“Networking” is a dirty word to many journalists. I know, I was once one of them.
For much of my time in the salaried world, I considered networking to be a slimy affair. Basically, I thought you just went up to people and asked them for stuff. Gross!
As a freelancer, whose sustainability depends on a strong network, my views have evolved. One big thing that helped was something I learned from Doug Mitchell, the founder of Next Gen Journalism: the difference between a relational mindset and a transactional one. Understanding the distinction can help with about a million other areas of life besides networking, but for our purposes: Transactional networking is what feels like a slimy affair. That means only approaching people when you want something, and broadcasting radio silence every other time. I loathe when someone does this to me, so now I understand why approaching people this way can often lead to a dead end.
Relational networking is just what it sounds like: building relationships. As a freelancer, I find relational networking to be much more fulfilling and, honestly, fun. I get together with fellow freelancers to figure out how we can work on passion projects together. I check in at least once a year with beloved mentors, just to let them know what I’ve been working on and to hear about all of their exciting projects. Sometimes I just tap people for a coffee because I’m curious or even just excited about their work, and those folks are usually delighted to talk more about it.
This kind of networking relies much more on the skills that make me a good journalist, such as curiosity and deep listening. The state of the industry is pretty demoralizing sometimes, but forging these connections reminds me of all the things that excite and inspire me about this work. I feel lucky to get to share it with others, in spite of all the challenges we face right now. We gotta stick together!
-IIJ Editorial Director Ann Marie Awad
We’re still reeling from #IRE26!
We were delighted to connect with so many freelancers at the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in D.C. last week! Thanks again to our partners who co-hosted Thursday’s freelance meetup: the Association of Independents in Radio, Fund for Investigative Journalism, International Women’s Media Foundation, and Type Investigations! And thanks of course to all the freelancers who joined us for a chat and some chips.
But that’s only Thursday! It was a full house for our all-day Business of Freelancing workshop on Friday, and reviews are already in. Here’s what some of our participants had to say after spending the day with us:
“I have been freelancing for many years and was surprised to see how useful the course was. Particularly in terms of negotiating better contracts and maintaining healthy habits.”
“This one-day intensive should be offered at every journalism association convention! It’s imperative that we all have multiple streams of income and are not dependent on our day jobs.”
“Thank you for sharing your research-based, fact-checked rigor, knowledge, and expertise so generously! This whole workshop was a gift.”
We were privileged to meet so many talented journalists at different stages of their freelance journeys. Wherever you’re headed, we are grateful you chose to spend the day with us, and we’re thrilled to welcome you into the IIJ community!
Our deep gratitude for all of the incredible partnerships that made this event happen: thanks to IRE, and to all the editors who joined us for the afternoon: Mitch Ryals of the Baltimore Banner, Starlight Williams of National Geographic, and Maryam Saleh of Type Investigations; thank you to our volunteers and to the IIJ team, and thanks especially to our incredible instructors for the day: Emma Carew Grovum, Kelly Glass, and Shernay Williams!
Missed out? Stay tuned for our eight-week online Business of Freelancing course, registration opens later this summer!
💐 THIS WEEK: Join us at #AAJA26!
We’re looking forward to presenting our session tomorrow afternoon at AAJA all about mastering the solo hustle! Join IIJ leaders Katherine Reynolds Lewis and Emma Carew Grovum to get the lowdown on building a sustainable freelance business. We’ll discuss how to cultivate multiple streams of revenue, how to determine fair rates, and how to avoid burnout. Make sure to add us to your conference to-do list because you won’t want to miss this discussion! See the full #AAJA26 program here.
The next afternoon, we’re co-hosting a freelance meetup with our friends at the Association of Independents in Radio, Economic Hardship Reporting Project, International Women’s Media Foundation, and Next Gen Journalism. Connect with your fellow freelancers and IIJ leaders, and learn how each of these organizations can fund your journalism!
Pitch Calls and Other Opportunities
🪺 Grants for reproductive rights stories in the Americas
Speaking of IWMF: It’s seeking proposals for reporting projects on reproductive rights in the United States, Latin America, or the Caribbean. Open to women and nonbinary journalists, these grants can fund reporting expenses like travel, security, or insurance. 💰Grants vary depending on the scope and location. Learn more and apply here by July 12.
🌴 Scholarships for Pacific Islander Journalists
Asian American Journalists Association and the Indigenous Journalists Association are partnering to offer their Pacific Islander Journalism scholarship. While funds can be used by current students to pay for professional development, or to cover pay during an internship, they can also be used by working journalists to pay student loan balances. 💰Two journalists will receive $5,000 each, along with one-year student memberships to both AAJA and IJA. Learn more here, applications close this weekend on June 28.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Grants for reporting on incarceration, families
The Poynter Institute recently announced its newest series of free training: Reporting on Families Impacted by Incarceration. Over three sessions, learn the impacts of incarceration on children, parents, and communities, and acquire trauma-informed strategies for building trust with sources and reporting with care. 💰Those who attend all three sessions are eligible to apply for reporting grants up to $10,000. Learn more here.
