I’ve been a journalist for over five years now and travel journalism was one of the main ways I improved my skills as a writer. As a travel journalist, you write about everything from affordable luxury to food and history. It’s a delicate mix of news and opinion, serious and entertaining—and you have a particular responsibility to humanize distant places and represent their people and cultures properly. Like all journalism, you’re educating readers and exercising empathy to meet audiences’ needs.

To me, travel reporting is one of the most connected modes of journalism. It’s about curiosity, respecting other cultures and ways of living, and trying new things. It also contextualizes larger subjects like fashion and technology, connecting them to larger themes of life, such as identity, sexuality, consumerism, and entertainment.

So whether you’re a veteran travel journalist or just looking to expand your horizons, please join us Friday, Dec. 8, from 12-1:15 ET for our webinar on travel freelancing designed for independent journalists. Learn about effective storytelling, how to pitch the top editors, and ways to get the bylines that will boost (or launch!) your career.

RSVP here to attend.

Speakers include:

Starlight Williams, travel editor, National Geographic: Starlight is an editor for National Geographic who focuses her work on ecotourism, accessible adventures, cultural tourism, wellness travel, and paranormal tourism. When not on the hunt for engaging pitches (send yours to [email protected]), you can find Starlight on her yoga mat working on her niyamas.

Tacey Rychter, travel editor, New York Times: Tacey is a staff editor on the New York Times Travel desk, where she edits the weekly 36 Hours column and other features, and also has an audience role on the team (managing social media promotion, newsletters, etc). She also writes, contributing travel guides and reporting on topics like flight attendant burnout. Before joining the Travel desk in 2019, she worked with the Times's Australian bureau in Sydney, helping to grow the local audience and reporting news and features. Before that, she was the Melbourne editor of an Australian food and culture magazine called Broadsheet.

Amanda Finnegan, By the Way editor, Washington Post: Amanda is the creator and editor of By The Way, The Washington Post’s travel destination for news, tips and city guides. Prior to that, Amanda was a homepage editor at The Post, as well as an editor on the Politics and Local desks. She splits her time between Chicago and D.C.

Katherine LaGrave, deputy editor, Afar Magazine: Katherine LaGrave is a deputy editor at AFAR focused on features and essays. Her work has been recognized in the Best American Food Writing and the Best American Science & Nature Writing. The Society of American Travel Writers named her the 2021 Travel Journalist of the Year. A graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, she is an adjunct professor at Fordham University. She lives in New York City.

Moderated by independent journalist Meena Thiruvengadam: Meena is a lifelong traveler with nearly two decades of experience in journalism. She has visited more than 50 countries, 47 U.S. states, and six continents. Meena has road-tripped across the U.S., taken trains through Europe, traveled in India by train, plane, and automobile, and gone off the grid in Alaska via helicopter. She has lived in New York City, Chicago, London, and Washington, D.C.

—Aarohi Sheth, IIJ newsletter writer

On Giving Tuesday, Will You Support the IIJ Foundation?

Here at the IIJ, we've been so moved to see individual donations being made to support our work! Since we mentioned the donation portal a couple weeks ago, we've received about one donation a day. We see each contribution as a vote of confidence—and our prospective funders view it as a sign that the world needs our programs.

Will you join your freelance colleagues in supporting our free webinars, in-person programming at journalism conventions, and advocacy for equity in freelancing? Donate here. Any amount helps—we mean it!

Contributions to The IIJ Foundation qualify as tax-deductible through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund. For more information, see the FAQ section of our home page.

Don’t Miss the Bonus Bundle for Our Freelance Journalism Conference!

Freelancing isn’t just about taking control of your career and betting on yourself—it’s about community, as it’s reliant on building connections, accountability buddies, having each others’ backs, and being with people who understand the particular hustle that independent journalism is. So, carve out some time to build that community with the IIJ’s annual freelance conference.

You’ll have the chance to connect with 50 speakers, hear from over a dozen editors about what they want in a pitch, and of course, meet other freelancers. Register here today!

The conference includes 2 inspirational keynote addresses, 8 live and interactive 75-minute-long panel discussions, 2 networking hours, as well as webinars and other resources, for just $49 early bird, if you register before Dec. 22.

