Launching our work experience project
Journalism Work Experience Initiative providing new opportunities in a pandemic
It is a long-standing joke at Freelancing for Journalists HQ that Lily is a constant source of new ideas while Emma looks on wearily wondering how we’re going to fit everything in.
Well that creative spirit (and let’s face it, there wouldn’t be a Freelancing for Journalists book, podcast, community or online training without it) has led to our latest project and one we’re both particularly proud of.
Back in first lockdown, Lily took on an intern. She advertised the role which was to support her in a freedom of information investigation and had 70 applicants. Ethan did a great job, got a joint byline and we ended up hiring him to build our website.
A couple of months down the line and FFJ took on two work experience students from the University of Northampton. This led Lily to come up with the simple (but brilliant) solution for all the journalism students/graduates struggling to find work experience in newsrooms. How about we link them up with freelance journalists for remote experience and mentoring.
We put a call out and were delighted to be inundated with freelance journalists asking to be added to our database. The Journalism Work Experience Initiative is now live.
Students wanting to make use of the scheme can sign up to our webinar which explains how it operates, what’s expected of them and what they need to do to make the most of it. They then get a 50% discount on our webinar on How to find freelance work.
Lily has put a huge amount of work into building up the database of more than 50 work experience opportunities. Using our freelancing networks we reached out to journalists across the world and we now have opportunities in UK, USA, Australia, France and Israel and the database keeps on growing.
We’ve had incredible feedback from students and universities jumping at the chance for some mentorship and real-life experience in these strange times. Journalism.co.uk got in touch and have written an article about it.
Students or budding journalists can sign up to the webinar (which is £10 to cover administration costs) here. If you’re a freelance journalist who wants to be added to our database, please get in touch at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com, or through our Facebook community.
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Triumph of the week
There is no doubt whatsoever that the triumph of this week is Emma filing 12 x 800-word profile pieces to a very specific brief and on time. If you need her she’s asleep in the corner.
That feeling when…
A case study pulls out at the eleventh hour saying they ‘didn’t quite realise’ what was involved. As a result you lose a day’s pay. This is exactly what happened to Lily this weekend despite her best efforts to thoroughly brief the case study at the start of the process. Angry, sweary emoji time :(
We are still on the look out for listeners dilemma’s for the new section of our podcast so get in touch with your problems and we will do our best to solve.
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Bye for now!