The Freelance Journalism Podcast

Offrange wants offbeat stories about agriculture and food

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Experienced food journalist Jesse Hirsch is the only editor at Offrange–an editorially independent publication owned by Ambrook–so he is always open to freelance pitches. He shared with IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki that he’s looking for offbeat stories on agriculture and farming, but that scope is broad. Writers have successfully pitched him surprising stories about attacking bird flu with lasers, the U.S. Navy’s “boat forest,” and how witches source their botanicals (by the IIJ’s own Sara Murphy!). Offrange also accepts pitches for essays and op-eds on food and farming.

Erika Hayaski is a writer focusing on the intersections of identity, race, psychology, inequality, science, technology, history, and the human condition. She writes a newsletter called The Reported Essay. She is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and currently teaches at the University of California, Irvine as a professor in the Literary Journalism Program.

The Freelance Journalism Podcast is a production of the Institute for Independent Journalists, whose mission is the financial and emotional sustainability of freelancers of color. Learn more about our work at theiij.com

COYOTE Media’s Soleil Ho on cookbooks, freelancing, and running a worker-owned newsroom

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Soleil Ho has always had a lot of irons in the fire. For a decade, they worked as a chef while freelancing as a writer. In 2019, they joined the San Francisco Chronicle, where they served as the paper’s restaurant critic until 2025, nabbing a James Beard Award in the process. These days, when they’re not collaborating with chefs on cookbook projects, they’re helping to run COYOTE Media Collective, a Bay-area-based worker-owned newsroom. Ho shared candid insights and hard-learned lessons for the cooperative-curious with IIJ leader Shernay Williams, and discussed their career as a food journalist.

Shernay Williams is an instructor and coach for the Institute for Independent Journalists. She spent more than a decade as a journalist for television, radio, and print outlets throughout the South and East Coast before serving as a business coach, running a content firm, and in 2020, launching the Black Mompreneur.

From WaPo to Solo: Karen Attiah on Being a “Modern-Day Warrior Philosopher”

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Since the Washington Post abruptly fired her in 2025, Karen Attiah has stayed busy. She founde Resistance Studies Series that summer to teach online, after Columbia University cancelled her race and media class, and is writing book projects and her newsletter, the Golden Hour. With IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Karen discussed the catharsis of writing through trying times, and her career trajectory from working in a legacy newsroom to being a multi-hypenate independent. She reflected on reporting across continents, confronting power, her late father’s influence, and shaping conversations on race, gender, human rights, and democracy.

Karen Attiah is an independent journalist and writer who served as the Washington Post’s founding Global Opinions editor before transitioning to a columnist in 2021. She has reported from countries all over the world, completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Ghana, and is the recipient of numerous honors including the 2019 George Polk Special Award.

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is the founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists and special projects editor for the Greater Good Science Center. A science journalist and author who writes about relationships, equity, mental health, parenting, journalism, entrepreneurship, and social justice, she previously worked as a national correspondent for Newhouse News Service and Bloomberg News.

UT Prof Anita Varma on how to practice “Solidarity Journalism”

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMT

University at Texas professor Anita Varma’s recent book Solidarity in Journalism: How Ethical Reporting Fights for Social Justice creates a framework for journalists to center the humanity and dignity of their reporting subjects and challenge narratives pushed by the powerful. In this conversation with the IIJ’s Erika Hayasaki, Varma discusses how solidarity practices can restore the public’s trust in journalism and lead to higher-impact coverage.

Dr. Anita Varma is a professor and researcher at UT Austin, where she leads the Solidarity Journalism Initiative at the Center for Media Engagement. She serves on the board of the Objective and Press On: A Southern Collective for Movement Journalism.

