Overview

Tech Policy Press is a startup nonprofit media and community venture intended to provoke new ideas, debate, and discussion at the intersection of technology and democracy.

We publish perspective, analysis and reporting that advances public understanding of key debates at the intersection of technology, policy, and democracy through a global lens.

Our key areas of concern include:

• Concentrations of power:
  • the role and interaction of tech platforms, governments and the media and the future of the public sphere;
• Geopolitics of technology:
  • how nation states approach technology in the pursuit of advantage;
• Technology and the economy:
  • the relationship between markets, business, infrastructure and labor;
• Racism, bigotry, violence & oppression:
  • how tech exacerbates or solves such challenges;
• Ethics of Technology:
  • how technology should be viewed alongside existing democratic ethos, especially with regard to privacy, surveillance and personal freedoms;
• Election integrity & participation:
  • mechanisms of democracy, problems such as disinformation and how citizens come to consensus. 

What we’re looking for

We value contributions that are relevant, original and supported by evidence. We welcome submissions from diverse voices, particularly those that bring attention to issues often overlooked in mainstream discourse.

Analysis: Context-focused, evidence-based analysis on emerging policy debates, legislation, research and developments in tech policy to help readers understand what’s at stake and why it matters.

Perspective: Sharp, informed commentary that surfaces new ideas or challenges current issues by presenting a clear opinion articulating what should or shouldn’t be happening and what can be done about it.

Analysis pieces and other time-sensitive articles tied to current news events will generally be given priority over perspective and evergreen pieces.

We do not publish academic papers or reports. Submissions that arrive in an academic or report format, contain footnotes, or contain complicated datasets or charts will not be considered as written.

We also put out calls for submissions on specific topics and issues in the weekly newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

How to submit

We only consider completed drafts for submission. Our typical articles range between 800 and 1,500 words. Submissions should be well-sourced, clear and written for a policy-literate but non-specialist audience.

To submit your work, email contributions@techpolicy.press the following:

Short overview of your draft: A few sentences describing your piece and why it’s important. Is the piece time-sensitive? How does this connect to recent policy developments? How does your draft add to or differ from what we’ve already published? Kindly confirm in your cover email that this submission is exclusive to Tech Policy Press.

Author bio(s) and headshot(s): Include a 2-3 sentence bio and headshot with your submission. Authors are required to disclose any affiliation or funding that is relevant, or could be perceived to be relevant, to the subject about which they are writing.

We require submissions via Google Docs (with editing access). We encourage you to add hypertext links (no footnotes!) to credible sources to support your claims and provide additional context for readers.

We aim to acknowledge submissions promptly. All submissions are subject to editing for accuracy, conceptual and grammatical clarity, style and length. Please note: the choice to publish a piece or not is at the sole editorial discretion of Tech Policy Press.

Audience and writing style

Tech Policy Press serves a global audience of policymakers, journalists, lawyers, technologists, researchers and public policy professionals seeking to unpack how technology shapes rights, governance and the public interest in different parts of the world.

When writing, be mindful of geographic and cultural references that may not translate universally. Avoid phrases or assumptions that center a single national perspective, such as referring to the United States as “here” or using “we,” “our,” or “us” when discussing US policies or events. Instead, be specific: say “the United States,” “US lawmakers,” or “in the US.”

We encourage contributors to write clearly and avoid jargon. Explain technical or region-specific terms when necessary and use plain language whenever possible. Writing should be accessible to an informed but non-specialist audience. We use American English and follow modified Associated Press (AP) style.

Use of AI

We do not accept contributions that are substantially or completely composed by generative AI tools and ask that contributors disclose their use in generating any material. We will accept pieces that employ AI tools in the process of research, analysis and composing text, information or data for publication, so long as these elements are highlighted to editors and reviewed for accuracy as necessary.

We accept that it is not possible, in all instances, to discern the extent to which outside contributors (or the materials they may reference) have employed AI tools in the drafting process. We trust our contributors to ensure the work they contribute is their own and that it is, to the best of their knowledge, accurate when submitted for editorial review.

Republishing

When you contribute to Tech Policy Press, you are giving us permission to publish your article. You are free to publish the work elsewhere with proper attribution, including a clear reference to Tech Policy Press and a link to the original article.

Tech Policy Press receives occasional requests to republish material on other sites. By contributing to Tech Policy Press, you agree that we may approve such requests as we see fit.

Compensation

At this time, Tech Policy Press does not pay contributors.

Conflicts of interest

All contributors must disclose any conflicts of interest, including affiliations or funding, that are relevant, or could be perceived as relevant, to the subject they are writing about. Disclose it clearly in the piece itself, or in your email to us. Conflicts of interest may not foreclose the publication of a contribution, but making such disclosures helps maintain the editorial integrity of Tech Policy Press and trust with our readers.

Editorial independence

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Tech Policy Press, its Board of Directors, or its Masthead.

Still have questions?

We’re happy to chat. Reach us at contributions@techpolicy.press.