This is a tough time to be a freelancer. Let’s be honest: it seems like every single day there’s another discouraging report about the painful decline of traditional media. With newsroom layoffs, magazine closures, and budget cuts at CBC, paid work for writers appears to be dribbling away with increasing speed.
But we should never forget that we also live in an era of possibility. New models for reporting and publishing are emerging from the turmoil of contemporary journalism. With stories in the news about new developments in ebooks and successful battles for digital rights, there are reasons to stay hopeful and keep at this whole freelance thing. As writers and producers of content, our work is valuable. With the industry in a state of flux, there’s an opportunity for us to change the game in our favour. We greatly improve our chances of making this happen when we work together.
As a freelancer with over ten years of experience working in print and radio, I used to feel like my place was on the fringes of whatever media outlet I was writing for. When I discovered Story Board last year, I was delighted to find a site where I seemed to actually belong.
And Story Board is just part of a trend I’ve been seeing lately. There really is a growing sense of community among freelancers. After a decade spent working in isolation, I’ve noticed new freelancer groups springing up in the past few months — groups that aim to connect freelancers and give us an opportunity to share information, compare experiences and offer each other support.
It’s inspiring, and I hope to continue to foster that sense of community here on Story Board. I’m pleased to have been given the opportunity to curate this valuable resource for Canadian freelance journalists and I’m looking forward to exploring new ways of expanding its reach. When we take time out of our solitary writing pursuits to connect with each other, we all benefit.
I welcome your suggestions for future developments on Story Board. Best wishes for successful pitching. Let us know how we can help.
– Rachel Sanders
What would you like to see more of on Story Board? Please leave us a comment or send an email to editor@thestoryboard.ca.