SPJ26, the Society of Professional Journalists‘ annual conference, kicked off its four-day run in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 1. Isabel Guzman, SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter membership chair and board member, is on hand for SPJ26 and filed this dispatch on the first part of the conference. More to come.

Left: SPJ 26 kicked off in Columbus, Ohio, on October 1. Right: Eric Deggans interviews Brian Stelter for the keynote of SPJ26 on October 2.  Photos by Isabel Guzman | SPJ Colorado Pro. 

On Your Own

I began the morning of Oct. 2 in two breakout sessions dedicated to freelancing, as I’m a freelance reporter. 

First, Mark Allen of Mark Allen Editorial, LLC and freelance writer and editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter led “On Your Own: What Freelancing Looks Like Now and How to Start.” This session focused on how to launch your freelancing career, first and foremost, by separating personal and business matters. 

Allen suggested creating a limited liability company (LLC) because publications are more inclined to hire another business rather than an individual. Thaler-Carter advised opening a business bank account to make tracking potential tax deductions much easier.

They also advocated for setting reasonable rates, which typically can be set based on what you are used to getting paid by previous clients, but also based off your expenses. Make sure you are able to stay afloat on your income, they said, but also be aware of your experience level – you may not be able to request $1,000 for a 1,500-word article if you’re just starting out in freelancing.

It all comes down to your freelance contract, Thaler-Carter said. In this contract, detail not only your rate, but other intricacies, such as how additional fees may be incurred if the editor asks you to do more work than originally agreed upon; your AI policy; and when and how you receive payment, such as within 30 days of the invoice date.

Another thing freelance journalists can also offer is freelance editing, they said. Many companies are looking for journalists to not only write but also to edit their social media copy, newsletters and more.

“Also, get used to getting ghosted by clients,” Thaler-Carter said. “Sometimes, editors leave a company and go elsewhere. Follow them.”

Thaler-Carter closed out with one last tip: Email links rather than attachments to editors you are pitching for the first time, as some people will immediately discard an email with attachments from an unknown email address or it may be labeled as spam. 

Beyond the Big Byline

Sherry Beck Paprocki of R.S. Rock Media and Tami Kamin Meyer, an attorney and freelance writer, spearheaded the next session: “Beyond the Big Byline: How Freelancers Build New Revenue Streams.”

This breakout covered how to brand yourself and what resources to look out for. They suggested pitching one idea to multiple editors, while adjusting the angle to fit each publication’s needs.

Similar to Thaler-Carter’s advice, Paprocki and Kamin Meyer also emphasized preserving relationships with editors over outlets. As editors move and jump around to multiple publications , hopefully they’ll take you with them.

When you’re being paid based on time rather than word count and photos, the panelists suggested setting a minimum amount of payment you can accept and stick to it. “Never accept something that pays you less than $75 an hour,” said Paprocki.

CNN’s Stelter

Next was the keynote with Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media analyst. Eric Deggans, a Knight Professor of Journalism and Media Ethics at Washington and Lee University, interviewed Stelter.

“We will not be kicking CNN out,” joked outgoing SPJ President Chris Vaccaro when introducing Stelter and Deggans.

Stelter, who covers journalism news for CNN, discussed the pending $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, combining ownership of CNN and CBS under Skydance Corp. 

“I want to watch CBS as a viewer, read CNN … and consume the actual content and judge that. Not what they say about the content, not what the bosses say they’re doing, but let’s judge the actual work,” Stelter said about the merger.

Stelter ended his keynote with a powerful quote that hung around for the remainder of the afternoon amid the Trump administration’s move to deny CNN, MS Now and Politico access to the White House: “If we don’t fight for our rights, we’re going to lose them.” A federal judge later ordered the outlets reinstated.

Other sessions

Following the keynote, Anthony Shoemaker and Laura Bischoff of USA Today Ohio dove into two of their award-winning projects for their “How to Deliver Big Journalism While Feeding the Daily Beast” session. “Vicious” documents stories of violent dog attacks, sometimes ending in a person’s death, and the lack of legal regulation around these incidents. “Smuggled” investigates how drugs get into prisons.

Shoemaker and Bischoff’s biggest piece of advice is to set aside small chunks of time dedicated to reporting on a longer enterprise story, while still meeting weekly and daily story deadlines. The days of being an investigative reporter who works for one story for months is long gone, Bischoff said.

In “How to Build a Freelance Career Outside Major Media Hubs,” presenters Chris Hughes of SPJ Louisville Pro and Bill Ferguson and Jenny Wohlfarth of SPJ Cincinnati Pro said keeping a curious mind and joining organizations like SPJ are helpful for freelancers looking to find more outlets to pitch. 

The day finished with the President’s Reception, where Nicole DeCriscio was handed the gavel by Vaccaro, symbolizing DeCriscio taking over as the next national president of SPJ.

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