Six reasons why I do regular news shifts
They don't pay as well as other work so what other benefits are there?
If you’re a premium newsletter subscriber you would have seen last week a detailed breakdown of my income in the extra busy month of June. Essentially there was a wide range of type of journalism work. It included everything from a multi-chapter report, features, news stories, and news analysis. There were also quite a few news shifts in there.
The number of news shifts I take on does vary from month to month but there is usually at least one a week. It might seem an odd decision for an experienced freelancer who could probably earn more money doing different types of work. So this week I’m outlining my six reasons why I can so often be found with my breaking news hat on.
1. Being part of a team
I worked out the other day I had been freelance now for 18 years. I clearly like being in charge of my own career. Yet we all know that working for yourself can be an isolating thing. While I would not want it all the time, I really appreciate the editorial insight and connection that news shifts give me. There are three or four places that I currently do shifts for, some more frequently than others, but they all give me that sense of having work colleagues and it is nice to have people to bounce ideas off. The one I work the most regularly for is a GP website called Pulse. They have made me such a part of the team that they invited me to join them for their Christmas party last year. Everyone I do shifts for is incredibly supportive and lovely. If they weren’t, it would be easy enough to say no.
2. Regular income
I do at least four shifts a month as a minimum under an arrangement I have with one publication. I know that whatever else happens, this income is coming in. It is a starting point to build on. That said, I try not to take on more than two a week except in exceptional circumstances because it does not leave me enough time to do other things. After years of experimenting, one to two a week seems to be the sweet spot. The rates for these publications (who all have different word rates for features too) vary from £200 to £300 which is way higher than most newspapers pay for shifts. But they are also getting my experience and everything that comes with that in the very niche areas of medicine or pharmacy. It means they can leave me to get on with things because I know what I’m doing. I know they do sometimes struggle to find freelancers who have an understanding of the patch. It is worth weighing up the rate you have been offered with what you’re expected to do and the other benefits to you personally. I do all of mine remotely, so I am never having to waste time or money travelling which is also important to factor in.
3. Keeping up with the latest developments
In order to do my job in this niche field, I do need to keep up with developments, policy announcements and the latest research. What better way to do that than to cover breaking and other news. As part of a news shift I am often also expected to find my own stories so I need to do a trawl of journals and health organisations. Might as well get paid to do this. Sometimes I will end up doing the same story in a different format or for a different audience for multiple publications and at least I know the background to it. I seem to have written about Ozempic for everyone recently. Also it allows me to keep my hand in news writing rather than my work all being longer form journalism.
4. Getting ideas
While doing a news shift, I may come across something that requires a more in-depth piece that I could pitch as something separate to my shift. I would usually go to the place I am working with this idea first but it might be more relevant for someone else. The pace of a news shift is such that I would not want to do this type of work all the time. I have a running joke with one editor that we are never allowed to say it is quiet because the minute you do you can guarantee all hell will break loose. But covering so many different topics and doing lots of interviews as part of that shift can all generate other ideas. Earlier this year I had written lots about vaccine hesitancy for medical publications but had not seen this level of scrutiny in the national press. I pitched an idea to the Sunday Times and ended up with a joint byline after helping with an investigation on it.
5. Building contacts
Doing shifts can be a good way of getting in the good books of an editorial team as well as finding out more about the sorts of things they are looking for. You may not want to do it forever, especially if the rates don’t make it worth your while but it can be a good stepping stone. This has been the case for Lily at Runner’s World. It is not just those editorial contacts you can be building though. The fast pace means you will end up speaking to lots of organisations, press officers, and general contacts which can all come in handy in the future. For me this is definitely a key benefit to doing news shifts. It helps me when I come to do those other features or bigger investigations.
6. A rhythm to my week
Thursday is always a news shift day for me. I might have one other in there as well. At the start of every week I sit down and plan my other days around this. Knowing I have that in shift or shifts in the diary makes me efficient in the rest of my week. I know I will be busy and will need to plan accordingly. My very wise Gran (Yorkshire born and bred of course she was wise) used to say ‘If you want something doing ask a busy person’. For me, the more I do the more productive I become. There is no time to procrastinate and mess around on social media (most of the time) so I don’t. I also like going from busy days to a slower pace where I’m more in control. Fridays by contrast usually start with a walk up to the local high street for a coffee. I wouldn’t want to work at breaking news pace all the time but it does make me appreciate the variety when I’m not doing that.
We would love to hear what you think? Did you stop doing news shifts because of poor pay or working conditions? Do any of you think along the same lines as me? You can email us at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com.
A sale on our book!
Facebook recently informed me that it had been FOUR years since the publication of the Freelancing for Journalists book. This was the project that started everything else. It soon became the podcast, Facebook community and newsletter. For this reason it was exciting to see it in the Routledge summer sale. We know the pricing of textbooks is on the expensive side but we go into a lot of detail on all things freelancing with case studies and templates.
If you don’t believe us, here is Lisa Bradley, director of learning and teaching in the school of journalism at the University of Sheffield.
“This book is an absolute godsend for anyone wanting to take the step into freelance journalism. It’s not only fantastic as a go-to text for students but for industry professionals wanting to take the plunge. As well as de-mystifying the commissioning process, it provides a comprehensive toolkit that I wish I had when I first went freelance.”
Triumph of the week
Finishing a massive project that we can’t wait to tell you about once we have had a lie down
That feeling when
You need a case study that should be simple to find but no one is biting
We love to hear your feedback on everything we do, so feel free to drop us an email anytime at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Bye for now!