Freelancing for Journalists

In the podcast this week we discuss the world of copywriting and how freelance journalists can find work in this field. We chat to journalists Peter Ranscombe and Ella Delancey Jones about the difference between copywriting and content writing, and how to flit between writing for the audience and writing for a client. Guests https://www.peter-ranscombe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ransco...

Welcome to series 13! This season we discuss how to diversify your income stream when working as a freelance journalist. The first episode delves into the world of lecturing and how to break into it. We share tips and experiences with entertainment journalist Jamie Body and lifestyle writer Beth Neil who both teach at a number of universities. The guests Jamie Body https://www.jamiebody....

In the final episode of this series we speak to Precious Adesina about arts and culture journalism. Curating an interest in the arts from an early age, Precious went on to work for The Telegraph before going freelance. She talks about the challenges faced by black journalists, how she champions arts writing and her passion project as a radio presenter. The guest https://www.preciousadesina.com/ ht...

In the penultimate episode of the series we speak to award-winning motoring journalist Charlotte Vowden. She tells us how inheriting a classic car dramatically changed her career and how she has built a niche in a male dominated industry. She also speaks candidly about calling out sexism and discusses her exciting new challenge of presenting a television series. The guest https://twitter.com/charl...

In our journalism specialism season we speak to science and technology reporter Chris Baraniuk who regularly writes for the BBC, New Scientist, BMJ, the Economist and Wired. Chris discusses how to write about complex issues when you have no scientific background and how he comes up with story ideas like farming fish on the moon. The guest https://chrisbaraniuk.com/ https://twitter.com/chrisbaraniu...

In the pod this week we chat to Arusa Qureshi about carving out a career in freelance music journalism. Arusa talks about diversity in the industry, transferable skills and life as a night owl covering gigs in Edinburgh. The guest https://www.arusaqureshi.com/ https://twitter.com/arusaqureshi Resources https://freelancing-for-journalists.captivate.fm/episode/should-you-work-for-free Recommendation...

This week we speak to award-winning travel writer Shafik Meghji about press trips, country specialisms and how to write a guide book. He shares his top tips for breaking into travel journalism and tells us what he's currently working on. The guest https://www.shafikmeghji.com/ https://twitter.com/ShafikMeghji Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia https://www.shafikmeghji.com/#/crossedoffthemap/...

We launch our specialism series by chatting to court reporter Charlie Moloney. We discuss how to cover Crown Court trials, how the commissioning process works and just how fast your shorthand needs to be. Charlie also talks about media law and how to challenge your right to report. The guest https://www.charliemoloney.com/ https://twitter.com/CharlieMoloney https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2021/...

In the final episode of the series we discuss the elusive art of time management. How can we get better at managing our time as freelance journalists and what are the best tricks and tools to employ. We seek advice from radio and YouTube presenter / personal trainer / ultra marathon runner Anna Harding and freelance journalist / author / agency co-founder Sally Howard. The guests https://www.insta...

In the podcast this week we quiz two commissioning editors about what they want to see from freelance journalists. Rebecca Liu, commissioning editor at the Guardian, and Mun-Keat Looi international features editor at the British Medical Journal, discuss the winning formula for pitches plus how to make yourself indispensable as a freelancer. They also chat about pet hates, negotiating rates an...

In the podcast this week we talk about practical solutions to help cope with rejection as a freelance journalist. How can we become more resilient and turn rejection into positive action? Expert advice is on hand from freelance marine science writer Melissa Hobson and rural affairs and human interest reporter Kate Chapman. The guests Melissa Hobson www.melissahobson.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter....

With Elon Musk seemingly destroying Twitter, we decided it was time to ask two experts whether we need to be rethinking social media as freelance journalists. Can we live without Twitter and what are the alternatives? Should we be more mindful about how our data is used? And how on earth does Mastodon work? We spoke to tech and internet journalists Chris Stokel-Walker and Steven Asarch to find the...

On the podcast this week we discuss the art of Long Reads and how to pitch, research and write them. We receive excellent insights from GQ features editor Oliver Franklin-Wallis and Guardian writer Samira Shackle. The guests Oliver Franklin-Wallis Website: https://oliverfranklinwallis.com/ Book: The Wasteland https://oliverfranklinwallis.com/wasteland/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/olifranklin Sami...

