Freelancing for Journalists

This week we speak to the winner of the Best Broadcast Journalist category at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards. Bhavani Vadde tells us about her work on local television and how she juggles working across multiple platforms.

Guest

Bhavani Vadde https://x.com/BhavaniVadde

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bhavanivadde/?hl=en

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5TwMpw5afyQKSvRIE09jEw

Brilliant Resilent podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7o48RIkaFh9tFWrMx8QVzc

Resources

This award was sponsored by Women in Journalism a network to support and inspire women in the industry https://www.womeninjournalism.co.uk/

Women in Journalism mentoring scheme https://www.womeninjournalism.co.uk/mentoring

How to appraise yourself podcast episode https://freelancing-for-journalists.captivate.fm/episode/how-to-appraise-yourself

This week we speak to another double award winner at the Freelance Journalism Awards 2024. Liz Cookman won the best print journalist and best specialist journalist awards for her incredible reporting on the Ukraine war. She talks to us about the difficulty of generating interest in an ongoing conflict and how to ensure your safety as a freelance journalist.

Guest

Liz Cookman https://x.com/liz_cookman

https://linktr.ee/Lizcookman

Resources

One of Liz's award-winning print stories https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/24/inside-occupied-ukraine-best-way-survive-stay-silent/

One of Liz's award-winning specialist stories https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/08/31/he-was-tortured-for-standing-up-for-ukraine-now-he-lives-alone-in-a-forest

Rory Peck Safety and Security Training https://rorypecktrust.org/how-we-help/freelance-resources/safety-and-risk-assessment/taking-safety-training/

Both awards were sponsored by the National Union of Journalists Freelance Branch https://www.londonfreelance.org/lfb/index.html

This week in our special award series we chat to Melissa Parker winner of the Best Opinion Writer category at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards.

Melissa speaks about her shift to opinion writing during the pandemic and her passion for disability rights.

Guest

Melissa Parker https://x.com/MelissaKParker1

Resources

One of Melissa's award winning pieces https://www.stylist.co.uk/health/mental-health/disabled-woman-mental-health-impact/827567

Recording and transcription tool Otter https://otter.ai/

This award was sponsored by workspace tool xTiles https://xtiles.app/en?fp_ref=xtiles25

In today's episode we speak to double award winner Nicola Kelly who scooped up two prizes at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards. Nicola won the best news story and best feature categories for her work on Turkish border forces, and Deliveroo drivers. We found out how her previous career as a diplomat set her on the path to freelance journalism.

Guest

Nicola Kelly https://x.com/NicolaKelly

https://www.nicolakelly.com/

Resources

Turkish border force story https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/07/uk-provided-3m-to-turkish-border-forces-to-stop-migrants-foi-reveals

Deliveroo feature https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/14/dodging-death-and-immigration-officers-12-hours-as-a-london-fast-food-rider-and-all-for-40

The best news story category was sponsored by Birmingham City University media and journalism department https://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/schools-and-colleges/subject-specific/media-and-journalism

The best feature category was sponsored by the National Union of Journalists Freelance Branch https://www.londonfreelance.org/lfb/index.html

This week we sit down and chat to Liz Perkins, winner of the best campaigning journalist category at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards. Liz led the End This Injustice campaign which called for an overhaul of the family court system. She talks about working on the campaign and the challenges of changing the law.

Guest

Liz Perkins https://x.com/lizperkinsmedia

LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-perkins-7b667b75/?trk=public_profile_browsemap&originalSubdomain=uk

Resources

End This Injustice Campaign https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1819475/jade-ward-law-russell-marsh-parent-rights

This award was sponsored by global journalism network Paydesk https://paydesk.co/

In this week's episode we speak to the winner of the Best Investigation category at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards. Sahar Zand won the award for her investigation into interpol's misuse of power which was released as a podcast series for Sky News. She discusses fleeing Iran as a child and her drive to uncover abuses of power, often in hostile environments.

