☀️

Creating new connections to join forces and work together is the first step to address the freelance community’s challenges. Freelance journalists thrive when they overcome competition and cooperate. This not only empowers the community but also improves representation and diversity in the news. Despite this, many freelancers still become isolated in their work and struggle to tap into the journalism community’s resources. Tabea Grzeszyk, CEO and co-founder of Hostwriter, wants to explore solutions to this challenge.

This session will explore the power of collaborating across borders or even within the same country or city. It will focus on methods to build contacts that are mutually beneficial, share research and foster collaboration. In the era of growing distrust of news media, this session will illustrate how collaborative journalism improves diversity in the news and contributes to trust and good journalism.

How do you create a successful cross-border team? What are the different factors that contribute to the stability of a collaborative project? In this session, we will hear from Elisa Simantke, Editorial Director of Investigate Europe. She will share her insights based on her experience leading a unique cross-border team of journalists from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Belgium, Great Britain and now also Hungary.

Join this session to learn about this group’s methods and strategies which can help freelance journalists collaborate, share information and fact check across borders. We'll explore how to tackle the usual national biases and highlight responsible transnational structures to hold the powerful accountable.

Twitter has become an essential tool for freelance journalists. The platform can boost one’s profile, broaden professional networks and provide a channel that directly connects freelancers with their audiences. But so many journalists are not using the social media platform to its full potential. Dana Regev, Social Media Editor at Deutsche Welle, wants to help you optimize your Twitter game.

In this session, you will be guided through the process of building an impactful and engaging Twitter presence. We will explore networking techniques, leveraging trends, audience engagement and media sharing. Whether you’re a Twitter newbie or an established user, we’ll help you expand your reach, increase traction and get more eyes on the stories you want to share.

Have you heard about the revolution of slow journalism? The barrage of information that is dumped on us daily can be overwhelming. The speed of the Twitter-age and 24-hour news cycle has made it difficult for even the most seasoned journalists to keep up. Slow journalism is what can help us sift through the noise. Join this session with Alberto Puliafito, director and co-founder of Slow News who will explore the opportunities in this growing movement responding to the crisis of traditional journalism.

During the session, you will learn the key concepts behind slow journalism. We will cover how to create innovative and unique stories, pitch slow journalism ideas to editors, know the best practices and explore successful cases. By slowing things down and discovering the stories people miss, we can strengthen our ability to produce great journalism.

☕

More and more freelancers are starting to collaborate across borders and create freelance collectives. These initiatives have proven to empower the community, improve the quality of journalism, generate impact and encourage diversity in the news. In this panel moderated by Mercy Abang, journalist and editor of Unbias The News, freelancers will share their experiences collaborating within and across borders.

The journalists Jelena Prtoric, Juliette Robert, Michael Bird, and Geesje van Haren will discuss the lessons learned, the challenges and opportunities of cross-border collaborations that resulted in impactful journalism projects.

Do you want to start collaborating across borders but you don't know where to start? The n-ost Cross-Border Playbook is a guide drawn from the experiences of a pioneering group of cross-border journalists. In this hands-on workshop, they explain how you can use the Playbook to get your research started, what tools you can use, and how you can collaborate effectively across borders in practice. Learn how to create a team, find cross-border stories, tips to pitch and get commissioned and how to develop the research.

This hands-on workshop focuses on the mindset of cross-border collaboration, and focus on issues that can arise when people from different backgrounds work together, as well as other stumbling blocks such as how to put together a team. There will be a chance to troubleshoot and discuss individual cases, share experiences, learning outcomes and tips amongst the attendees. We also look into specific challenges that have arisen due to restricted travel during the pandemic, and ways to tackle those. Cross-border journalists of all levels are welcome!

This is the perfect training for journalists who want to meaningfully connect and build relationships with their audiences through creative storytelling formats and constructive engagement strategies. in this hands-on session hosted by Nina Fasciaux and Julia Hotz from the Solutions Journalism Network, you will learn about types of solutions story structures and how to drive productive public discourse and online discussions to strengthen agency and innovation within the communities you serve.

Freelancers can play a vital role in boosting diversity and equity in society. By improving diversity and representation in the different stages of the news’s lifecycle, they can encourage fair and open reporting that more accurately reflects reality while moving beyond stereotypes. Many voices continue to be marginalised and are significantly under-represented in news media. Freelance journalists have the flexibility and tools to address this problem in a fast-changing world.

In this session, Keith Woods, Chief Diversity Officer from National Public Radio, will offer strategies and tools to help freelancers find a balance in their sources, uncover new perspectives and identify underserved audiences.

☀️

Editors receive countless pitches each day about the same problems. But what happens if freelancers focus instead on the solutions? In this session, David Bornstein, journalist and co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network, will tell us how freelancers who report on the solutions to social challenges can find new angles that can separate them from the crowd. This can build a solid personal brand that will turn you into an expert in your field, leading to commissions and career opportunities.

Solutions journalism also improves society. It moves beyond the bleak coverage common in news media and supports robust public debate and a healthy democracy. Solutions help increase engagement with audiences, rebuild trust, spur citizen agency and reduce polarisation.

In Brazil, like other parts of the world, the country's poorest citizens have faced the pandemic’s brunt. However, amidst the crisis, communities have responded with creative initiatives and leadership training, using alternative ways to spread information and increase awareness. Then came an original idea; create a multimedia comic that covers these community-driven initiatives.

In this session, Brazilian journalist Priscila Pacheco will tell the story of Favela vs. Covid-19, a solutions journalism multimedia comic published by Outride.rs. It covers grassroots initiatives launched by the residents of three favelas in São Paulo, to face the problems caused or exacerbated by the pandemic. Join us and discover how freelancers can collaborate to create unique stories and formats while reporting on responses and solutions to problems worldwide.

Instagram is a powerful way to tell stories and reach and engage a new audience. Not sure where to start? Sharon Attia, a social media editor at The New York Times who runs @nytgender, is here to help.

The most successful Instagram accounts have a personality and a consistent voice that’s informative, trustworthy and approachable — which is precisely what you as journalists can offer. During this session, you will learn best practices for posting on the platform and hear tips and strategies on how to create engaging and shareable content that will increase your work’s visibility, amplify your voice and connect with readers.

Do you want to know how to diversify your income and not depend only on commissions? Do you want to know how to increase your chances of securing grants to fund your projects? One of the most stressful parts of being a freelancer is money. Usually, freelancers get lost in oceans of pitches. Often they have to sacrifice their real interests and professional goals to earn commissions that are just enough to make a living.

There are ways to overcome these challenges. In this talk, entrepreneurial freelancer Stefano Valentino will share tips on how you can optimise your grant application game. He will break down some of the professional challenges that freelance journalists face and how they can be tackled using strategies commonly applied by entrepreneurs, helping you create a strong brand and a successful independent product.

Get inspired! In this panel moderated by Nigerian multimedia journalist Aisha Salaudeen, freelancers will discuss the advantages, benefits, and challenges of working on creative storytelling formats. Collaboration, community engagement and innovation will be at the centre of this conversation that will showcase stories from all across the world.

From mobile journalism to documentary podcasts, graphic novels and workshops created with the communities - each of these projects is an excellent example of upcoming and alternative trends in freelance journalism. Join Fariba Nawa from Host of On Spec podcast, Nidheesh M K from the #happyaano project, Alberto Tetta from the Cyborg Queer project and Laurence Ivil from the Graphic Novel “Motherhood in crisis” to discover their unique experiences.