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Articles by Ann Friedman | Email the Author
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
Is the homepage dead?
Yes and no
By Ann Friedman Jan 17, 2013 at 12:19 PM
A friend of mine who is a Web editor at a political publication recently complained to me that his outlet's... More
Is crowdfunding the future of media funding?
Best practices for a Kickstarter-funded journalistic endeavor
By Ann Friedman Jan 10, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Some colleagues and I recently ran a Kickstarter to launch a fairly ambitious music publication from scratch. Our idea —... More
Getting more mileage from your ideas
How to turn one reporting trip into several pieces, and how to get your editor to give you more substantive assignments
By Ann Friedman Jan 3, 2013 at 06:50 AM
I'm terrible at writing two to three stories from one reporting trip. How do I get better at this? —Anonymous... More
Flirting with disaster
Where do you draw the line between activism and journalism—and between flirting and “cultivating sources”?
By Ann Friedman Dec 26, 2012 at 06:50 AM
A lot of freelance writers, including me, have to maintain multiple hustles to keep the bills paid, including work that... More
Bye, haters!
When to ignore and when to listen to your critics
By Ann Friedman Dec 20, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Obviously the way to deal with haters is to ignore them. But what to do when your haters raise some... More
Money talks
How to find out what other writers are paid so you know how to set your own rates
By Ann Friedman Dec 13, 2012 at 06:50 AM
I'm struggling to understand how much I'm worth per word. I know how much I get per hour on copy... More
Bad-news bearers
Does journalism always have to be such a bummer?
By Ann Friedman Dec 6, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Our newspaper runs news-style obituaries for free as a public service to the community. This morning we had a couple... More
Relationship advice for writers and editors
How to work together smoothly
By Ann Friedman Nov 29, 2012 at 06:50 AM
How do you let your editor know you appreciate all they do for you without sounding like a suck-up? —Anonymous... More
Call me, maybe
How to get sources, other journalists, and editors to respond to you
By Ann Friedman Nov 15, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Sometimes the likelihood of my pitch being accepted hinges on my accessibility to a particular interview subject, or the likelihood... More
Who generates story ideas?
When writers expect editors to do the all the legwork
By Ann Friedman Nov 8, 2012 at 06:50 AM
I am the managing and news editor at my university paper. I'm having problems getting the staff writers to pitch... More
Breaking up and moving on
When to take your pitch elsewhere, when to quit altogether, and how to search for out-of-state jobs
By Ann Friedman Nov 1, 2012 at 11:15 AM
I'm sure you've had the frustrating experience of reading your story for the first time in print and discovering new... More
Managing your archive
What to do with the clips from assignments gone by
By Ann Friedman Oct 25, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Here's a topic from Getting Shit Together 101: writing samples. How does one correctly mail them, hard-copy style? Is sending... More
The tweet life
How journalists can reap the benefits of Twitter without falling into its traps
By Ann Friedman Oct 18, 2012 at 06:50 AM
How can I get more Twitter followers? —Gabriel Arana Twitter has become indispensable for journalists. Not because it’s the best... More
Essential tools of the trade
Here’s a quick, crowdsourced guide to the most useful everyday tools for the modern journalist
By Ann Friedman Oct 11, 2012 at 06:50 AM
I love to read about the latest and greatest apps and gadgets but, when I do, I have two overwhelming... More
Balancing the personal and the professional
Make yourself into a brand
By Ann Friedman Oct 4, 2012 at 11:14 AM
My online presence is sharply divided between a professional wordpress, a bloggy wordpress, a tumblr, a professional twitter, and personal... More
Insiders and outsiders
How to move in and move up when you’re still the little guy. Or gal
By Ann Friedman Sep 27, 2012 at 06:50 AM
I've read a lot of advice about pitching individual features, but it seems like recurring features are even more valuable... More
Woman’s work - The twisted reality of an Italian freelancer in Syria
Sourcing Trayvon Martin ‘photos’ from stormfront - Not a good idea, Business Insider
Elizabeth Warren, the antidote to CNBC - The senator schools the talking heads on bank regulation
Art Laffer + PR blitz = press failure - The media types up the retail lobby’s propaganda
Reuters’s global warming about-face - A survey shows the newswire ran 50 percent fewer stories on climate change after hiring a “skeptic”
Barack Obama: ‘those old times aren’t coming back’
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper”
The Guardian’s editor opens up on Reddit
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, answered questions in an Ask Me Anything
The (almost) lost speech of Justice Anthony Kennedy
How his insightful remarks about the Constitution inadvertently make the case for a Supreme Court “media pool”
Fox News sues TVEyes for copyright infringement
Says subscription service sells access to its content without permission nor compensation
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
ACEsTooHigh.com – Reporting on the science, education, and policy surrounding childhood trauma
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