We're back for another series and in our first episode we talk about the nitty gritty of freelance rights. What can you do about late payments, poor contracts and unfair rates? We discuss the problems and the solutions with Sheron Boyle, founder of Can Pay Won't Pay Facebook group, and Natasha Hirst, president of the National Union of Journalists. The guests @hirstphotos Natasha's website https://...

In the final episode of our awards season special we speak to the winner of the Best Specialist Journalist category. Hannah Summers talks about the challenges of family court reporting and how she has curved out a niche in this unreported field. Show notes https://twitter.com/hansummers https://www.theguardian.com/profile/hannah-summers Hannah's award winning work https://www.theguardian.com/globa...

The winner of our Best Feature award, Amelia Tait, spoke to us about how she researches and writes her quirky features. She also gave some top advice on how to keep editors happy. Show notes https://ameliatait.com/ https://twitter.com/ameliargh Amelia's winning article https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/feb/04/its-a-control-thing-why-are-we-so-fascinated-by-super-organised-homes Amelia'...

In this episode we talk to journalist Lucy Osborne about her award winning investigation into sexual abuse in the fashion industry. She explains how the story unfolded in both print and broadcast media. Show notes Lucy Osborne https://twitter.com/Lucy_Osborne Lucy's Guardian profile https://www.theguardian.com/profile/lucy-osborne Lucy's Guardian report https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may...

Today we speak to Lara Olszowska who won the Freelance Journalism Awards prize for best piece of work by a student or early career journalist. She talks about reporting on Ukrainian schools during the war and how her journalism training is developing. Show notes https://twitter.com/LaraOlszowska https://laraolszowska.wordpress.com/ Lara's award-winning article https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/wo...

In the latest Freelance Journalism Awards series we speak to the winner of the Best Print Journalist category Gabriella Jozwiak. She tells us how she ended up in Ukraine reporting on the impact of the war on young children and the challenges she faced as a freelancer. Show notes Website http://www.gabriellajozwiak.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/GabriellaJ Rory Peck Trust who provide safety train...

In this special Freelance Journalism Awards series the winner of Best News Story, Rachael Healy, talks to us about her exclusive investigation which led to David Walliams leaving Britain's Got Talent. Show notes Rachael Healy https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rachael-healy Twitter https://twitter.com/ohrhealy Website http://www.rachaelhealy.co.uk/ Britain's Got Talent story https://www.theguardi...

In this episode we talk to Freelance Journalism Awards winner Anna Lawlor who won Best Broadcast Journalist 2023. She chats to us about moving from print to radio broadcasting and developing her award-winning documentary Typical! Show notes Anna Lawlor https://www.weareluminescence.com/our-team/anna-lawlor/ https://twitter.com/AnnaL_Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalawlor NCTJ journalism trai...

In this special bonus episode we talk to two members of the Freelancing for Journalism team, Madeleine Drury and Helen Quinn, who are both freelance journalists working in the broadcast industry. Maddie works as a freelance journalist and audio producer for broadcasters such as BBC World Service and Sky News, and Helen divides her time between writing health-related articles as a journalist and wr...

In this week's episode we ask how do you get a byline in the publication you’ve always wanted to work for?  We discuss this with award-winning freelance journalist Donna Ferguson who writes regularly for her dream publication The Guardian, and Karen Edwards, a freelance journalist, editor and author who started in the entertainment industry and made a conscious choice to move into travel jour...

This episode looks at how to negotiate rates and when to push back against poor rates.  We chat with Elle Hunt, who writes for the Guardian but also has bylines in Tortoise, New Scientist and Grazia and Tayla Blaire, a freelance content and copywriter based in South Africa. They both have excellent tips and strategies about the best way to negotiate. The Guests Elle Hunt Twitter: @elle_hunt&n...

This week we look at how to sell one story in multiple ways. How do you get more bang for your buck, maximise your income and make the most of a topic you have been looking into?  We have Gabriella Ferlita, a journalist writing about women’s health, sex and entertainment and Florian Sturm, a freelance journalist based in Germany writing about science, conservation and travel, to share how the...