Freelancing for Journalists

We speak to two freelance journalists about how to handle and navigate negative feedback, criticism and online abuse. 

Jess Evans, fashion journalist, lecturer and founder of the Freelance Sessions talks about how to deal with negativity whilst JR Moores discusses how a band review sparked a Twitter spat with unexpected consequences.

Please note this was recorded on March 2nd 2021.

The guests

Jessica Hope Evans @jesshopeevans

Instagram @thefreelancesessions

Website https://freelancemasterclass.wixsite.com/website

JR Moores @spinal_bap

Website https://jrmoores.contently.com/

New book Electric Wizards: A Tapestry of Heavy Music from 1968 to the Present, published by Reaktion Books, September 2021 http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/

Resources

Lily’s experience of below the line comments on Hold the Front Page

https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2014/news/weeklies-cutting-corners-in-rush-to-publish-on-web/ 

JR’s review that ended up on a T-shirt https://thequietus.com/articles/28899-idles-ultra-mono-review

Dan Lucas’s review on Drowned in Sound https://drownedinsound.com/releases/17684/reviews/4146495

Recent survey for The International Centre for Journalists documenting online attacks on women information https://www.icfj.org/news/online-attacks-women-journalists-leading-real-world-violence-new-research-shows and report https://www.icfj.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/UNESCO%20Online%20Violence%20Against%20Women%20Journalists%20-%20A%20Global%20Snapshot%20Dec9pm.pdf

Courtney Tenz presentation on online harassment at Berlin Media Convention 2019 https://courtneytenz.com/2019/06/17/for-your-viewing-pleasure-my-speech-on-online-harassment-from-the-media-convention-berlin-2019-dick-pics-death-threats/

Nadine White, HuffPost reporter attacked by Government minister after asking questions about the Covid-19 vaccination campaign https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/kemi-badenoch-nadine-white-press-freedom_uk_601853ccc5b622df90f5df60

Jen Williams Manchester Evening News journalist targeted by the government on Twitter after reporting on defunding of homelessness project https://www.wired.co.uk/article/government-targeting-journalists-on-twitter

Yorkshire Post editors support journalist in the face of government attack over story https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2021/news/editor-hits-back-as-ministers-and-mps-attack-daily-over-accurate-story/

Places where you can get support in you are experiencing online abuse as a freelancer: 

https://www.nuj.org.uk/about-us.html

https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/app-for-journalist-jsafe-for-reporting-online-abuse/s2/a762437/

https://newsrooms-ontheline.ipi.media/freelance-journalist/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service which connects you, the journalist, with PRs and organisations to secure expert comment, case studies and information for independent editorial, free of charge. ResponseSource puts you in touch with experts and PR contacts across all sectors, saving you hours of research and helping you meet your deadlines.

Response Source https://www.responsesource.com/ and their journalistic enquiry service is at https://journalistenquiries.responsesource.com/send/

PR & Journo Requests on Twitter @PRJOurnoRequest use #JournoRequest or #PRRequest

In the second episode of series 4 we speak to a consumer culture scholar from the Victoria University of Wellington, and the founder and editor of The Indiependent about whether you should ever work for free. 

Dr Kathleen Kuehn, senior lecturer in media studies, talks us through the prevalence of  ‘hope-labour’ and Beth Kirkbride, a freelance journalist, and editor at The Indiependent, discusses how the nuances of working for free need to be explored. 

The Guests

Dr Kathleen Kuehn https://kmkuehn.com/

Katheleen’s book The Post-Snowden Era- Mass Surveillance and Privacy in New Zealand https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/the-post-snowden-era 

Twitter:@kathleenkr 

Bethany Kirkbride, Freelance journalist and Founder and editor of The Indiependent 

https://bethkirkbride.com/

Twitter: @BettyKirkers and @indie_pendent

Resources

Academics Anonymous, The Guardian 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/series/academics-anonymous

The Indiependent https://www.indiependent.co.uk/

The Indiependent - writer of the month https://www.indiependent.co.uk/?s=writer+of+the+month