And with registration comes our bonus bundle, which includes:

• Q&As with renowned editors talking about what they want in a pitch, such as Raha Naddaf, a story editor for the New York Times Magazine; Mimi Wong, editor-in-chief of The Offing; Carren Jao, senior editor at Stacker; and Emanuele Berry, executive editor for This American Life

• IIJ-created pitch guides with rates and contacts for outlets featured in our previous webinars, including The New York Times, Business Insider, Bloomberg Businessweek, Science Magazine and many others

• Expert guides covering a range of topics, from negotiating contract terms to tracking freelance income and applying for grants and fellowships

We hope to see you at the conference!

DC Freelancers: Discount Code for the National Press Club’s Building a Business Workshop!

If you’re in the greater Washington D.C. area, please check out the National Press Club’s in-person freelancing business workshop in Washington D.C. on Dec. 8—and use our discount code IIJ2023 for $10 off your registration fee.

Participants will learn strategies for winning pitches, managing freelancing as a business, and building the writer and editor relationship to sustain that business. Editors in attendance represent publications including AARP Bulletin, Industry Dive, Politico magazine, Slate, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian. 

Click here for the full schedule and confirmed list of speakers.

IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis is presenting on setting up a freelance business, and would love to meet up at the famous NPC taco bar afterwards with anyone who attends!

Pitch Callouts, Fellowships, and Other Opportunities

Marie Claire Call for Pitches

Marie Claire is accepting feature pitches on scams, stocks, and spending habits for an upcoming Money Issue.

Email pitches to [email protected] 

Bay Nature Call for Pitches

Bay Nature is looking for accountability and enterprise feature pitches for their latest project, Wild Billions.

Submit pitches through the pitch form.

Pay: 50 cents-$1/word

The deadline to pitch is Nov. 30

The Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program

Apply to the KSJatMIT fellowships to delve into science, technology, and journalism, and specialize in a sect of science.

Pay: $85,000

The deadline to apply is Jan. 15

To apply or for more information, visit the website here.

NYT Opinion Call for Pitches

New York Times’ Opinion section is looking for personal essays about regret.

Email pitches to [email protected]

Good Beer Hunting Call for Pitches

Good Beer Hunting’s Olly Olly vertical is accepting pitches for stories exploring nature as a character that shapes our physical and spiritual realities.

Pay: $700

Click here for the pitch guide.

Los Angeles Press Club Foot in the Door Program

If you’re an early career journalist based in Los Angeles, the L.A. Press Club’s Foot in the Door program is bringing on fellows. Fellows get a mentoring relationship and guidance on how to secure work opportunities and launch their career dreams.

Pay: $3,000 stipend

The deadline to apply is Dec. 4

For more information or to apply, visit their website here.

Interesting Reads

• Read Sophie Culpepper’s “I’m a media reporter and a diehard Swiftie. I don’t cover Taylor, but here’s how I wish someone would” for Nieman Lab. In it, she looks at the pop star’s identity and life through a critical lens of sorts—particularly in light of the recent fan’s death at Taylor’s concert—and contemplates whether media should be doing more complex, nuanced stories about her.

• Read Priscille Biehlmann’s “(Very) young audiences: How a magazine uses comics to tell the news to French kids” for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. In it, she features TOPO, which uses graphic novel techniques to explain complex and heavy topics for its teenage audience.

• Read Tom Jones’ “What 20 Poynter employees are thankful for in journalism” for Poynter. In it, the employees give their gratitude for everything from Spanish-language fact-checking to worker-owned media.

• We're always eager to connect with freelance journalists of color who'd like to be involved in the work of the IIJ or contribute to future programs. Email [email protected] to volunteer—or if you have an idea for a partner, funder or topic we should explore.

Calendar

We love growing the IIJ family and connecting with fellow freelance journalists, so please come to one of our events! Here are the upcoming IIJ events and presentations by IIJ leaders:

• Dec. 8 travel and lifestyle freelancing webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Dec. 8 National Press Club’s building a freelance business webinar. Buy tickets here.

• Jan. 19 insurance for freelancers webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Jan. 31 at 2 pm IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis speaks on an AIR panel about freelance business dilemmas.

• Feb. 9 sports and fitness journalism webinar. RSVP here to attend.

• Feb. 29-March 1 IIJ freelance journalism conference. RSVP here to attend.

• April 12-April 14 presentation at the 2024 Women in Journalism workshop at the Reynolds Journalism Institute. For more information, click here.