We need your help!
We need your help!
£50 prize draw for taking part in our freelance journalism survey
We all know that freelance journalism underpins the media industry in the UK. But freelance voices are often under represented and it can be difficult to gauge exactly what the freelancing landscape looks like.
Anecdotal stories constantly circulate on social media but there are few empirical datasets which dig into what life is like as a freelance journalist. Until now.
Freelancing for Journalists has teamed up with Sheffield Hallam University to create The State of Freelance Journalism Report 2024. And this is where you come in.
We are asking all freelance journalists to complete this survey to help us build an accurate picture of self-employment in the UK. Anyone who works as a full or part-time freelance journalist in the UK is eligible to complete it. All participants will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 and a set of digital freelancing guides.
The survey covers six key themes: demographics, professional profile, motivation, earnings, training and community. We want to understand where you are based, the type of work you are doing, and how much job satisfaction you have. We are also keen to learn about the freelance communities you rely on and what motivates you to freelance.
Although there have been previous freelance journalism reports in the past, our study is aiming to gather unique information on the nuances of freelancing, the impact of the pandemic and the wide variation of freelance work and pay.
With your help we aim to build an accurate and timely picture of what working as a freelance journalist in the UK really looks like in 2024, and what support freelancers need. It is about better understanding who you are and allowing you to express your joys and frustrations about working as a freelance journalist.
All participants will be anonymous and the data will be stored securely, with confidentiality guaranteed. The anonymous results will be made public in a report in 2025. This report will form discussion on the FFJ podcast and newsletter, and in the wider trade press. It will also be presented at journalism and academic conferences.
Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and let your voice be heard.
New podcast episode
This week on the podcast 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.
Work experience scheme open
The next round of our Journalism Work Experience and Mentorship Scheme is now open. To access our database of freelance journalists and media organisations you need to sign up to our webinar (recordings available if you can’t make the event on Wed 6th November at 1pm). Here we explain all about how it works and how to get the most out of it. Tickets are £10 which covers the administration of the scheme. We also have bursary places so do get in touch if you need more information. There is lots of detail on the webinar sign up page or you can email freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com. Places do tend to go quite quickly so if you’re interested don’t leave it too long!
Triumph of the week
Running away to a retreat to finish a BIG project.
That feeling when
You forget about an all important task and suddenly have to squeeze it into a burgeoning to do list
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!
Quick survey note: there isn't a 'South East' or 'South West' option on the question: 'Where do you live?'