The Institute for Independent Journalists is building an easy-to-use platform connecting freelance journalists with news organizations, as well as with non-journalism organizations such as non-profits or corporations that hire contractors for communications projects. Our goal for this platform is to level the playing field for journalists and publishers alike. Journalists will be able to highlight their past work, reporting beats, or expertise in different mediums. Editors will be able to find, see the availability of, and manage communications with a vetted pool of freelance talent in one place.
In partnership with the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University, we are designing and pilot testing this platform in the Chicago area. In order to design an efficient and useful platform, we are interviewing potential users to understand their needs. We want to hear from journalists about their experiences finding and securing freelance work, as well as editors who already use freelance talent, or would like to work with freelancers more effectively.
We are looking for:
Chicago-based journalists who freelance regularly or are interested in freelancing regularly
Editors or newsroom leaders who assign to freelance journalists in the Chicago area
Those outside of the news world who rely on independent contractors for communications or marketing work
The data we collect during testing in Chicago will help us to scale this platform to other cities, and eventually offer it to journalists, newsrooms, and other employers nationwide.
If you’re interested in being part of our research, please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch. Email info@theiij.com with any questions or for more information.