Author Archive
Articles by Ann Friedman | Email the Author
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
When to blame your editor
How to handle the parts of your work that are outside your control
By Ann Friedman Sep 20, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Realtalk me on how to expand the kinds of things you write about. For example, I write about race and... More
Journo, promote thyself
Use your personal website and Twitter feed to get people to read your stuff without annoying them
By Ann Friedman Sep 13, 2012 at 06:50 AM
My startup website depends on social media pickup for pageviews, so my reporters and I tweet and Facebook the hell... More
The rules of the freelance game
Tips for pitching like a pro and double-dipping story ideas without going the full Jonah Lehrer
By Ann Friedman Sep 6, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Aside from the general advice of networking and putting yourself out there, how do I break into freelancing? What makes... More
Are you too drunk to edit?
A journalistic sobriety test for night editors, bloggers, and anyone covering an event with an open bar
By Ann Friedman Aug 30, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Is there a test that you can self-administer to determine if you are too drunk to write or edit a... More
To sell out or not to sell out?
Is a journalism job you hate better than no journalism job at all?
By Ann Friedman Aug 23, 2012 at 07:05 AM
I'm 22 and a recent NYC transplant. I'm interning at a pretty well-known magazine, working with some great editors, learning... More
Five types of problem writer
And how to deal with each of them
By Ann Friedman Aug 16, 2012 at 06:50 AM
What's the best way to get through to stubborn writers? —Kjerstin Johnson, Portland, OR The editing process should be a... More
Journalists vs. curators
Can’t we all just get along?
By Ann Friedman Aug 9, 2012 at 06:50 AM
What's the difference between a journalist and a curator? —David Johnson, Berkeley, CA As David Carr of The New York... More
‘See you on the other side’ - Meet Jessica Lum, a terminally ill 25-year-old who chose to spend what little time she had practicing journalism
#Realtalk: This is the best moment to be in journalism - The old stuff isn’t coming back, but that’s okay
Streams of consciousness - Millennials expect a steady diet of quick-hit, social-media-mediated bits and bytes. What does that mean for journalism?
Sticking with the truth - How ‘balanced’ coverage helped sustain the bogus claim that childhood vaccines can cause autism
An ink-stained stretch - Can Aaron Kushner save the Orange County Register—and the newspaper industry?
This is the best moment to be in journalism (25)
The WSJ editorial page hits rock bottom (19)
Public television’s attempts to placate David Koch
One journalist took matters into his own hands when a fellow audience member wouldn’t stop using her smartphone during a theater performance
Purchasing Tumblr is Yahoo’s flashy bet on a shift in social media
The shift from Facebook to more creative social networks
Gay Talese’s outline for ‘Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,’ 1966
Handwritten on a shirt board
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.
