Meet The Press: Beginner's Guide To Freelance Journalism

1. Introduction: Hi, guys. Welcome to meet the Press Beginner's Guide to Freelance Journalism. I'm here. Steal Share instructor Britain Night choosing Call me B is. Everyone else does. I'm so glad that you decided to attend my class today. And if your fear I'm assuming that you're looking to jump start your freelance journalism career, right? Right. If I'm gonna help you a little bit about me I have been doing freelance journalism for 10 years. I'm also an Amazon vessel author. I've written for essence vibe and Creative Loaf in just to name a few. And I'm also conducted callous interviews with some of your favorite people in TV, film and music. Now a career in journalism can be so awarded so fun, so exciting, but not without first knowing the industry's best practices. So grab a pen and paper, you know, taking at coffee, tea, whatever. Let's get started 2. Journalists vs. Bloggers: So what's the beef? The big really is with bloggers and unsourced and accurate information. This is referred to his yellow journalism in the industry and fake names in pop culture, both of sources of information but journalists in digital outlets and usually fact based, whereas blondes are usually opinion based. So that's the major difference between journalists and bloggers. So what is the difference between opinion? In fact, base access journalists usually have press passes to go to these events. Covered Miers product reviews, things like that. They're usually somebody has reached out to them or reached out to the initial outlet, and they were assigned to this. Whereas blog's, they're usually at the mercy of journalists and media outlets waiting to get the story because they don't have access. 3. Nine Principles of Journalism: the pen is mightier than the score. Hey, that is very true. Especially with that last game of Thrones episodes, right? Right. But I'm getting off on a tangent. So yes, journalism is storytelling with a purpose. And with that purpose comes a great responsibility, right? We're messengers of mass media. So we have to have a code of ethics. Which brings us to our next video the Nine Principles of Journalism or the elements of journalism or the theory of journalism. It has a couple of different names, but in 1997 the organization, the Committee of Concern Journalist. Yes, that is a very real thing. The began a national conversation of months. Citizens and people in journalism to kind of clarify the principles because things were going off the rails, obviously. So we're just gonna go through them very brief, then what a pair. Phrasing. Um, here, Number one. Journalism's first obligation is to the truth. The journalistic truth is a process that begins with a professional discipline of assembling and verifying fax. Then journalists tried to convey a fair, reliable account off their meeting. This journalistic truth isa process that begins with professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. General should be transparent as possible about sources and methods so audiences can make their own assessment of the information. That's pretty straight board. Basically tell the truth. Tell the truth. You don't have to try to sway the public's opinion or anything. Your job is only to report fax simple right that great areas so murky to its first loyalty is to its citizens. The journalists and those organizations must maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest above any other, if there to provide the news without fear or favour. This commitment to citizens first is the basis of a news organizations credibility that implied covenant that tells the audience the cub the coverage is not slated for friends or advertisers. So basically kind of like going back to number one, reporting the facts and sticking to the bags and not paid adverts or paid articles and things like that. Because that's a That's something most kind of taken like on the whole life of its own in the last five years that people are painful articles, and I know you've seen it before you, you're reading the article. The headline was Catches like Yeah, I should read about this. Um, wait. You get the reading, and then all of a sudden, you see the cells pitch, just come out of nowhere and it's like, four pharmaceutical drug or something like that. That's pretty much what they're talking about. That's not journalism. That is a paid advertisement as a paid article. And I've actually had people come into my in box, uh, wanting, you know, wanted me to do articles that are paid, but this isn't my digital outlet. I don't make those decisions. And I'm not gonna pitch to my editor. This Monson's because she's going to see right through it as well. So shame when you got your pitching me nonsense like that because I'm only here to report the facts and I know nothing about your pharmaceutical drugs. So I am not about to sit here in type of 501,000 word Article one something that I know nothing about. My credibility would be shot. So this is really what, the 2nd 1 the second principle. It's speaking to you'll to your citizens first and foremost, given the truth, making unbiased. And yet that's it. So moving alone number three. Its essence is discipline of verification. Generalised rely on professional discipline for verifying information at transparent approach to evidence precisely so that personal personal cultural biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work. Seeking out multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources or asking very sides for comment all signals such standards. