Freelancing for Journalists

In the latest episode we speak to photojournalists Angie Simms and Stuart Quinn about their photography work and their self-published cookbook. The Australian couple, who are currently travelling across Oz, talk about taking control of their passion project and the importance of hiring a strong team and calling in favours.

The Authors

Angie Simms and Stuart Quinn

Instagram: @stradbrokeislandphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angandstu/

Website: https://stradbrokeislandphotography.com/

The book

Eat, Drink and Be Straddie 

https://www.amazon.in/Eat-Drink-Be-Straddie-tastes-ebook/dp/B08QF5PBY3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUI7AITYC4Q

Press

https://seqfoodtrails.com.au/Redlands/Articles/Redlands-Article-4

https://www.pebblesandpomegranateseeds.com.au/eat-drink-straddie-tales-tastes-island-sun/

https://www.weekendnotes.com/eat-drink-be-straddie-cleveland-library/

In this episode we speak to Polly Morland, a documentary maker turned writer, about her new book which she wrote during lockdown. The book documents the life of a GP working in a rural practice. Polly chats about the benefits of long research chats and how to maintain the anonymity of contributors when needed. 

Polly is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines and also teaches part-time at Cardiff School of Journalism.

The Author

Polly Morland

Website: https://www.pollymorland.com/

Books

A Fortunate Woman, a country doctor’s story (published 9th June 2022)

https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/polly-morland/a-fortunate-woman/9781529071139

Metamorphosis: How and Why We Change

Risk Wise: Nine Everyday Adventures

The Society of Timid Souls: Or, How to be Brave

https://www.pollymorland.com/books/

Agent

PEW Literary https://www.pewliterary.com/author/polly-morland

Publisher

Penguin Random House

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/144648/polly-morland

Pan Macmillan (Picador)

https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/polly-morland/a-fortunate-woman/9781529071139

Pollys’ documentaries:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2295934/

In this episode we speak to the author Lucy Waterlow about the process of ghostwriting. Lucy has ghostwritten four books including Nell McAndrew’s Guide to Running plus an additional guide to running and two running memoirs. 

Lucy is also a freelance journalist and writes for a number of different outlets including the Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Women’s Running and OK! Magazine.

The author

Lucy Waterlow

Twitter: @LucyRunningFeat

Instagram: @runningfeatlucy

Books

Nell McAndrew's Guide To Running 

Run Mummy Run: Inspiring Women to be Fit, Healthy and Happy 

Ghostwriter of ultra runner Mimi Anderson's two memoirs: Beyond Impossible: From Reluctant Runner to Guinness World Record holder, and Limitless: An Ultrarunner’s Story of Pain, Perseverance and the Pursuit of Success 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucy-Waterlow/e/B00T6PX7I2%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Publisher

Bloomsbury https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/lucy-waterlow/

Summersdale https://summersdale.com/sd-author/lucy-waterlow/

Journalism

https://muckrack.com/lucy-waterlow

In this week's episode we speak to prolific freelance journalist Chris Stokel-Walker whose work regularly appears in WIRED, The Economist and Newsweek. Chris has written two tech-based books, and we chat with him about the importance of making your ideas relevant and timeless when switching from journalism to book writing. 

The author

Chris Stokel-Walker

Twitter: @stokel 

Instagram: @cstokelwalker

Website: https://www.stokel-walker.com/

Books

TikTok Boom: China’s Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media

YouTubers: How YouTube shook up TV and created a new generation of stars

Agent

https://cmm.agency/view-author.php?AuthorID=79

Publishers

https://www.canburypress.com/products/youtubers-by-chris-stokel-walker

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/

Examples of Chris’s journalism: 

https://www.wired.co.uk/profile/chris-stokel-walker

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chris-stokel-walker

https://www.newscientist.com/author/chris-stokel-walker/

The New Statesman review of Chris’s book: 

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2021/07/tiktok-boom-chris-stokel-walker-review

Well told conference: 

https://welltold.org/about/

In our ‘Summer Reads’ podcast series, we chat with freelance journalists who have written successful books. Bringing the first episode of series eight back with a bang is Lisa Bradley, the author of two psychological thrillers – Paper Dolls and The Lesson. 

Lisa began her writing career in local news and subsequently worked as a freelance journalist for national papers and magazines. She is now a lecturer in journalism at the University of Sheffield. We chat about the importance of nailing your first draft and finding success after rejection.  

The Author:

Lisa Bradley

Twitter: @lisabjourno

Instagram: @lisabwriter

Website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/journalism/people/academic/lisa-bradley

Lisa's books:

Paper Dolls

The Lesson

Agent:

Anthony Harwood: http://antonyharwood.com/lisa-bradley/

Publisher:

Quercus Books: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/contributor/lisa-bradley/

Curtis Brown creative writing courses:

https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/creative-writing-courses/

We have a very special bonus episode of the podcast this week. We sat down with award-winning freelance journalist and writer Saima Mir to discuss the paperback launch of her fantastic novel, The Khan, which is currently Waterstones Book of the Month. We talked about diversity in publishing, the writing process and what journalistic experience she was able to draw on.

The Guest

Twitter: @SaimaMir 

Instagram: @ben_raf_remy

Website: https://saimamir.com/

Resources

The Khan by Saima Mir

https://oneworld-publications.com/the-khan.html

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-godfather/mario-puzo/9780099528128

Malcolm X Speaks by George Breitman

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Malcolm-X-Speaks-George-Breitman/dp/0802132138

Freelancing for Journalists by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson

https://www.routledge.com/Freelancing-for-Journalists/Canter-Wilkinson/p/book/9780367135553

Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race-9781408870587/

In this episode, we talk about how to get funding for a project with Amanda Nunn,  a freelance broadcast journalist and co-founder of the Off the Record newsletter and Warren Nettleford, an ITN television presenter and reporter and co-founder of Need to Know, the UK’s first youth news service built purely for the digital generation.