🔍 Grants for investigations, pre-reporting
The Fund for Investigative Journalism is accepting applications for both its regular grants and its seed grants which provide funding for early reporting. Journalists who have already received seed funding from FIJ are encouraged to apply for regular grants to sustain their stories. 💰Seed grants range from $1,000 to $2,500, regular grants are up to $10,000. Take a look at all of FIJ’s funding opportunities here, submit applications for these grants by September 14.
Interesting Reads
📖 University of Texas professor Mallary Tenore Tarpley is asking a big question about going solo in her latest piece for Poynter: What are the tradeoffs of going independent? She spoke to several newsroom-based reporters turned solo creators, like Alexis Benveniste, who writes a newsletter called Extra Credit. “I think in a weird way right now, being freelance and having control over your own content feels safer than working for a company because of how tumultuous the media industry is,” she told Tarpley.
📖 Gary Baum, senior writer for the Hollywood Reporter, chronicles his experience as a target of Objection, an AI-powered platform allowing the rich and powerful to file grievances against journalists. Backed by Peter Thiel, the reactionary billionaire responsible for Gawker’s demise, the venture was hatched as a way to circumvent the courts and virtually guarantee favorable outcomes for aggrieved subjects. Objection’s founder and CEO told Baum that his clients “don’t want a financial remedy. They want a moral victory. Most of them just want a PDF that they can send to their investors and their family which says, ‘I did not go to Epstein Island.’” No, this is somehow not a “Black Mirror” episode.
📖 Anecdotally, it feels like fishy freelance practices are on the rise. Case in point: Tim Herrera recently fielded a question from a writer who was asked by a client to write on spec. Essentially, this client wanted to pay only if they liked the first draft of the piece. Herrera tackles this one with nuance, discussing situations where working on spec may be to your advantage, but concedes that often it’s really not worth it: “It backs freelancers into a corner with a super high-risk, possibly low-reward endeavor,” he writes. Read his full take here.
Calendar
🗓️ THIS WEEK 🚨 Wednesday, June 24 - At the Asian American Journalists Association conference in Minneapolis, IIJ leader Katherine Reynolds Lewis and IIJ special projects editor Emma Carew Grovum will present a session on “Mastering the Solo Hustle” at 2:30 p.m. CT!
🗓️ THIS WEEK 🚨 Thursday, June 25 - At AAJA, join the IIJ’s Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Deborah Jian Lee from Economic Hardship Reporting Project, and IWMF’s Divya Tewari for a 5-6 p.m. CT freelance meetup co-hosted with AIR and Next Gen Journalism! Register here.
🗓️ July 22-24 - Join the IIJ at this year’s Indigenous Media Conference in Portland, Oregon! IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis and independent journalist Johnnie Jae will lead a discussion on the reality of freelance journalism today. Plus, we’re hosting a freelancer meetup with AIR, Next Gen Journalism’s Doug Mitchell, and IWMF’s Tara Gatewood and Rachael Smith. RSVP here for more details!
🗓️ Thursday, July 23 - At the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ annual conference in New Orleans, join the IIJ’s Ann Marie Awad and IWMF leaders Juanita Islas and Tat Bellamy-Walker for a meetup from 4:30-5:30 p.m. CT, co-hosted by AIR and FIJ! Register here for more details.
🗓️ Saturday, July 25 - The IIJ will present a panel on “Mastering the Solo Hustle” at 10:45 a.m. CT at NAHJ in New Orleans. Speakers include IIJ editorial director Ann Marie Awad, Pizza Shark co-founder Carolina Murriel, Altavoz Lab founder Valeria Fernández, and independent journalist Silvia Canelón.
🗓️ Thursday, Aug. 13 - At the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in Atlanta, IIJ leaders Katherine Reynolds Lewis and Shernay Williams will join Atlanta-based entertainment journalist Tatyana Arrington for a panel called “Where’s the Bag: How to Build Sustainable Income on Your Own” at 1 p.m. ET. We’re also co-hosting a meetup at NABJ with AIR and IWMF. RSVP here for more details.
🗓️ Thursday, Sept. 10 - Join the IIJ at the 2026 convention for NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists in San Francisco! Trans Journalists Association co-founder Kae Petrin, COYOTE Media worker-owner Soleil Ho, and an IIJ leader will present a panel on “The Reality of Freelance Journalism Today.” Register here for more details on our freelancer meetup, co-hosted with AIR, IWMF, and the FIJ. IWMF leader Tat Bellamy-Walker will be there, as will IIJ leaders!