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communications, such as propaganda fiction or entertainment. So again, piggybacking off one and two, like I said, they literally could have made one principle. Abbott is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help me that or whomever did you out let you right over eso yet again. Deliver the facts in only the fax and piggybacking off a principal, too. Be able to verify the facts. Nobody should be able to debunk your story in one Google search. No one should be able to do that. Hell, no one should be able to develop your store period of digital diligence number or its practitioners must maintain and independence from goals they cover. Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a cornerstone of its reliability, independence of spirit in mind rather than neutrality is the principal. Journalists must keep in focus. While editorialists and commentators are not neutral, the source of their credibility is still there. Accuracy, intellectual fairness, inability to inform, not their devotion to a certain group or outcome. In our independence, however, we must avoid any tendency to stray into air against elitism or isolation. Does that make sense? Because I know that was a lot. Basically, again, we're really piggybacking off all of the other principles. Speak. Your mind will be accurate, you know. Don't be neutral. Pick a side. You gonna That's your take on it. Stick to that. But be accurate and be truthful. It must are is an independent monitor of power. General journalism has an unusual capacity that service and watched out over those whose power and position most effect citizens as generous. We have an obligation to protect this watchdog freedom by not demeaning it in frivolous use or exploiting it for commercial gain. Watergate comes to mind when I think about this. So if you're on the younger spectrum of the millennial spectrum feeling younger in look at Carbon Scene and Watergate, these two, um, there was another dime walk. I can't remember his name, my head. But these guys uncovered a massive story and they broke it and they were not bias. They were protecting the realm. It's another game of Thrones, but they were protecting the United States. They didn't care who was in office. They were protecting the citizens. So that watchdog mentality is real. If you plan on being a whistleblower or your investigative journalism or just straight, you know, news. The watchdog slash whistle blowers are necessary. We need them. And honestly, I feel like we don't have enough of them right now. But that's me to hear moving along number six and must provide a form for public criticism and compromise news media all the common care carriers of public discussion. It also should strike a family, represent the very viewpoints and interests in society, and to place them in a context rather than highlight on Lee. The conflicting fringes of debate accuracy, in truth from this requires that as framers of the public discussion, we not neglect the points of common Graham or problem solving occurs. So again we're here. Jean deliver backs. It is up to everyone else to make of it. What they will. Well, it's imperative that we don't mark up the water with our own opinions with, um, the interest of the company's paid advertisements and things of that nature. Seven. It must drive to make the significant, interesting and relevant. It must balance what readers know they want with what they cannot anticipate but need ensure it must drop to make the significant interesting and relevant. The effectiveness of a piece of journalism is measured by both how much a work engages its audience and enlightens it. This means journalists must continually ask what information has most buyer to citizens and in what form. So this is the classic practice of and generalised we have to cross only keep our ear to the ground to know what the people want and what the what information they want. So, um, a lot of the apse and the resource is that I want to give you, give you privy information in tow. What citizens are searching, what they're looking for and what their interests are. But as our editors and our publication or digital outlet, that's who we served. We serve the public. So is our job to pay attention to them, keep aren't you to the ground and find out what they want to know. And then go report on, go investigate and then import reporter. And also don't make it born like a lot of people in Bolivia and that, you know, attention spans are short. So a lot of people were taking the route of video and audio podcast things like that to deliver information because people were not reading as much anymore makes you feel like, you know, Fahrenheit 4 51 You know, we're really cool. Start burning books because everything is digital now. Um, so create eight. This is where your creativity comes in. Um, we were, you know, feeding information to the public. You know, let it be engaging. Engage with your public. You know, Don't be just a byline. Be the personality. Be that within your writings or your videos or your audio podcasts and things like that. Number eight. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional Journalism is a form of cartography. It creates a map for citizens to navigate society, inflating events for sensation, neglecting other stereotyping of being disproportionately negative. All make a less reliable Matt also should include news of all communities. Natchez, though with attractive demographics. This is best achieved by newsrooms with diversity, with the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. So, yeah, don't look up the map, be there. And don't be prejudice report across the board not just was popular because believe it or not, I mean, that's how something matters. Get so saturated. We've already talked about this before. If you go into those diverse demographics you're actually gonna find and more interesting story, and you're actually going to be a little bit more sought after because your investigative journalism skills are starting to shine, my its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience. Hutchins. Every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility a more confidence . Each of us must be willing if fairness and accuracy required to was differences with our colleagues, whether in the newsroom or the executive suite. News organizations do well to nurture this independence by encouraging individuals speak their minds. This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand inaccurately cover and increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers that matter. So yeah, speaking, my mind? No, I'm afraid about it. I mean, your opinion really matters and your angle matters. Your story is newsworthy. Speak your mind. Do not try to fit in. Please make it a point to stand out. So I'll see you in the next video when we discuss the different types of journalism. 