Author Archive
Articles by Ann Friedman | Email the Author
This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print
But it is one for media
By Ann Friedman Jun 13, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Every time a media critic insists that print's not dead, he or she inadvertently ends up making the opposite case.... More
The art of the interview
Asking the hard questions about asking the hard questions
By Ann Friedman May 30, 2013 at 06:50 AM
I'm on deadline for a long feature, so I've been transcribing a lot of interviews lately. And after listening to... More
The weekly grind
How to feed and maintain a weekly opinion column
By Ann Friedman May 23, 2013 at 10:15 AM
A writer I greatly admire, Ta-Nehisi Coates, once offered this exercise in understanding what it's like to produce a weekly... More
What to do when you get fired
A post-layoff strategy for the future-minded journalist
By Ann Friedman May 16, 2013 at 06:49 AM
Last week, my declaration that this is the best moment to be working in journalism was met with some side-eye... More
This is the best moment to be in journalism
The old stuff isn’t coming back, but that’s okay
By Ann Friedman May 9, 2013 at 06:50 AM
I've spent the past two months on the conference circuit. I spoke to groups of journalists in San Francisco, Boston,... More
Branded but ‘independent’ media
The pros and cons of trying to do real journalism at a non-media company
By Ann Friedman May 2, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Jessica Bennett worked for seven years at journalistic stalwarts like The Boston Globe, the Village Voice, and Newsweek. But after... More
Reporting on industry gossip
How Politico should have reported the “turbulence” at The New York Times
By Ann Friedman Apr 25, 2013 at 01:28 PM
This week, Politico published a largely anonymously-sourced hit piece on New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson, charging that she... More
The other side of reporting a tragedy
Is it possible for reporters to both do their job and be empathetic humans?
By Ann Friedman Apr 17, 2013 at 06:50 AM
I don't have cable, so I experienced Monday's events the way I've experienced every violent American tragedy since 9/11: through... More
What am I supposed to tweet about?
How to have fun but stay professional in 140-character bursts
By Ann Friedman Apr 11, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Last weekend I spoke at the BU Power of Narrative conference, where a lot of accomplished longform feature writers asked... More
What you gonna do with all that junket?
You really want to accept that free trip. Here’s how to decide whether you can do it ethically
By Ann Friedman Apr 4, 2013 at 06:50 AM
At most news outlets, travel budgets have disappeared. This is a bummer if you're a reporter who likes to get... More
Quotas get results
A chat with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on tapping sources more diverse than the usual pool of white dudes
By Ann Friedman Mar 28, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Let's face it: The conversation about diversity in journalism is mostly boring hand-wringing. With each new byline count, it's easy... More
The slush pile
Why most cold submissions don’t stand a chance
By Ann Friedman Mar 21, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Recently, fiction writer David Cameron decided to try a little experiment: I grabbed a New Yorker story off the web... More
Mixing business with pleasure
When journalists date other journalists, what are the rules?
By Ann Friedman Mar 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Any journalist working in the media-saturated cities of New York and DC has probably at least toyed with the idea... More
Freelancing for free
Sometimes—and only sometimes—it makes sense to write for free
By Ann Friedman Mar 7, 2013 at 11:00 AM
I used to be an editor with a tiny budget who was constantly apologizing for our rates. Now I'm a... More
Dealing with harassment and sexism
How to shut it down
By Ann Friedman Feb 28, 2013 at 06:50 AM
"Can I be your Clark Kent?" "If you got shrapnel in your ass, I'd be happy to take it out."... More
Dead tree edition
Time to stop holding funerals for print
By Ann Friedman Feb 21, 2013 at 11:00 AM
"How can we get institutions and organizations to stop holding conferences titled 'The Death of Print'? I have no time... More
When we’re just not that into you
The no-excuses truth to understanding why editors reject pitches
By Ann Friedman Feb 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM
If you're a freelance writer or a PR professional, you probably know that pitching is a delicate art that sometimes... More
Reporting for rookies
Schooling a newbie on the basics
By Ann Friedman Feb 7, 2013 at 11:00 AM
The line between "blogger" and "reporter" has been blurry for a long time. Those of us who went to journalism... More
Freelancers should consider collectives
Maintaining the intellectual atmosphere of a magazine office or newsroom makes a lot of sense for those of us who work freelance
By Ann Friedman Jan 31, 2013 at 11:24 AM
As a fairly new freelance writer with a lot of friends who are graphic designers, I've been thinking a lot... More
Facebook as a reporting tool
The new graph search gives journalists a way to construct a trend story without picking up the phone. Is this a good thing?
By Ann Friedman Jan 24, 2013 at 10:57 AM
You have a Facebook account. I know this because everyone has a Facebook account. And you are a journalist. I... More
#Realtalk: This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print - But it is one for media
Social media in smaller markets - How three social media managers deal with smaller markets and more local coverage.
A rally for laid-off Sun-Times photogs - A protest Thursday morning drew about 150 picketers to the newspaper’s headquarters
Reporting, or illegal hacking - Scripps reporters are accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Exchange Watch: California Dreaming - Low healthcare premiums on the West Coast were trumpeted as a big, good-news Obamacare story. But: “Compared to what?”
The disappearance of ‘Sports of the Times’
We’re the Uber of organ transplants
“Millennials need organ transplants that fit easily into their always-connected lifestyles”
‘What part of “Politico” do you not understand?’
A conversation about the dark art of driving the conversation
Julian Assange’s asylum stalemate no nearer resolution one year on
The Ecuadorean embassy’s celebrity refugee is used to living in what Assange likens to a space station as he battles extradition
CJR’s panel discussion on coverage of gay marriage
On the eve of two related SCOTUS decisions, how should journalists be covering the issue?
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
