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Journalism

Over 35% of the 75,000 journalists working in the UK are self-employed, and numbers are increasing year on year.

Worryingly 85% of journalists experience work-related trauma with up to 20 percent experiencing depressive symptoms, yet there are still few dedicated resources for the sector, yet alone for freelancers.

Fortunately there are a number of fantastic communities focused on supporting freelance and self-employed journalists, which are starting to fill the gap.

Watch-outs:
  • Hugely variable day rates and 'free' work
  • Frequent ghosting from clients
  • Emotional impact of topics
  • Challenges Personal Boundaries
  • High supply of freelancers
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Tips from our Members

Keep professional and personal apart
"Separate anything you use for research/finding pitches/networking with editors from what you do for fun. If you find work through Twitter or Facebook, create a separate account or put it on a separate phone that you don't use during downtime. The line between personal and professional is easy to blur and you'll find yourself constantly on if you don't make that line clear early on."
-- Rachael D.

Key Reads

Mental health tips and resources for journalists - IJnet

Broad and up-to-date article on a number of themes, techniques and key areas of support from IJnet.

 How To Safeguard Your Mental Health As A Journalist - JournoResources

This article from JournoResources covers some of the key themes and watchouts for self-employed journalists
Additional Resources

Mental health guidance from the Football Writers Association

IJNet series on Mental Health and journalism from IJnet

Resources for Mental Health and Journalists from NUJ

Protect your emotional health from online harassment from CPJ

Freelance Friendly Resources

Supportive Communities:

The Professional Freelancer

Support for Freelance Journalists

Freelancing for Journalists

Society of Freelance Journalists 

Study Hall

A Few Good Hacks

No.1 Freelance Media Women



Related Organisations:

Committee to Protect Journalists

International Journalists Network

National Council for Training of Journalists

Mindfield

Useful Reads/Listens:

The Freelance Beat

Freelancing for Journalists

Hacks/Hackers

Inside the Newsroom

Journo Resources

Freelance Feels podcast

Work in progress...

We try and keep this page updated as we discover new resources and insights from the community - and we want to hear about your experiences of working well in journalism.

If you have suggestions for this page, would like to write a post about your time in journalism, or want to share your tips on working well - join our community of support

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