Learn From Editors’ Live Feedback on Environmental Pitches

Tue, 26 May 2026 06:00:00 GMT

The Society of Environmental Journalists invited the IIJ to host a live Pitch Fest at the annual SEJ conference in April 2026, which took place at the University of Illinois-Chicago. IIJ Editorial Director Ann Marie Awad brought a handful of freelance journalists on stage to pitch their stories about AI, brain hacking, rare birds, and more to this all-star panel of environmental editors:

Bryce Cracknell, founder and editor-in-chief, the Margin
Jenny Splitter, editor-in-chief, Sentient Media
Michael Kodas, senior editor, Inside Climate News
Michelle Rowan, deputy editor, Chicago Tribune
Peter Prengaman, global news director for climate and environment, the Associated Press

Up your game by listening in on the conversations that usually only happen behind the scenes. Every one of these editors also shared valuable info for any journalist wishing to pitch their respective publications, including rates and contract information.

Video by Joe Miller. Special thanks to the journalists who pitched their stories: Karthika Gupta, Eric Kasina, Sarah DeWeerdt, Meg Duff, Michael Zografos, and Ann Davis. Thanks to volunteers Amy Yee and Araceli Ramirez, who also captured photos. We are especially grateful for the support and collaboration of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Journalist Kavitha Cardoza on covering education and poverty

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMT

We’re sharing a highlight from the 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference: Kavitha Cardoza’s keynote conversation with Katherine Reynolds Lewis! Kavitha received the 2026 American Mosaic Prize, for her independent coverage of children, education, health and poverty. She has reported for the Hechinger Report and NPR, and she’s an assistant professor for journalism at the University of Richmond.

You don’t want to miss this deep dive into Kavitha’s career journey, how she avoids extractive reporting, dealing with rejection, her freelance pitching process, and her insights for journalists who want to make the jump into academia.

How to pitch unique NYC immigration stories to Documented

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Documented is a digital publication centering the voices and stories of immigrants in New York City and New Jersey, producing reporting and resource guides in four different languages. Deputy Editor Clarissa A. León helps lead Documented’s small team while also developing relationships with diverse freelancers who can deliver written stories and photojournalism. She spoke with the IIJ’s Erika Hayasaki about how freelancers can pitch her–even early career journalists or students.

How to set rates, negotiate, and other freelance FAQs with Katherine Lewis and Shernay Williams

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Times are hard for journalists, even though our work has never been more important. That’s why IIJ leaders Shernay Williams and Katherine Reynolds Lewis wanted to take a moment to set you up for success by answering some common questions from our community of independent journalists of color. Listen in for advice on setting rates, finding clients, maintaining your work life balance, and more.

Shernay Williams is a 3x entrepreneur and an award-winning independent journalist and content strategist with 15 years of cross-platform experience. She worked as a newspaper journalist before transitioning to local TV as a reporter, anchor, and producer. Since then, she’s run a content firm, served as an entrepreneurship coach, and launched a national directory and resources platform for Black mompreneurs.

For $1/word, Science Friday wants enterprise stories that spark curiosity

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Robin Kazmier is senior digital editor for Science Friday, overseeing the digital operation for the beloved radio show that’s broadcast to more than 500 public radio stations across the country. An experienced science journalist in her own right, Kazmier shares the secrets to a successful Science Friday story with IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki. Kazmier accepts submissions in English and Spanish, and seeks enterprise stories about the surprising ways science helps people understand the world around them.

Pitch Sentient Reporting on How the Sausage is Made

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:40:47 GMT

Founded in 2018, Sentient is America’s only nonprofit newsroom focused solely on factory farms and their effects on climate, environment, public health, labor, and animal welfare. Editor-in-chief Jenny Splitter is an award-winning climate and food journalist and a former freelancer herself. She sat down with Shernay Williams to discuss Sentient’s goal to build the factory farming beat, and shared tips for how to pitch her your next story.

Sentient’s rates for a 800-1,000 word story start at $300, but are often in the $400-$500 range. Check out their freelance charter for more information.

Shernay Williams spent more than a decade as a journalist for television, radio, and print outlets throughout the South and East Coast before serving as a business coach, running a content firm, and in 2020, launching The Black Mompreneur.