Press pad https://presspad.co.uk/

JournoResources https://www.journoresources.org.uk/

Journalism co.uk podcast: Robyn Vinter, founder of The Overtake, on closing down the publication https://www.journalism.co.uk/podcast/robyn-vinter-founder-of-the-overtake-on-closing-down-the-website/s399/a795339/

Article by Lily in The Overtake: Baking a difference

https://www.lilycanter.co.uk/lifestyle/the-overtake-baking-a-difference/

Information on rates of pay https://www.journoresources.org.uk/freelance-rates/ and https://www.journoresources.org.uk/journalism-salaries-how-much-journalists-paid/

NUJ freelance fees guide http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/index.php

NUJ rates for the job http://www.londonfreelance.org/rates/index.php

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service which connects you, the journalist, with PRs and organisations to secure expert comment, case studies and information for independent editorial, free of charge. ResponseSource puts you in touch with experts and PR contacts across all sectors, saving you hours of research and helping you meet your deadlines.

In the first episode of series 4 we speak to two experts about how to track down the perfect case study and how to source the best experts. 

Tom Bettison, account manager at ResponseSource talks us through the journalist enquiry service whilst freelance documentary maker Kate Dooley discusses how she works to develop relationships in order to get that little bit extra during her interviews.

The Guests

Tom Bettison LinkedIn profile

Kate Dooley @d00ley https://www.thetalentmanager.com/talent/12425

Resources

FFJ lunchtime webinar series https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freelancingforjournalists

How to become a successful journalist (with additional premium FFJ community)

https://www.journalism.co.uk/vocational-skills-study/how-to-become-a-successful-freelance-journalist/s43/a750959/

FFJ on Instagram @freelancingforjournalists

FFJ work experience programme

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freelancingforjournalists/476446/

How to track down case studies for your next article by Lily Canter 

https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/how-to-track-down-case-studies-for-your-next-article/s2/a793552/

Diversity episode- Freelancing for Journalists podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/diversity/id1511920418?i=1000501819068

Response Source

https://www.responsesource.com/ and their journalistic enquiry service is at https://journalistenquiries.responsesource.com/send/

PR & Journo Requests on Twitter @PRJOurnoRequest use #JournoRequest or #PRRequest

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service which connects you, the journalist, with PRs and organisations to secure expert comment, case studies and information for independent editorial, free of charge. ResponseSource puts you in touch with experts and PR contacts across all sectors, saving you hours of research and helping you meet your deadlines.

In the last episode of series 3 we speak to two newsletter writers / freelance journalists about how they started.

Lottie Gross, travel writer and co-author of Talking Travel Writing, discusses how she set up her newsletter during the heart of the pandemic whilst Alistair Lane, author of Write at Home, talks us through the challenges of launching his jobs newsletter.

The Guests

Lottie Gross @lottiecgross

Alastair Lane @AlasdairJMLane

Resources

Talking Travel Writing https://travelwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Write at Home https://writeathome.substack.com/

Freelancing for Journalists https://freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/

Substack newsletter platform https://substack.com/

MailChimp newsletter platform https://mailchimp.com/

The top journo newsletters https://www.journoresources.org.uk/journalism-newsletters-journo-freelance/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

In this episode we quiz two specialist writers about how they carved out their niche.

Freelance music journalist Matt Parker discusses how he broke into magazines whilst technology journalist Sooraj Shah tells us how to approach editors when you cover a specialist beat.

The Guests

Matt Parker https://mattparkerfreelance.com/ @emptyparker

Sooraj Shah https://soorajshah.com/ @Sooraj_Shah

Resources

Worldwide freelance writing markets https://www.worldwidefreelance.com/

Readly magazine database https://gb.readly.com/

Journo Resources freelance rate https://www.journoresources.org.uk/freelance-rates/

NUJ freelance rates https://www.nuj.org.uk/work/freelance/

Creative Money https://www.creativemoney.co.uk/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

In this episode we pick the brains of two commissioning editors to find out exactly what they want from freelance journalists.

