Of all the buzzwords in journalism right now (“hyperlocal” comes to mind), perhaps none is more important than “entrepreneurial.” As news companies continually look for fresh sources of revenue and ways to monetize digital and mobile offerings, the journalists who report can’t help but think: “Is my job secure?” And in a time of national economic uncertainty, the trepidation around one’s job grows understandably more intense.
So, what is a journalist to do?
Short of subscribing to Entrepreneur magazine (a mighty fine publication, to be sure), it’s time to strengthen your business savvy. Whether you’re contemplating full-time freelancing, have been forced into it due to layoff, or have dreams of developing and running a non-profit or for-profit news site, you’ll need business skills. Passion for storytelling, fact finding and “digging deep” is one thing – running a legal business and being an online publisher and developer is another.
Here Quill presents a special section on journalism entrepreneurship from five people with varied backgrounds. You won’t find every question or answer, but you will find a wealth of knowledge and experience.
In this section:
–Business Nuts and Bolts of Freelancing by Dana Neuts
–The Importance of Project Management by David Cohn
–10 Steps for Any News Startup and How to Craft Good Grant Proposals by Jan Schaffer
–Growing Online and Protecting Your Content as a Publisher and Freelancer by Kurt Repanshek
–Why Ideas Need Innovation and How You Can Stay Innovative by Retha Hill
Tagged under: Freelancing
