Lewis Raven Wallace’s The View from Somewhere is one of the best books I’ve read about journalism. It shows that the pervasive notion that objectivity equals integrity is a recent one — and reveals how it’s applied unevenly to silence voices that speak out against the status quo.

That’s the only book I’ve read by one of our conference speakers, though I just started KJ Dell’Antonia’s The Chicken Sisters. It’s about two families whose warring small town fried chicken joints go head-to-head in a reality TV competition. It’s exactly the kind of fun read I need right now.

It turns out many of the speakers at this year’s IIJ Conference are published authors, and in this week’s newsletter, I want to highlight some of their work. From novels to nonfiction to cookbooks, your next read might just be in here:

This is by no means an exhaustive list. And, of course, nothing is required reading! But if you’re as impatient as we are to hear from these brilliant speakers, a good book might be just the thing to hold you over until March 5.

~ Sara

The IIJ Conference on March 5 and 6, hosted by SoundPath, has 12 live, virtual sessions designed to help you strengthen your freelance business and build community. Karen Attiah, former Washington Post columnist and founder of the Resistance Studies Series, will be the keynote speaker in conversation with Ryan Y. Kellett, co-founder of the Independent Journalism Atlas. Other recently added participants include Jeremy Caplan, director of teaching and learning at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and Alyssa Bereznak, wellness & grooming director at GQ.

Plus, all participants receive access to more than 12 hours of recorded Q&A’s with editors, pitch guides for outlets such as Popular Mechanics, New York Magazine, and Wired, and a freelance toolkit full of resources! All this for only $89 if you register before Feb. 27.

Support for the IIJ Conference comes from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Democracy Fund, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

In the wake of widespread layoffs by the Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the IIJ is raising funds to cover registration fees for as many journalists as possible who find themselves suddenly out of work. This is a great way to give back to the community, and it will help the IIJ accommodate as many people as possible.

All donations received by March 5 will go to the fund.

Journalists who are interested in attending should fill out the application here. It does not matter which publication you worked at, but it is important that you’re serious about transitioning to a career as an independent journalist, rather than hoping to find another job in a newsroom.

Rewire News Group is the only national publication focused on reproductive and sexual health, rights, and justice. 💰Rates start at $400 to 500 for reported essays, $350 for opinion pieces. Send pitches through the pitch form here.

Journalists in a variety of media can send in their work to the Association of Health Care Journalists Awards for Excellence contest. 💰First place winners receive $500 and free lodging and registration for the AHCJ annual conference. Learn more here. Deadline: Friday, Feb. 20.

Recent graduates, mid-career alums and former students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities can apply for The 19th’s 2026-27 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship. Fellows can apply for reporting, development, audience engagement, and news product tracks. The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the intersection of gender and power. 💰$75,000 plus benefits. Learn more, including about an upcoming information session, here. Deadline: Friday, March 20.

Scientific American seeks proposals for 15-30 minute documentary films for a series called “The Protectors,” which chronicles the scientists who work on the frontlines of wildlife conservation. 💰Up to $80,000 in production funds. Note: This project is work-for-hire, so Scientific American will own and distribute the film, though filmmakers can screen it independently. Learn more here and apply here. Deadline: Sunday, March 8.

Investigative reporters from anywhere in the world can apply for Oxford Brookes University’s David McClure Public Interest Fellowship Journalism Fellowship. This one-year fellowship provides remote mentorship and peer support, as well as funding, for a long-form investigative piece in the public’s interest. 💰£15,000 (approximately $20,000). Learn more here. Deadline: Sunday, May 31.

📖 IIJ Conference speaker Soleil Ho shares how COYOTE Media almost fell for an AI-generated pitch: “If I wasn’t such a nerd about social security numbers, COYOTE probably would have gotten scammed.” Today I learned that the first three digits of social security numbers indicate place of birth or signify a federal body. Because Ho knew this, they recognized a fake SSN on a W-9 form when onboarding someone who turned out not to be real. Just another example of how AI requires more vigilance and vetting. “It’s a huge waste of our time and also, potentially, a waste of money,” Ho writes.

📖 Americans don’t pay for news and don’t see why they should. That’s one of the findings in a new report from the Pew Research Center about Americans’ relationship with news. As Nieman Lab’s breakdown of the report shows, 83% of those surveyed said they don’t pay for any news source. Only 11% of those surveyed believe reader subscriptions should make up a news organization’s main revenue stream, with most people expecting advertising and sponsorships to fund news. To quote from the story: “A woman in her 50s said, ‘I don’t pay to go to church, to get a spiritual message, you know? And if you’re true, and your mission is to relay facts that are fundamentally important for people’s well-being, do I need to pay you for that?’”

📖 The Intercept reported that Google recently provided private information about Amandla Thomas-Johnson, a student activist and journalist, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement when subpoenaed. While it’s not yet clear how much metadata the tech company shared, potential information includes bank account and credit card numbers, IP masking services, usernames and addresses, and more. While Google informed Thomas-Johnson that they had responded to the subpoena, they only revealed the extent of potential data shared recently. As law professor Lindsay Nash told the Intercept, Google’s lack of communication “doesn’t allow the person whose personal information is on the line and whose privacy may be being invaded to raise challenges to the disclosure of that potentially private information.”

🗓️ Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6 - Join us for Solo Together: a conference for independent journalists and creators to find community and build thriving businesses. Speakers include Matt Kiser, founder of WTF Just Happened Today?; Prism News Editor Sahar Fatimah; Defector Culture Editor Brandy Jensen, and more. Grab your spot for only $89!

🗓️ Wednesday, April 22 - The IIJ is presenting a panel on “Creating Entrepreneurship Systems That Work For You” from 3-3:50 p.m. ET at ASJA’s 2026 online conference. Hear from IIJ leaders Katherine Reynolds Lewis and Ann Marie Awad, as well as independent journalists Olga Lucia Torres and Clayton Gutzmore. Register for the conference here.

🗓️ June 2-5 - IIJ leaders Shernay Williams and Benét Wilson will be presenting a session on creating entrepreneurship systems that work for you at the Education Writers Association National Seminar in Baltimore, MD! Learn more and register here.

⏪ Webinar: Mobile Reporting: Tools for Making Content on The Go

▶️ Podcast: For $1/word, Science Friday wants enterprise stories that spark curiosity

⏪ Webinar: How to Pitch High Profile, National Media

▶️ Podcast: Pitch Sentient Media stories about how the sausage is made

▶️ Podcast: How to pitch Mongabay stories on climate and Indigenous communities

⏪ Webinar: Save Time, Money, and Clients with Clear Project Scoping