How to pitch Mongabay stories on climate and Indigenous communities

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:00:31 GMT

Global nonprofit newsroom Mongabay covers environmental change and its consequences for communities. Editor Latoya Abulu leads the Indigenous news desk, and focuses on how Indigenous communities navigate climate change and other threats. She relies heavily on a robust network of freelancers around the world, and hopes to find more contributors based in Canada and the United States, particularly in California.

Latoya spoke with IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki about how to avoid common pitfalls in pitching stories about Indigenous communities. Mongabay pays between $0.40 and $1 per word for stories that are full of complexity and show a connection to Indigenous communities, and may also cover travel expenses. Latoya says that pitches incorporating nuance and pre-reporting stand out.

Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon on supporting mental health and entrepreneurship

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:01:06 GMT

Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon specializes in happiness. As the founder of the Kortni Alston Lemon Media (KALM) Institute for Workplace Wellbeing, she has made it her mission to improve the mental health of newsrooms, by offering mental health first aid training to journalists and news leaders alike. Dr. Alston Lemon joined IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis to discuss her unique path in journalism, from becoming a widow at 25, centering humanity in an industry that’s often unfeeling, and embracing an entrepreneurial mindset to create her own career opportunities. As an experienced news leader herself, Dr. Alston Lemon shares what it looks like for journalists to prioritize their well-being.

Pitch Sojourners stories about faith and courage

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:00:24 GMT

Tyler Huckabee, managing editor for the religion-focused digital magazine Sojo.net, says a powerful story about religion needs to be specific and spark an emotion. Creative freelancers can find the faith angle almost anywhere – particularly in the current political climate. “Stories of courage are something that are appealing to everybody right now,” he says.

He sat down with IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis to share insights and advice for prospective contributors. Sojo.net looks for stories at the intersection of faith and social justice, with about half their published work coming from freelancers. Rates for reported stories start between $300 and $400, more if they land in the Sojourners print magazine.

Tyler Huckabee, managing editor of Sojo.net, has written for the Washington Post, the Week, Religion News Service, and Sojourners, largely about the intersection of faith, justice, and pop culture.

The Sick Times pays $1 / word for stories on long COVID

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 06:00:43 GMT

Betsy Ladyzhets and Miles W. Griffis and the co-founders and lead editors of the Sick Times, a website devoted to chronicling Long COVID from all angles. Based on opposite coasts, Ladyzhets and Griffis founded the Sick Times in 2023 to continue providing critical coverage of the ongoing pandemic after many publications seemed to move on. While the Sick Times is only a couple of years old, they are open for freelance pitches! Ladyzhets and Griffis sat down with IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki to share everything you need to know before sending that pitch.

Thanks to Lisa Adducci for helping to produce this episode.

Sunnie Clahchischiligi on pitching Indigenous stories to High Country News

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 06:00:37 GMT

Covering Indigenous communities west requires care and relationship building. Sunnie Clahchischiligi, Indigenous Affairs Editor for High Country News, joins IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis to discuss how to pitch freelance stories to HCN that truly serve those communities.

Dr. Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi is the Indigenous Affairs Editor at High Country News. Sunnie is an award-winning journalist who has reported for outlets like Navajo Times, the Osage News, The Guardian, USA Today, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. In 2023, she received her PhD in rhetoric, composition, and writing studies from The University of New Mexico. She serves on the board of directors for the Indigenous Journalists Association and teaches at Arizona State University

How Adriana Lacy Built a Content Agency in One Year

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:00:39 GMT

Adriana Lacy is a multi-talented journalist and consultant, and founder of Adriana Lacy Consulting, Journalism Mentors, and most recently, Influencer Journalism. In this wide-ranging conversation with IIJ leader Shernay Williams, Lacy lays out how to build a freelance business around content strategy, engagement, and social media – and how she generates enough consulting work for her whole team.

