I have been trying to get more clips for my Journalism Portfolio, but so far I just have one from my school newspaper. How can I pitch some story ideas to local free newspapers. I am finding it hard to even write for free. I also would like to know how to become a production assistant. I am unsure what kind of qualification I would need to make my resume more appealing.
Answers
Hi Edir,
You'd be surprised how easy this is.
Local (small) newspapers are usually looking for people to cover low-level events (Town Hall Meetings at various places). I am suggesting that you contact the editor or managing editor, and ask them if they have any meetings they need covered. Explain that you are a writer, and you understand the story will be "on spec" (or speculation - if the story doesn't work for them, you don't get paid).
Usually, they'll have a town hall meeting to cover, and you cover it well, capturing anything interesting as well as the mundane, and turn it into an interesting article.
To prepare for this, I suggest you read similar articles from local writers, and look at how they cover and write about similar stories. That is your "template" - make your story follow that story, almost like a writer's guide.
If the newspaper has a writers guide, follow it closely. Use your word processing software, and make sure there are no typos in your article.
I'll end with what an old editor told me when I started writing in 1989 "Most people can't put 3 words together in a sentence." I've found through my life that he was right, so if you are one of the people who can, there is work for you.
Another area you can look at is magazines. Find one or more in your area of interests, read them, and then write an article on "spec" again, on a topic you think would fit the magazine. Send the article to the magazine, to the Managing Editor if they have one, and explain you are a freelancer, and you worked this article up "on spec" to see if they would be interested in publishing it. You can include a self-addressed stamped envelope or an email address, so they can reply that either they liked it, or they didn't.
Good luck. I had no training in journalism, but can put three words together in a sentence. I have written for a bunch of magazines in my life, and really enjoyed it. Further, it has helped me in my full time job, since I can write well, since I produce clean and accurate products.
Sincerely,
George Wilhelmsen
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