3 themes from 8 years freelance
3 themes from 8 years freelance
š Guiding lights + new global opportunities.
FROM THE EDITORāS DESK
WorldWise readerā
Without a LinkedIn reminder I wouldn't have clocked that this month marks 8 years of building my business as a freelance š„
When youāre in the thick of it and focused on whatās next, it's really easy to forget whatās come to pass. So with last weekās prompt Iāve taken a bit of time to look back and signpost a few things Iāve come to value, based on learnings from struggles as well as achievements.
Or if stocktakes arenāt your thingāskip down to the rest: lots more opportunities to share today, from Lusophone Latin America to Kazakhstan.
Anita
INSIDER | views & experience
Working as an independent isnāt easy.
Itās also incredibly rewarding. You get to learn about every single aspect of running a business. You can collaborate with amazing people and organisations. You can experiment, hone your voice and your vision.
Iām feeling lucky to have worked on projects I believe in, whether in journalism or training or consulting, which hopefully make a small difference in how we think about and make progress on various global issues.
If youāve been here for a while, youāll have seen plenty a-musing on freelance life and media work. This time Iām looking at the bigger pictureāand thatās taken the shape of three themes that serve as guiding lights of sorts.
#1 | Communication as power and connection
Not everyone is inclined to share their work or views in public fora. Even when so inclined, some may feel unable or lacking in skills. Others may have specific ideas about what that communication does or should look like.
That was me too, once. Despite over two decades in publishing and journalism, communication was initially very far from my mind as a career (I started off in research and risk analysis). How that shift came to happen is for another day, but the belief in its value has only grown through the years.
Without finding ways to communicate, insight and useful ideas willāand doāgo unheard. This ends up creating a distorted picture of who holds knowledge, and whose knowledge counts. It can also be isolating.
The need to change those imbalances is a big part of what drives me. The training Iāve developed on communicating science or development issues draws from that purpose. It also draws from personal experience, and from an editorial track record crafting opinion pieces with dozens of scientists and practitioners from the Global South.
Some of the most satisfying moments have come from helping people with something to say find a way to get their viewpoint forward and out into the world, where they can connect with others. Sometimes itās āa journeyāāthere are aspects of communication that I still work on for myself. But itās an empowering journey.*
*If this speaks to you, scroll way down for a work-anniversary offer from me.
#2 | Pushing boundariesāand being open to challenge
Much of the discourse that gets attention on a number of issues is about celebrating positive visions and milestones, even plain good intentions. I often see it as a case of dominant narratives swirling comfortably in their own bubbles.
One of the things I like about journalism at its best is how it can puncture those bubbles. Yes itās about stories, but itās also about taking a critical stance that can push on boundaries and take things out of their comfort zones.
Luckily some editors and publications have been receptive to my attempts to do that on issues like science and public trust, Covid-19 myths, consumer habits and the pandemic, photography for the Amazon, blind spots in the quest to meet the SDGs or eradicate disease.
Having said that: itās just as important to stay open to your own ideas being challenged.
The point was driven home for me after an intense month as a visiting journalist at the The Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, which brought together thinkers and doers in science and global development. There was a gruelling schedule, great conversations. But the lasting impact on my professional life resulted from difficult exchanges with people who came to the same table from totally different worldviews.
There are many ways to grow, see things with fresh eyes and nudge others in that direction. Some of the best opportunities, and arguably hardest to take, come when we're challenged on narratives we take for granted.
#3 | Authenticity with visuals and relationships
No doubt, words are powerful. A writer can use narrative and skilled structure to take you places. But time and again Iāve seen how imagery and direct experience can take us even fartherāimparting an authenticity that only becomes possible when connecting the physical world to the more abstract world of thoughts and ideas.
There's no substitute for first-hand 'field' experience to gain insight. And for me, thatās often come part-and-parcel with audiovisual work, whether itās based on self-produced reports or working with talented colleagues to co-produce stories.
The value of this type of work also lies in what gets unlocked during the process. Much of what matters tends to stay behind the scenes of what we produce: stimulating conversations, a spirit of creativity and experimentation, pushing for impact with strategy, learning from each otherāIām always learning from so many incredible interviewees and collaborators.
It all hinges on relationships built on mutual respect, which Iāve come to prioritise over time. Itās about working with people who value what each brings to the table, with sensitivity to different needs and traitsānot because we have to tick a box, but because it makes for better process and outcome. It makes partnerships stronger, and itās just so much more interesting.
OPPORTUNITIES | working with the media
grants+funding
š·šŗ ASIA | The Internews office of Kazakhstan is inviting independent journalists and media teams registered in the country to apply for grants that support content production through its "Small and Big Format ā 2025." programmeāclosing 27 October.
ā³Ā MENA | TheĀ Production AwardsĀ program is inviting young writers and artists from the Arab region to apply for grants to support production of their first creative projectsāclosing 31 October.
GLOBAL | The ICFJās Reporting Grants programme is introducing individual reporting grants of up to $3,000, which are open to all journalists in its networkāclosing 1 November.
šŖšøĀ LAC & IBERIA | Journalists from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula who are interested in journalism innovations can submit their projects for funding. By the Gabo Foundationāsubmissions open.
fellowships+scholarships
ā³Ā š„Ā ASIA | The Skoll Foundation and the Video Consortium are inviting filmmakers and social innovators from and based in Asia to apply for a year-long, collaborative storytelling fellowship that will pair them with a non-profit to support the production of solutions-focused short documentariesāclosing 28 October.