Shernay Williams is a freelance video journalist based in Baltimore, MD focused on health and entrepreneurship. She's the founder of a national directory called The Black Mompreneur as well as The StorySuite, a content agency.

Sex, relationships, and work: pitching Isabelle Kohn at Slate

Tue, 27 May 2025 06:00:51 GMT

Isabelle Kohn is a senior editor for Slate’s Life section, specializing in stories about sex, gender, relationships, and work. Kohn talked with Erika Hayasaki about how to pitch a story on any of those beats. Kohn shares several examples of successful (and sexy) pitches, along with guidance on how to make yours stand out.

You can pitch Isabelle at isabelle.kohn@slate.com. Under the Slate contract, contributors license their copyright exclusively to Slate for three months, after which time they retain non-exclusive rights. Contributors irrevocably and unconditionally waive, in perpetuity, their moral rights, meaning they cannot insist on being identified as the author of the work or object to derogatory treatment of the work. In a positive note for freelancers, there is no indemnity clause. Contributors retain derivative rights, and agree to notify Slate before taking steps to create a derivative work, such as a movie or book, and if requested, to work with Slate on mutually agreeable terms for such a production.

Wudan Yan on offering new services in your freelance business

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 06:01:28 GMT

Don’t pigeonhole yourself. Host Katherine Reynolds Lewis interviews journalism entrepreneur Wudan Yan about developing different “identities” as a freelancer to expand your business, effectively reaching new clients, and the importance of fact checking.

Wudan Yan is an award-winning narrative journalist, fact checker, and entrepreneur. She’s been a freelance reporter for 10-plus years, with bylines in publications like the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Guardian. Wudan founded and ran the business podcast the Writers’ Co-op until its closure late last year, and runs the fact-checking agency Factual.

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is the founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists. An award-winning science journalist and author who writes about equity, mental health, parenting, journalism, entrepreneurship, and social justice, she previously worked as a national correspondent for Newhouse News Service and Bloomberg News.

Pitching Alan Henry at PCMag your cybersecurity stories

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 06:00:54 GMT

Cybersecurity pitches wanted! Alan Henry, managing editor for PCMag, talks with IIJ leader Shernay Williams about the stories he needs from freelancers right now.

They also discuss Henry's career journey, and the inspiration behind his 2022 book "Seen, Heard and Paid: New Work Rules for the Marginalized."

Shernay Williams is a freelance video journalist based in Baltimore, MD focused on health and entrepreneurship. She's the founder of a national directory called the Black Mompreneur as well as the StorySuite, a content agency.

The Freelance Journalism Podcast is a production of the Institute for Independent Journalists, an organization devoted to the financial and emotional well-being of BIPOC freelancers.

Learn more about our work at theiij.com

Finding your niche with freelance journalist Gil Asakawa

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 07:00:13 GMT

In his years as a freelance journalist and writer, Gil Asakawa has carved out a few niches for himself, including music journalism, pop culture, and Japanese-American and Asian-American cultures and communities. He's written two books: Being Japanese-American and Tabemoshi! Let's Eat! A Tasty History of Japanese Food. He joins IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki to discuss his career journey and the advice he gives to new journalists.

Erika Hayaski is a writer focusing on the intersections of identity, race, psychology, inequality, science, technology, history, and the human condition. She is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and currently teaches at the University of California, Irvine as a professor in the Literary Journalism Program.

The Freelance Journalism Podcast is a production of The Institute for Independent Journalists, an organization devoted to the financial and emotional well-being of BIPOC freelancers. Learn more about our work at theiij.com

Can you make $3k a month on a newsletter? Lex Roman explains how

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 07:00:47 GMT

Have you ever wanted to start your own newsletter but weren’t sure how? The key is probably the one thing freelance journalists hate the most: self promotion. Host Katherine Reynolds Lewis talks strategy with Lex Roman, an expert on growth marketing. This discussion gets detailed – Lex digs into the numbers, and shares strategies for finding and growing an audience of paid subscribers.