4. Five Categories of Journalism: former journalism. Are you interested? There are five main branches, so we're just gonna go through them right quick. And these are little limpy, so I want to be putting up a slide. Investigative journalism aims to uncover the truth about a particular subject, person or event. While investigative journalism is based on the basic principle underlying all journalism, verification and accurate presentation of facts, investigative reporters must often work with uncooperative sources who do not wish that I've always information renowned investigative journalism such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Uncovering the Watergate scandal can upend a major institutions significantly influencing public life. News news journalism is straight, for backs are related without flourishes or interpretation. A typical news story often constitutes a hand line with just enough explanation. Toe Orient. The reader news stories lack the depth of a feature stored or the questioning approach Oven Investigative story. Rather, they relay fax events and information to society in the strait. Ford accurate and unbiased manner reviews. Reviews are partly opinion. In partly fact base, the review needs to accomplish two things. One accurately describe or identify the subject being were reviewed and to provide an intelligent and informed opinion of the subject based on research and experience. Harlem's columns of based primarily on the personality of the author, allowing him or her to write about subjects in a personal style. Column. Writers can take a humus, a humorous approach or specialize in a particular subject, area or topic. It's important for columnist to develop their own voice that is recognizable by their readership. Columnists can interpret events or issues or write about their own personal experiences or thoughts. Coms are usually published weekly. Feature. Writing feature. Writing provides scope, depth and interpretation of trends, events, topics or people. Features aim not only to thoroughly explore topic by conducting interviews with numerous experts or the key people involved, but to offer a previously unseen perspective on an event issue or person. Feature. Writing commonly wins procedures. Awards. When it manages to achieve this Goal Beach is usually have the highest were account of all journalism types. So which form of journalism interests you 5. The Business of Writing: the business of writing. How does seven your business tax model, how to set up your business, your tax model. Cost per word, charging for president or hourly? These are common questions that I always get. So I want to help you guys kind of filtered through the minutia and see what best works for you. So now that we have our code of ethics, we have a code of ethics, down or nine principles of journalism. And we have chosen which branch of journalism we want to go into. Now we need to set up that business model, starting with the tax Ma. Now there's LLC's there see corporations as corporations in SoCal private ships. Out of the four. I like AES Corporation. I'll tell you what, because you avoid double taxing yourself with the self employment tax. This pretty much goes, of course, a ball with anyone who's self employed. You really want to go in an s corporation, it takes a little extra extra step out of the other ones. What is worth it? You want to avoid double taxi yourself because at this point you're only being taxed on what you're paying yourself out of your business. Not exactly was. Your business is pulling in, which is significantly more than what you're paying yourself. Um, usual. So, um yes. Avoid that double taxation. Think later. And then you can start writing off any writing supplies, courses you take. You can even write off your skill share. Premium walking's, uh, so s corporation. Thank me. Later. The next thing that we want Teoh talk about is how do we charge? How about making those coins? How we making any income to be taxed on in the first place cost her word versus her project versus hourly. Now, all of these things really dictated Very different. Probably you want to charge per word. I mean, charging forward. Used to be, you know, all the crazy. Especially if you could get a dollar per word. He had, like, 1000 word article yet. Those were the days that does not happen anymore. Really? Doesn't. And And if you charge per project, sometimes you might undercut yourself and yeah, in the spend more money out of whatever they paid you to finish whatever project. So, yeah, doing per project. Unless the scope of work is really defined, I wouldn't advise doing that in our early actually is really based on someone who knows how they work. Right? Notre Worth is you know how you work. You know how long it takes to knock out, like a 500 or 1000 word article. And but I find that charging hourly doesn't fit a lot, people. Um because that's usually more so, others that it must be clear we're talking about article writing. You're talking about block articles? Yeah, we're not talking about copyrighting that is a whole nother beast entirely. In which case, I would say, charge hourly or per project for that. But with article writing and blogging writing a good rule of thumb, even if you're just starting out is he charged 5 to $10 for every 100 words late again, charge 5 to $10 for every 100 words. This is a really good rule. Um, especially when you're starting out. This is a really good way to kind of to start building your clientele and that getting kind of caught up in the cost per word because, really, that that payment method is really, really kind of ancient nowadays because, like, tens is a word. Twenties. The word head. You'll be hard pressed to find 25 cents a word. So yeah. Um, we're not even time. Will cost were worried anymore. Rule them $5 for everyone. 