideally begin on or around November 17, 2025 for a 6-7 month period.

Budget:

The budget for this project is $50,000. Proposals should outline the consultant’s fees, including an estimated cost breakdown for each phase of the work. 

Proposal Submission:

Please submit your proposal as one PDF attachment by October 10, 2025 via our Jazz HR portal here.

Proposals should include the following:

• A cover letter expressing your interest and outlining your qualifications.
• A detailed work plan with timelines, deliverables, and activities.
• Proposed consultancy fee.
• Two to three samples of previous relevant work – with one sample being in Spanish. 
• Three references from previous clients, particularly those with relevant earned media experience.  

Selection Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in media relations
• Relevant experience working on immigrant justice issues 
• Creativity and depth in proposed strategies.
• Strong recommendations and references from prior clients.

Conclusion:

As the Trump Administration continues militarizing, terrorizing, and threatening localities nationwide that are standing up for immigrant communities, localities are standing firm as the last line of defense – refusing to let Trump’s tactics scare them into submission and continuing to find creative ways to protect and support their immigrant communities. In a media ecosystem that is incredibly reactive, it’s imperative that in addition to playing defense, we also proactively highlight and uplift local leaders who are standing in stark contrast to the Trump Administration. Only then can we begin to shift the narrative on immigrant justice. We look forward to receiving proposals from qualified consultants who are passionate about this critical work.

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