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>> No. 11062 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 3:47 pm
11062 Getting into journalism
I remember a really good thread a few years ago with advice about making a living out of journalism but now, when I need it the most, it's disappeared. As such I'm wondering if any of our resident Ed Winchesters can help me.

I always harboured a desire to work in journalism growing up, but through a series of inconsistent life decisions I've ended up working as an account executive for a PR agency for the last 3 months. I'm growing disillusioned with it (as tends to happen with most of my life decisions after a few months) and feel like I want to cross over to the other side and become a journo.

I haven't published much in ages and my only formal experience in journalism is a shitty short-lived internship several years ago. So my main question is, how likely am I going to be able to make a living out of journalism?

I remember in the previously referenced Ed Winchester's thread he pushed freelancing as the most lucrative path. I'd like that one day (though not because of the money), but I imagine the consistency of a salaried gig would be better while I'm starting out in the industry and still have rent to pay. What's the best way of landing such opportunities? Are most of them advertised publicly or are they behind closed doors on Gorkana and ResponseSource et al. (which I have access to)? I'm also a member of the NUJ, so is there much potential for finding jobs through that? And are NCTJ qualifications usually mandatory?

If it makes any difference I'd ideally like to report on tech and/or political news (I'm currently working in tech PR and I do a fair bit of activism in my spare time).

Cheers in advance for any advice.
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>> No. 11063 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 4:02 pm
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>>11062

Right, watch Conversations with History with Robert Fisk, and read George Monbiot's career advise.

Then get back to me and we might have a little chat.
>> No. 11064 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 4:55 pm
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>>11063

>advise

I take it you work for the Grauniad?
>> No. 11065 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 5:21 pm
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Read a trashy buzzfeed celb gossip article, rewrite it.

Copy and paste the 10 top post off of a reddit thread onto a webpage.

Post on twitter asking people for the same opinion as you, write a rant and then quote them like they matter.

Knock on a neighbour who you have never met before's door and ask them cutting questions about their recently dead child.

Make up a title that is antagonistic to the majority of society link this to a series of gifs lifted from tumblr that are just sections of popular US TV shows.

Congratulations you are a journalist.
>> No. 11066 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 6:42 pm
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>>11063

Thanks for the recommendations, the Monbiot piece was quite a resonating read.

>Nor does this mean that you shouldn’t take work experience in the institutions whose worldview you do not accept if it’s available, and where there are essential skills you feel you can learn at their expense. But you must retain absolute clarity about the limits of this exercise, and you must leave the moment you’ve learnt what you need to learn (usually after just a few months) and the firm starts taking more from you than you are taking from it. How many times have I heard students about to start work for a corporation claim that they will spend just two or three years earning the money they need, then leave and pursue the career of their choice? How many times have I caught up with those people several years later, to discover that they have acquired a lifestyle, a car and a mortgage to match their salary, and that their initial ideals have faded to the haziest of memories, which they now dismiss as a post-adolescent fantasy? How many times have I watched free people give up their freedom?

This feels like particularly relevant advice for me. I went for the PR job because I was under pressure to begin a 'career' and thought it would give me the tools to do something I'm passionate about - I'm very interested in technology but I'm not so interested in essentially being a salesman for tech companies. I've learnt a lot in the 3 months I've been here, but I'm resenting the constraints on my freedom (long hours, demanding colleagues and all of the assorted horrors of the corporate workplace) and don't see myself doing this for the rest of my working life. I don't mean to seem as if I'm romanticising the reality of working in journalism, but I think rather than bending over backwards to satisfy journalists and clients I'd like to be on the other side.

>The third approach is tougher, but just as valid. It is followed by people who have recognised the limitations of any form of engagement with mainstream employers, and who have created their own outlets for their work. Most countries have a number of small alternative papers and broadcasters, run voluntarily by people making their living by other means: part time jobs, grants or social security. These are, on the whole, people of tremendous courage and determination, who have placed their beliefs ahead of their comforts.

This is the approach I'd like to say is right for me, but I don't know if I am courageous or determined enough.

I would appreciate a chat. Indeed, I'd be willing to buy any London journloads pints at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in exchange for their time and advice.
>> No. 11067 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 8:57 pm
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>>11066
>I would appreciate a chat. Indeed, I'd be willing to buy any London journloads pints at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in exchange for their time and advice.
I'm not a Ed Winchester, but I want to come. I can whisper nice things to you a few times between the drinks you will be buying me.
>> No. 11068 Anonymous
12th February 2017
Sunday 9:06 pm
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>>11066

>I would appreciate a chat. Indeed, I'd be willing to buy any London journloads pints at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in exchange for their time and advice.

Email a few journalists and ask them for advice. I've found that people are often remarkably willing to help if you just ask. There's a strata of people in every industry who know enough to be really useful, but are low enough on the totem pole to be flattered by the attention.

School teaches you that there's a prescribed way of doing everything, that you're only allowed to progress if someone in authority gives you a bit of paper saying that you can. In the real world, you can just send some e-mails to firstname.lastname@company.com and see what happens.
>> No. 11069 Anonymous
13th February 2017
Monday 3:00 am
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>>11066

Oky, you have done some thought. Drop me a throwaway email.
>> No. 11071 Anonymous
13th February 2017
Monday 9:29 am
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>>11069

OP here. Don't know why >>11070 is posting someone's personal email address but send me a mail at britfagsjournalism@gmail.com
>> No. 11072 Anonymous
13th February 2017
Monday 10:48 am
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>>11071

Coz he's a bellend. Email sent.
>> No. 11077 Anonymous
13th February 2017
Monday 8:56 pm
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I know this sounds really simple but it's something nobody ever told me yet come in insanely useful when I got into the habit- just trawl through Linkedin profiles.

Sit down for about two or three hours at your computer and just google 'journalist' and the name of the type of publication you want to work for and then tag Linkedin on the end. For the most part, it will turn up the profiles of loads of people who work or used to work at those places.

From there just click their profiles and have a look at the kind of jobs they did beforehand and the kind of qualifications and things that they studied.

This has been immensely helpful to me in the past in looking at both how to market myself and what kind of things should be on my CV. Bonus points if people add their responsibilities and not just job titles, you can see how they phrase things to hit the key points.

In terms of looking for the jobs I'm sorry I can't help as I've no idea where to start. I imagine having your own blog about the issues isn't a bad idea either, both to showcase your work and show dedication to prospective employers. Churning out a handful of articles a week on tech and politics shouldn't be too difficult.

Good luck

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