6. Tools of he Trade: tools of the trade. This is important because you gotta have full arsenal, especially when you're in the field. Oh, my gosh. Extra batteries. Make sure your phone this charge. So you had need to have a portable charges. All right, let's get into it. Tool of the trade. Now, It used to be a time when, you know, recorders were thing. But now we have our cell phones, and so we can just use our cell phones with a mic that you can just attach to the top of your cell phone. So this one I can actually put on my DSL DSLR camera, or I can use this with my some. This one is the road actually comes with a little Muzi thing that over. You have amazing audio. This you're good to go again. Cell phone call with your delis are camera. Um, see, I mean, your cell phone, your cell phone is really amazing. Thes. They're like little mini computers that we can use now. So, um, having the acts are really important. So we got the mic down. Dr. Cellphone, let's talk about the attacks because the abs are really, really the game changer. Gosh, which some of these things were available, like 7 10 years ago. But they weren't Yes s. Let's get into it. Gould Data set Search. This is a data repository in companion to Google Scholar. So you want to use this app to validate with a case study or a theory that you have, because it's full of epidemics, dollars, data reports. So it's amazing the use case studies or anything. Any story, really, that has, like, um, a claim of some sword or has some kind of data charred comparisons. This is gonna give your story credibility and also academic legitimacy over corrects currents is alive. You in real time of what people care about online. It's refreshed. Daily has about is like a database of 850,000. You know, entries of what people are searching. One line. It sounds kind of like Big Brother. It does. But when you're a journalist, you want to write stories that people were actually going to care about. So what better way to do that? Find out what they care about, and it's really great for craft. Crafting a newsworthy pitches well toe, and this is imperative to Noah's journalists and I mentioned this earlier in the video, knowing what people want. No one what citizens are searching for looking for, What information are they seeking? You can find that in Currence and then also uses to crack a newsworthy pitch. I mean, just opens up so many doors because more money, usually you would just be pulling stuff out of your head like, Oh, I think people want to talk about this because my girlfriends were talking about this. This would be a good story to talk about. Yeah, but if you want to land, land that pitch, use current, find out what people in line are searching what they're talking about the keywords that you using because this is just gonna enable you, Teoh, right? An amazing story that people actually want to read because they've been searching for the information already. You just did all the research for them with all of your Generalistic research skills that you just received. So, yeah, this is Kranz is a really, really great at really, really great at. And you can better land a story that's actually going. It's not Nothing is guaranteed in life. This one's gonna make better odds for driving traffic for your particular story, honor. Jeez, I wish this app existed years ago. Transcribing sucks. Okay, Transcribing. Nothing's worse in transcribing. Yes, it is. But you know, I'm being dramatic, but yes, transcribing sucks. And this app is what it's gonna do is going over cordial conversation. If you're having a phone interview, um, it's going Teoh record the conversation, and then it's going to transcribe it in minutes. You'll have entire conversation on your phone in an MP three or MP four file ready to export Hunter. I owe that. This one, I don't know, talk I'm going to talk about later, um, in another section of this video. But the gist of hunter is reaching the unreachable. Finding contact info for big is a big part of a journalist. Stop again. Verifying facts, fun finding sources, giving quoth all of those things. And hunter, I'll is really amazing in finding the gatekeepers, finding journalists, finding publicist play. This is a dream, because otherwise you would have to go find maybe the masthead. Or if you go on the website, you'll see how the mail format is. You find their name and then you just kind of taking a guess that its work for me in the past. But Hunter, I Oh, really jizz it flatlines all of that nonsense and puts it into this one app where all you have to do is enter the your you are out of the company and contact information pasa. It's amazing that all of this information is actually, you know, out like that. I want him. They know what's out there like that. Bless UMA. Bless Imo can show you how headlines are performing or what headlines are performing best because headlines honestly is gonna be the other big chunk of your job coming up with a great headline that's going to drive traffic. So what bless Sumo does it pretty much you put in the subject matter, and then it brings up whatever headlines are on that subject matter, so you can kind of gauge how want to craft your own headline. Echo set provides location based social media data so a lot of news happens instantaneously in the people who are there with their phones out already are of a journalist that one of the story, like