We discuss pitching techniques, reliability and writing skills with The Observer deputy news editor Lisa Bachelor and Pulse magazine editor Jaimie Kaffash.

The Guests

Lisa Bachelor @lisabachelor

Jaimie Kaffash @jkaffash

Resources

Pitching guidelines https://www.journoresources.org.uk/pitching-guidelines/

ClipShare newspaper and magazine archive https://www.nlamediaaccess.com/publishers/publisher-services/clipshare/

Readly magazine database https://gb.readly.com/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

In this episode we unpick issues around the lack of diversity in the media and how it impacts freelance journalists.

We discuss how to tackle this growing concern with travel writer Travis Levius and freelance journalist and author Saima Mir.

The Guests

Travis Levius @misterlevius

https://www.instagram.com/misterlevius

Saima Mir @SaimaMir

https://saimamir.com/

Resources

Journalism Diversity Fund https://www.nctj.com/Journalism-Diversity-Fund

Women in Journalism diversity report https://womeninjournalism.co.uk/lack-diversity-british-newsrooms/

White Paper: Diversity in Journalism https://www.responsesource.com/blog/whitepaper-diversity-in-journalism/

Press Pad: Media Diversity in the UK https://presspad.co.uk/making-the-case-for-diverse-newsrooms/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

In this episode we speak to broadcast journalist Sam Ashoo and former professional netball player Sarah Leach about breaking into a freelance career in sports journalism.

We also discuss the impact of Covid-19, the obstacles faced by women reporters in sports and how to negotiate pay rates as a freelance journalist.

The Guests

Sam Ashoo @samashoo_tv

https://www.samashoo.com/

Sarah Leach @sarleach

http://www.sarahleach.com/about

Resources

The freelance place for new starters in TV: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tv.runners

Sky Sports Careers https://careers.sky.com/jobsearchresults/

The Athletic Careers https://theathletic.co.uk/careers/

Journo resources freelance rate https://www.journoresources.org.uk/freelance-rates/

NUJ freelance rates https://www.nuj.org.uk/work/freelance/

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

Can you have a successful freelance journalism career outside of London? This week we spoke to two freelancers living outside the capital about how they make it work and the benefits of being based elsewhere in the country.

Broadcast journalist Danielle Hayden currently lives in Manchester and is determined to work away from London, whilst print journalist Nicola Slawson wishes she had moved to Shrewsbury years ago.

The guests

Nicola Slawson @Nicola_Slawson

https://thesinglesupplement.substack.com/about

Danielle Hayden @Daniellehayd

Resources

FFJ newsletter https://freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/

Medical Journalists Association https://www.mjauk.org/

Scott Trust Bursary https://workforus.theguardian.com/index.php/entry-level-opportunities/scott-trust-bursaries/

Positive News https://www.positive.news/

Write About Your Life https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/write-about-your-life-how-to-pitch-and-find-new-stories-tickets-129277010017

Broadcast Journalists Forum https://www.facebook.com/groups/863351437010810

People in TV: Northern England https://www.facebook.com/groups/IneedCREWNorthernEngland

Freelancing for Journalists Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/freelancingforjournalists

No.1 Freelance Media Women https://www.facebook.com/groups/No1FreelanceMediaWomen

Northern Freelance UK journalists & media group https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=freelance%20north

Freelancing for Journalists is sponsored by The Tax Farm, the accountancy service dedicated to freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners.  The right accountant is more than a number cruncher and tax return filer – they’re your business guardian, helping you make better financial decisions.  Talk to John at The Tax Farm today and quote ‘FFJ15’ to claim your exclusive 15% discount.

We joined forces with journalism graduates George Goldberg, Bryony Smith and Oli Hammett, the hosts of podcast Jobs Bored, for this special bonus episode.

We talk about the freelance journey, scrutinising CVs and what our alternative jobs might be. Lily and Emma also answer dilemmas from Jobs Bored listeners.