ā³Ā GLOBAL | The International Journalistsā Network is inviting female investigative journalists, in particular those from countries of the Middle East, to apply for a fellowship designed to support production of reports on corruption and its impact on womenāclosing 30 October.
ā³Ā GLOBAL | Early-career science journalists can apply for The Open Notebookās paid, part-time fellowship programme, where they will work with a mentor to produce articles and become part of the TON editorial teamāclosing 31 October.
GLOBAL | TheĀ Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and IntegrationĀ (CERC Migration) is launching its CERC Migration Journalism Fellowship, a one-month residency available to journalists interested in learning more about immigration and migrant integration researchāclosing 1 November.
š More fellowship opportunities available to paid subscribers here.
training+events
ā³Ā GLOBAL | The Science Journalism Forum is holding its annual online event under the themeĀ "Transforming Narratives: Reshaping the Landscape of Science Journalism"āstarting 28 October.
ā³Ā š„Ā MENA | The San Diego Arab Film Festival is inviting submissions from documentary filmmakers for its upcoming Spring festival, which presents films from and about the Arab World that reinforce the humanity of its peoplesāclosing 28 October.
ā³Ā GLOBAL | The 18th Biennial Conference on Communication and Environment is calling for proposals on all kinds of environmental communication workāclosing 31 October.
MENA | Science journalists in the Arab world can apply for an intensive workshop taking place in Abu Dhabi, which offers skills and knowledge to report more effectively on the science of climate change, its impacts on the Arab world, and options to respond to itāapply now.
š More training opportunities available to paid subscribers here.
awards+competitions
ā³Ā GLOBAL | TheĀ International Center for JournalistsĀ (ICFJ) is inviting submissions to its Road Safety Reporting Competition and Awards from journalists who have reported on road safety for publications in selected countries of the Global Southāclosing 29 October.
ā³Ā š„Ā AFRICA | The Pan-African STM Cinema Competition, a science communication competition sponsored by Humboldt-UniversitƤt zu Berlin, is inviting submissions of short explainer videos in science / tech / mathāclosing 30 October.
ā³Ā GLOBAL | TheĀ Merck Foundation and African First LadiesĀ are calling journalists based in Africa, as well as Francophone or Lusophone Latin America and Asia, to enter its Diabetes and Hypertension Media Awardsāclosing 30 October.
ā³Ā GLOBAL | The International Labour Organization (ILO) is inviting professional and student journalists to apply for the tenth edition of its annual Global Media Competition, which recognises fair and balanced media reports on labour migrationāclosing 31 October.
ā³Ā š„Ā ASIA | Dialogue Earth invites young journalists living in Southeast Asia you to enter their first-ever Instagram reel contest by creating a short video that showcases how climate change is impacting their community or how local initiatives are addressing climate-related challengesāclosing 31 October.
pitches+positions
ā³Ā GLOBAL | Rest of World is hiring its first-ever Investigations Editor, who can be based anywhere in the worldāclosing 25 October.
ā³Ā ASIA | Dialogue Earth is hiring a part-time commissioning editor focused on the Himalayan regionāclosing 31 October.
GLOBAL | The Santiago network for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage is hiring a Senior Communications Managerāclosing 3 November.
GLOBAL | The agency Factual is on the lookout for quality fact-checkers who specialise in narrative, investigative, litigious, or scientific projectsārolling deadline.
š More job opportunities available to paid subscribers here.
resources+tools
Journalists launch Freelance Guidance for editors to encourage best practice - Women in Journalism
Brazil's Tornavoz provides legal support to journalists targeted with lawsuits - Juliana Afonso and Lucas Bois for International Journalists' Network
The Climate Blueprint: A New Resource Available for Climate Journalists - Solutions Journalism Network
A new freelance business works like a "dating app for fact-checking" - Madelin Bodin for Nieman Storyboard
6 free resources to supercharge your freelance journalism - Cristiana Bedei for International Journalists' Network
šø YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
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CONNECT | work with me
For my work anniversary, Iām opening up limited 1:1 slots for the first three weeks of Novemberāif thereās something about communication or working with the media that you want to discuss, just hit reply and letās arrange a 15-minute chat. It could be about getting into journalism, writing an op-ed, engaging with the media or anything else that you think I could help with. Open to all subscribersājust get in touch!
UPDATE | from the network
In the coming days the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) is hosting two livestreamed events from COP16 in Cali, Colombia. The first, āUniversidades y ProtecciĆ³n de la AmazonĆa: Ciencia, Saberes y CooperaciĆ³n para un Futuro Sostenibleā, will be held in Spanish on 25 October at 2-3:30pmālive streaming here. Then on 28 October, from 11am to 12pm, tune in for āScientific Cooperation for Tropical Forest Conservation and Sustainable Development: Amazon, Congo, and Borneo Science Panelsā to be held in Englishālive streaming here and concept note here. Other recorded events should be available on SPAās YouTube channel soon after.
PLUS | in other editions
ICYMIāour latest VIEW edition leads with analysis of the EUās delayed legislation to curb global deforestation, plus the usual media briefing.
PS.
Thank you.
WorldWise is read across 67 countriesāit remains independent thanks to the support of subscribers like you, and to the rest of my nomadic work-life. Sign upĀ |Ā Browse archiveĀ | Sponsor an issue
Created and edited by Anita Makriājournalist/writer, producer and editorial adviser covering global development and science in society. I also help selected organisations with compatible values to strengthen their media work. LinkedInĀ | Instagram | Email