Lex Roman is a growth marketing consultant with 10+ years of experience in helping tech companies grow. For the last few years, she’s been helping creatives grow their businesses, and more recently she’s turned her attention to journalists. Last year she launched her own newsletter, Journalists Pay Themselves: a guide for those going it alone.

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is the founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists. A science journalist and author who writes about education, equity, mental health, parenting, journalism, and social justice, she previously worked as a national correspondent for Newhouse News Service and Bloomberg News.

What to do when you've been sued, with freelance journalist Lisa Kwon

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 07:00:23 GMT

It might be a freelancer's worst nightmare: getting sued over your reporting. After Lisa Kwon reported a story for nonprofit newsroom Knock L.A on Airbnb operators, one of them took Kwon to court. In this episode, she shares her side of the story with IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis, along with important advice for freelance journalists on how to protect yourself

Lisa Kwon is a freelance reporter and writer covering pop culture and Los Angeles happenings. You can find her work on Vulture, Vice, Dirt, LA Taco, Los Angeles Public Press, and more.

Leveraging bylines to boost your freelance career with ex-GQ editor Chris Gayomali

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:00:18 GMT

Print gigs are elusive these days and the competition is fierce. Journalist and professor Erika Hayasaki interviews Chris Gayomali, freelance journalist and former articles editor for GQ. They discuss how to navigate the choppy waters of today’s print landscape. Highlights include: the pay disparity between print and online work, playing both sides of the editor/contributor relationship, and starting your own newsletter.

Chris Gayomali is a freelance writer and editor, mostly recently working as the articles editor for GQ. He also writes a newsletter about modern health and wellness called HEAVIES. Here's the story that made Chris "the leg lengthening guy:" https://www.gq.com/story/leg-lengthening

Freelancing across genres with Fin Leary of We Need Diverse Books

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:00:18 GMT

Versatility is not only a strength, it's an adventure. Just ask self-proclaimed "Swiss Army knife" Fin Leary, program manager at We Need Diverse Books. Fin has built his career freelance writing journalism as well as fiction, and advancing representation for queer and disabled people in both realms.

Fin Leary is a Boston-based fiction author, freelance writer and book reviewer who serves as the program manager for We Need Diverse Books. Fin is a 2024 Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ+ Voices Fellow for Young Adult Fiction, and also teaches publishing and writing at Emerson College.

Make your pitch stand out with advice from NY Times Opinion Editor Katie Kingsbury

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:00:18 GMT

Want to land your hot take in the New York Times? Opinion Editor Katie Kingsbury and host Katherine Reynolds Lewis discuss how you can pitch The Times your opinion piece. Highlights include: what Katie’s ideal pitch looks like, and what to expect from the editing process. Katie also peels back the curtain on a few of her favorite op-eds, revealing what it takes to get a piece from a pitch to the printed page.

Katie Kingsbury has been at the Times since 2017. Before she was running the desk, she was a deputy editor working on pieces surrounding guns, domestic violence, race, and culture. Prior to that, she worked at The Boston Globe as Managing Editor of Digital. She won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for her series on poor working conditions and pay in the restaurant industry.

John Lewis's posthumous guest essay on standing up for your beliefshttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.htmlEmi Nightfeld on working for Googlehttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/opinion/google-job-harassment.htmlConnie Wang's multimedia piece on the generation of Asian American women named after Connie Chunghttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/05/11/opinion/connie-chung-named-after.htmlDebra Kamin's path from freelancing about real estate to a stafferhttps://www.nytimes.com/by/debra-kamin

Coming soon! The Freelance Journalism Podcast

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 23:17:12 GMT

The Freelance Journalism Podcast: about the art and business of freelance journalism. Hear from assigning editors about what they look for in a story pitch, and listen in to conversations between freelancers about how they are making it work. New episodes every month starting Nov. 26.

The FJP is a production of the Institute for Independent Journalists, an organization devoted to the financial and emotional sustainability of freelancers of color. Learn more at theiij.com