The pros and cons of being a freelance journalist

By Adam Wakefield

According to the Wits University journalism department’s State of the Newsroom 2014 report, 596 people in the news media lost their jobs between July 2013 and July 2014. A conservative estimate, many of these professionals have become freelancers to fill the void once occupied by a permanent position in industry.

Simon Allison, who has written for the The Guardian in the United Kingdom, and the Daily Maverick here in South Africa among other publications, supplements his income with freelance work. 

“These are tough financial times and few media outlets pay particularly well, which means it is necessary to supplement my income with freelance work. I have been freelancing at various degrees of intensity for the last four years,” he says. “A major advantage is the luxury of choosing when and for how long you want to work, and choosing projects which interest you. This offers extraordinary flexibility which improves my quality of life, and the quality of the work that goes out under my byline.”

Another advantage is freelance work can expand a media professional’s horizons through the connections made with different people, and offering freelancers the opportunity to experience different sectors. The media industry is built on relationships, and knowing the right people makes a potentially career-defining difference in the work a person can receive and do over their career.

Eric Solomon*, who has been a freelance photographer for the past 12 months and has supplied images to the Associated Press among others, concurs with Allison that such a career offers the pros of flexibility and being able to sell work to a number of a clients. 

However, there is inevitably a downside.

“If you do one or two jobs in a month, it’s not worth it, but let’s say you do two, three jobs per a week, then I would say it’s worth it. You don’t get enough work and, you are limited with your equipment, whereas staff with media houses would have access to a range of equipment,” Solomon says.

Allison concurs. With freelancing comes unpredictability, lack of financial of security, no contractual benefits such as medical aid and petrol allowance, and dealing with “wildly fluctuating rates”.

“It also makes taxes extremely complicated. You also have to adjust yours tule and working methods to meet the expectations of different clients, and this can be tough,” he says.

Given freelancing’s unpredictability, both Allison and Solomon offer wise words when it comes to the freelance world.

“First of all, if at all possible, make sure you have a regular monthly income, even if it is for a low salary or for just a few days a month. This provides a monthly safety net, because there will be good months and bad months, and in the bad months you need to make sure you are financially protected,” Allison says. “Second, develop a specific subject area or expertise. There are plenty of people who can write, or edit, thus the competition is intense. Subsequently, the rates are low. If you can present yourself as an expert in a field, you stand out from the crowd and can charge significantly more.”

Solomon sums his advice into two words: Consistency and persistence.

“Persistence, when you knock on someone’s door they are going to say no, they are going to say no, and they are going to say no, the more you knock. The more they say no, you say ‘Do you want pics? Do you want pics? Do you want pics?’ and you know what, doors will open for you,” he says. “When I say consistent, keep shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting. Eventually, you are going to maybe have something that nobody else has.”

Are you a journalist who has or works as a freelancer? Let us know in the comments below.