Amanda Nunn

Twitter: @AmandaNunnC5

Off the record newsletter: https://www.offtherec.co.uk/

Warren Nettleford 

Twitter: @wnettleford 

Instagram: @monkish_monsignor

Need to Know website: https://ntk.network/

Resources

Cision https://www.cision.com/

Journalism Charity https://journalistscharity.org.uk/

Journo Resources 

https://www.journoresources.org.uk/journalism-degree-funding-training-complete-list/

Women in Journalism https://womeninjournalism.co.uk/

Royal Television Awards- Digital Award 2019: Need to Know 

https://rts.org.uk/award/tvj2021

Google news initiative fund 

https://twitter.com/GoogleNewsInit

https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/

YouTube launch warren  Need to Know

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVG8pk55TDQIYwNPTf-k7ig

European Journalism Centre https://ejc.net/

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/

Freelance journalist recommendations

Amelia Tait

https://ameliatait.com/

Johnny Harris

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-harris-b067488b/ 

In this episode we talk about side hustles, should you have one and how do you explore your interests alongside your freelance journalism work? We speak to Dean Sterling Jones, a chef from Northern Ireland, who works as a freelance journalist when he’s not cooking, and Waseem Mirza, a sci-tech journalist and presenter who is also a screen actor and voice artist. 

Waseem Mirza

Twitter: @waseem_mirza

Instagram: @thewaseemmirza

Dean Jones

Twitter: @shootingthemess

Instagram: @deansterlingjones

Blog: https://shootingthemessenger.blog/

Resources

BBC CLICK https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9ry

Pennyworth series 3 https://collider.com/pennyworth-season-3-hbo-max/

NUJ Freelance Resources

https://www.nuj.org.uk/advice/freelance-resources.html

NUJ Branches 

https://www.nuj.org.uk/engage/union-democracy/branches.html

Examples of how Lily brands different parts of her journalism https://www.lilycanter.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/lilycanter

https://www.instagram.com/lilycanter/

The FutureTECH Show- Waseem’s podcast 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0QCdLw6UrG8sOBOgu69Vjx

The FutureTECH Show - Waseem’s YouTube series 

The FutureTECH Show Episode 1

Dean's latest article: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/deansterlingjones/russia-yevgeny-prigozhin-ukraine-trump-giuliani-films

Freelance journalist recommendations

Jane Lytvynenko

https://twitter.com/JaneLytv

https://www.janelytv.com/

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/02/ukraine-russia-conflict-livestream/622900/

Carol Cadwalladr

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/carolecadwalladr

@carolecadwalla 

In this episode, we ask whether you need shorthand as a freelance journalist. We talk to Marc Shoffman, a journalist and podcaster, and Rachel Charlton-Dailey, a health and disability journalist, about the pros and cons of shorthand, when it can be useful, as well as considering alternatives tools. 

Marc Shoffman

Twitter: @marcshoffman 

Instagram: inforapennypodcast

Website: Https://cavendishcontent.com/

Rachel Charlton-Dailey

Twitter: @RachelCDailey

Instagram: @rachel_is_dunn

Website: https://rachelcharltondailey.com/

Resources

The unwritten https://www.theunwritten.co.uk/

Women in Journalism Georgina Henry award for digital innovation.

https://womeninjournalism.co.uk/about-us/georgina-henry-award/

Transcription software service https://otter.ai/home

NCTJ shorthand 

https://www.nctj.com/journalism-qualifications/shorthand-teeline

NCTJ optional shorthand 

https://pressgazette.co.uk/nctj-set-to-make-shorthand-optional-for-students-who-dont-focus-on-news/

Freelance Journalist Recommendations

Ian Fraser 

https://www.ianfraser.org/

Charlotte Colombo

https://muckrack.com/charlotte-colombo

Hannah Shewan Stevens

https://muckrack.com/hannah-stevens

Trust is an essential part of journalism. In this episode, we find out why it's important and what you can do as a freelance journalist to gain it. We talk to Steve Nowottny, an editor from FullFact, who discusses how his work exposes and counters the harm false information can cause, and Jennifer Sizeland, a UK-based freelance journalist, who talks to us about how journalists can build trust with their sources.

Steve Nowottny

Twitter: @stevenowottny

Website: https://www.stevenowottny.com/

Jennifer Sizeland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LandofSize

Instagram: @lifeofsize 

Website: https://landofsize.com/

Resources

Full Fact https://fullfact.org/

How journalists can build trust with their sources

https://ijnet.org/en/story/how-journalists-can-build-trust-their-sources

Muck Rack https://muckrack.com/search/

Qwoted https://www.qwoted.com/

Branding advice for journalists

https://freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/p/branding-for-freelance-journalists?s=r

FFJ podcast episode on branding

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2DiPXKqkBgZaJkSqI9VIqo

FFJ Twitter verification campaign 

https://freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/p/join-our-twitter-blue-tick-campaign?s=r

Media matchmaker 

https://mediamatchmaker.co.uk/

War on truth on BBC Radio 4 documentary by Marianna Spring 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0btv73r

Freelance journalist recommendations

Harry Wallop 

https://harrywallop.co.uk/

Marianna Spring disinformation reporter for the BBC 

https://twitter.com/mariannaspring

Anya Ryan

https://muckrack.com/anya-ryan