The IIJ 2024 Freelance Journalism Conference
Feb 29 - March 1, 2024
10 recorded sessions, delivering 13 hours of learning for just $99!
Freelancers of all backgrounds welcome!
Recordings will be available to watch until March 31, 2024
Thanks to Our Supporters!
DO YOU WANT TO
Hear what top editors want in pitches?
Learn insider secrets to landing fellowships, diversifying revenue, and creating a portfolio of meaningful work?
Connect with a community of creators who make a good living while telling stories that have an impact?
Purchase session recordings for the Institute for Independent Journalists 2024 Freelance Conference!
10 recorded sessions, delivering 13 hours of learning for $99!
Recordings will be available to watch until March 31
Schedule
Thursday, Feb 29 (10 am - 7 pm ET)
10:00 am - 11:15 am ET
What Does Artificial Intelligence Mean for Journalism?
Does artificial intelligence mean the end of journalism jobs? A panel of experts will bust myths and offer practical advice for navigating the new landscape of artificial intelligence. Participants will leave with concrete tips for harnessing AI in their work.
Speakers include:
“Aunt” Benét Wilson, director of the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship
Meredith Broussard, author on artificial intelligence and race
Nikita Roy, ICFJ Knight Fellow, host of Newsroom Robots and lead of the AI Journalism Lab at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Moderator: Sarah Stirland, independent journalist
11:30 am - 12:45 pm ET
Keynote Speaker: Tanzina Vega
Keynote speaker Tanzina Vega will discuss her work and career, from the New York Times, CNN, and hosting WNYC’s The Takeaway, through building an entrepreneurial career as a Boston Globe columnist, professor and consultant.
Tanzina Vega’s journalism centers on inequality and wealth in the United States through the lens of race and gender. She is the founder of La Mala Media, where she provides strategy, writing and podcast services for companies and brands.
In conversation with Stephanie Daniel, Senior Managing Editor at KUNC.
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm ET
Become an Editor’s Go-To Contributor
A panel of national and regional editors will talk about how to pitch their publications, what they want from freelance contributors, and how to get on their radar. We’ll cover rates, project scope, contract terms and the editorial process.
Speakers include:
Betsy Agnvall, health and healthy living editor, AARP
Marisa Kashino, The Home You Own editor, The Washington Post
Tracy Scott Forson, senior editor, Smithsonian Magazine
Kylie Warner, associate editor for 1843 Magazine
Moderator: Ellen Lee, author and independent journalist.
2:15 pm - 2:45 pm ET
Lunch / yoga / stretch break
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Monetizing your Platform
As freelance opportunities run dry, many writers are turning to other platforms to tell their stories. Substack can be overwhelming, but it has a lot of benefits, especially financially. So how do you use Substack or other platforms for self-publishing? And not only that, how do you make it worthwhile for you?
Speakers include:
Frankie de la Cretaz, freelance sports and culture journalist
Tim Herrera, founder of Freelancing with Tim
Jessica Lahey, author, journalist, and co-host of the #AmWriting Podcast
Morgan Sung, tech journalist and co-founder of the rat.house newsletter
Moderator: Sa’iyda Shabazz, freelance writer and editor
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm ET
How to Perfect Your Pitch
What do editors really want in a pitch? This session will identify the key elements of a successful pitch and teach participants how to write a better one. Bring your ideas, and we’ll turn them into stories.
Speakers include:
Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, public editor, PBS
Angilee Shah, editor-in-chief, Charlottesville Tomorrow
Dianna Nañez, executive editor and co-founder of Arizona Luminaria
Moderator: Valeria Fernández, managing editor, palabra
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET
Unwind With Other Freelancers (Not Recorded)
After a full day of learning, join your freelance colleagues for an interactive networking session. Connect with IIJ leaders and other independent journalists in the main room and breakout groups organized by subject area and topics you‘d like to explore. This popular IIJ session has led to accountability buddies and writing groups, and we guarantee camaraderie!
Facilitators include:
Liv Monahan, freelance journalist, Ida B. Wells investigative fellow finalist
Fernanda Santos, editor and leader, digital and audio
Olga Lucia Torres, lecturer at Columbia University, board of trustees chair of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association
Damon Brown, best-selling author, startup founder, and TEDx speaker
Valeria Fernández, investigative journalist and managing editor of palabra
Friday, March 1 (10 am - 7 pm ET)
10:00 am - 11:15 am ET
Diversity Data Desert
This session will address the challenges in understanding the diversity of the journalism workforce. Speakers will cover the shrinking amount of data available publicly as well as creative ways to assess the diversity of freelancer contributors.