Guest

Sahar Zand https://x.com/SaharZand

Resources

Dirty Work podcast https://www.saharzand.com/podcast/skynews/dirtywork

Sahar's TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/sahar_zand_why_iranians_are_cutting_their_hair_for_women_life_freedom?subtitle=en

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

This award was sponsored by market research company Savanta https://savanta.com/

In the latest series of the podcast we speak to the winners of the 2024 Freelance Journalist Awards. We start with Hatty Willmoth who won the Best Early Career Journalist category. She wrote a stunning observational feature for The Independent about why some Gen-Z Christians are making the decision to give up all their money and possessions to join a radical group.

Guest

Hatty Willmoth https://x.com/hattywillmoth

Resources

Hatty's award-winning article https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/gen-z-commune-bruderhof-darvell-sussex-celibacy-b2518811.html

The award was sponsored by journalism training provider News Associates https://newsassociates.co.uk/

Freelancing for Journalists full resource list https://www.freelancingforjournalists.com/

In the final episode of this series we speak to two freelance journalists who have carved out a side income as public speakers. Award-winning podcaster Hannah Ajala and BBC freelancer Dhruti Shah discuss how they find work as inspirational speakers and take us behind the scenes of the planning process.

The guests

Hannah Ajala thisishannahajala.com

Twitter hannah_ajala

Dhruti Shah www.dhrutishah.com/

Newsletter: https://haveyouthoughtabout.substack.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/have-you-thought-about/id1678099334

Resources

Druhti's book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bear-Markets-Beyond-bestiary-business/dp/1911622463

Hannah's Tedx talk https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_ajala_how_to_be_positively_delusional

Hannah's award-winning podcast Love Janessa podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvq7

https://creativeaccess.org.uk/

We Are Black Journos https://twitter.com/weblackjournos

Recommendations

Revolutionary Acts by Jason Okundaye https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571372218-revolutionary-acts/

The F-Rated Podcast https://f-rated.org/f-rated-podcast/

In this week's episode we chat to two freelance journalists / authors who also make a living via self-publishing on Substack and Patreon. Adharanand Finn, award-winning author of Running with the Kenyans, and former Telegraph Women editor Claire Cohen, author of BFF: The Truth About Female Friendship, discuss the appeal of writing direct to an audience and why they decided to set up their own newsletters.

Guests

Adharanand Finn https://twitter.com/adharanand

https://www.instagram.com/thewayoftherunner/

https://thewayoftherunner.com/

Claire Cohen https://twitter.com/clairecohen

https://www.instagram.com/clairecohen1/

Resources

BFF: The Truth About Female Friendship https://www.amazon.co.uk/BFF-truth-about-female-friendship/dp/1787635635

Adharanand Finn's books https://www.adharanandfinn.com/books

Monday Musings newsletter https://adharanand.substack.com/

Adharanand Finn Patreon https://www.patreon.com/adharanandfinn

Tell Me About It newsletter https://clairecohen.substack.com/

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

Setting up a newsletter FFJ podcast episode https://freelancing-for-journalists.captivate.fm/episode/setting-up-a-newsletter

Recommendations

Francesca Specter The Shoulds newsletter https://francescaspecter.substack.com/

Devin Kelly Children in the Garden https://longreads.com/2022/01/06/children-in-the-garden-devin-kelly/

Rosamund Dean Well Well Well newsletter https://rosamunddean.substack.com/

Midlife Mess with Annie Scott https://anniescott.substack.com/

Ever wondered what social media management actually is? On the podcast this week we talk to two freelance journalists who also work in social media marketing and SEO writing. Nicole Letts is a lifestyle journalist based in Atlanta who works with clients on Instagram and Britt Jones is a UK freelancer who provides bespoke social media services.

Guests

Nicole Letts https://www.instagram.com/nicolemelv/?hl=en

https://muckrack.com/nicole-letts

Britt Jones https://twitter.com/the_brittjones

https://linktr.ee/Thebrittjones

Resources

Social media managers https://www.loomly.com/ https://www.hootsuite.com/

Portfolio service https://linktr.ee/

Time tracker app https://toggl.com/

Recommendations

Emma Rosen The Radical Sabbatical https://www.amazon.co.uk/Radical-Sabbatical-Millennial-Handbook-Quarter/dp/191138273X

Amy Beth Wright Texas wine https://muckrack.com/amybethwright

Rebecca Deurlein Sandwich King of Chicago https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240303-a-food-network-chefs-favourite-sandwiches-in-his-hometown-of-chicago