Speakers include:
Cara Reedy, director of the Disabled Journalists Association
Meredith Clark, associate professor at Northeastern University
Katherine Reynolds Lewis, author, independent journalist, and founder of the IIJ
Moderator: Maudlyne Ihejirika, journalism and storytelling program manager for the Field Foundation
11:30 am - 12:45 pm ET
Keynote Speaker: Sara Goo
Keynote speaker Sara Goo will discuss insights from her career, from the Washington Post and NPR to her current role as editor-in-chief of Axios, in conversation with Niala Boodhoo, host and editor of 1 Big Thing.
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm ET
Inside the Editor's In-Box: How to Break Into a New Outlet
A panel of national and regional editors will talk about how to pitch their news outlets, what they want from freelance contributors, and how to get on their radar. We’ll cover rates, project scope, contract terms and the editorial process.
Speakers include:
Estelle Tang, lifestyle and wellness editor, The Guardian US
Juliet Beverly, editor, Brain Facts
Rachel Epstein, deputy editor, Men’s Health
James Salanga, co-executive director for The Objective and reporter for KAZU
Moderator: Jamila Bey, editorial director, WHYY News
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm ET
Lunch / yoga / stretch break
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Funding your Journalism: Grants and Fellowships
At this time of tight freelance budgets, fellowships and grants offer an invaluable opportunity to subsidize your reporting and, often, give you time, space and resources to focus on in-depth and meaningful work. Fellowship directors and recipients will share how fellowships and grants work, how to apply and how to write a winning proposal when you do!
Speakers include:
Melba Newsome, independent journalist
Pamela K. Johnson, multimedia journalist, 2023-2024 O'Brien Public Service Journalism Fellow
P. Kim Bui, John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford
Moderator: Taylor Moore, associate program manager, the International Women's Media Foundation
Sponsor: The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm ET
Finding the Best Medium for Your Big Idea!
You've got a gripping narrative or promising lead on a story. But should you pursue a long-form article, create a podcast, write a book proposal or pitch a documentary series? This panel of journalists with experience in audio, film, books, and serial television will discuss how to find the right medium for your project, what it takes to navigate a production deal, and how to pitch your big idea, no matter the format.
Speakers include:
Joanna Clay, senior producer at Neon Hum Media
Seyward Darby, editor-in-chief of the Atavist
Kerra Bolton, CEO of Woodbine Ventures
Alex Lewis, Founder of Rowhome Productions
Moderator: Erika Hayasaki, journalist, author and professor at the University of California, Irvine
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET
Networking Session and Conference Takeaways (Not Recorded)
Keep the energy of the conference going in a networking session with IIJ leaders, speakers and other independent journalists! Share your favorite learnings, ask a follow-up question or maybe meet an accountability buddy to help you with conference-inspired freelance goals. This is a live session that will not be recorded. You won’t want to miss it!
Facilitators Include:
Sylvia A. Harvey, author of The Shadow System
Yvonne Liu, writer and mental health advocate
Damon Brown, best-selling author, startup founder, and TEDx speaker
Liv Monahan, freelance journalist, Ida B. Wells investigative fellow finalist
Olga Lucia Torres, lecturer at Columbia University, board of trustees chair of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association
Jamila Bey, editorial director at WHYY News
Purchase today for access to:
Q&As with renowned editors talking about what they want in a pitch, such as
Emanuele Berry, executive editor of This American Life
Frida Garza, editor for The Guardian US
Jenny Hollander, digital director at Marie Claire
Carren Jao, senior editor, Stacker
Raha Naddaf, story editor for the New York Times Magazine
Mimi Wong, editor-in-chief of The Offing
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.
In addition to these essential resources, you’ll find expert guides covering a range of topics, from negotiating contract terms to tracking freelance income and applying for grants and fellowships.
Thank You to Our Supporters!
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, decreasing nuclear risk, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., and reducing corruption in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsive democracy as well as the vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago.
Since 2013, the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism has supported 9-month reporting projects by 30 journalists based in the U.S. Reporters selected for this Milwaukee-based Fellowship at Marquette University get: a $70,000 stipend, student interns as reporting partners, and funds for housing and travel. In service of the Fellowship’s mission to identify problems and potential solutions, O’Brien projects have tackled issues around environmental and racial justice, inequities in education and health care, criminal justice and more. This is your chance to tell a story that can change policy or even change lives. For more information see the O’Brien website and application page, and contact O’Brien Director David Umhoefer via email.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports democracy by promoting informed and engaged communities, including projects in the arts and journalism that lead to transformational, sustainable change.
Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American democracy while defending against new threats. Democracy Fund has invested more than $275 million in support of those working to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and diverse public square, free and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society.
The Association of Independents in Radio is a growing talent network of audio industry professionals integral to public media, journalism, podcasting and narrative storytelling.
SoundPath is a digital training platform for peer-inspired learning, brought to you by the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR).
The IIJ Foundation is a fiscally sponsored project of Players Philanthropy Fund, providing free education, training and community to support freelancers of color.