there on the scene and they're uploaded to social media from their counts, right? So what this act does, it's going to show you what's going on. Its location basically put in whatever location, see what's happening and see what videos air coming up from that location. Uh, really. An amazing to tool to get eyes on something that's happening in real time. And you're not even there. You're You're actually seeing it through somebody else's lenses. Literally import i o import Islas really? Really Don't Writers can pull data from multiple sources like U S Census Bureau from the CIA World fat butt welds World Health Organization. So all these things can come from this one from import I It is important that I owe Yeah. Oh, okay. And lastly, when that these cause that doesn't almost for that, because it's so common. Um, ghoul or school arts are really easy way to keep on track with things that are just popping up in the news. So, um, set up your Google alerts for the industry. That's your industry, the industry that you're interested in, and also these sub industries that are affected by that primary industry, and then also you want to go step further set up Google alerts for indirect sub industries . So say, like the beauty industry. So you have as your main industry Google or right then you want to specify a sub industry, say, like green. That's a whole another. Um, it's a whole another animal on its own. So now you have green industry. The direct sub industry of that would be up cycling, you know, recycling different things for packaging clothing. All of that stuff is upside. And then the indirect Google alert for that sub industry, you will want to, um, you want that because they say Nix is coming out with a new green line. And they just partnered with X y Z up cycle company, who also does stuff for 1/7 generation. You know, that's also means, and that's also another angle. You could take one green beauty or disdain on top and just having fresh topics to talk about. So I hope that made sense, um, industries, sub industries and then the sub industries indirectly and directly of the sub. So yet just a little tidbit of info that you could use on your journey to discovering all there is to discover in the world of knees in general is a because there's so much info. But knowing what people want to know about is really important, and staying up on trend to go over helps you do that. 7. Headlines & Content: headlines and content headline are almost as important as the body of your article. Is literally the most valuable piece of real estate in your article in on a website Because that's what's gonna drive people to your stores. You've gotta have a really, really great headline. It doesn't necessarily have to be super catchy, but it definitely has to drive on the message like, Hey, look at me, Click on me, Don't you want to know about me? Did you want to know about me? Don't you would know the answers to this question. Yes, you have. You need to get good at writing headlines, and there's actually a little formula that I'm going to share with you guys so you can start crafting really amazing headlines that actually drive trap. First thing that you need to do when crafting a headline, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. What's the point of this content and what is the most important 20? Oh, and you want to take those two things and craft your headline around that you want to try and focus your headlines on helping instead of telling people like nobody wants it, say you're doing this wrong like No, that's no. You don't want to chastise people you don't want to criticize. You don't want to boss me around. You want to have a helping hand, Let me help you. That's what you want to be here because that's what people respond to better. Nobody likes to be told what to do, so your headlines shouldn't reflect that, um, a couple of ways to crack a headline, um, stating a problem and then offering the solution from there. A kiss Metric study shows that readers tend to absorb on Lee the 1st 3 words of a headline in the last three words. So what you want to do is front load your headline. Meaning Make sure your supernova superlative, whether it's positive or negative, is in the front year symptoms or towards the end. Um, because again, with the short attention spans were not absorbing all of these written words, so you need to make 1st 3 in the last three counts. So, for example, yeah, the first was a whole lot better. If you want your headlines to perform well, Another rule of thumb is Teoh have anywhere between 60 and 100 characters and or 16 18 words long, and this is again a study by kiss Metrics. Um, but I'm almost positive that none of my headlines have been anything outside of this, and I'm not even trying, but that is a good rule. Also, write your headlines for search again. This is when that app comes in Haiti parents, because you're seeing what keywords people are using phrases they're searching for. This is really going to help people find your article out of the millions of articles and information. That's one of mine to answer their question. So I want Teoh right for search engines for Seo search engine optimization. Um, it'll favour. Search engines will favor headlines that are shorter than 70 characters, which is relevant to your title tag. Make sure your headline includes a target keyword as well. Very important. And again, with the use and currents, you'll have no problem finding out will keep, whereas people are using to search a certain subjects. So you definitely want to throw it in there if it's performing really well incurring. So try using this method to writing a headline that contradicts a common wisdom. So say light, we could do something. Like why? Why? Jumping rope isn't the best cardio exercise with burning calories. People are gonna be like because, like, calm and everybody knows that jumping locals definitely gonna be great. Cardio work definitely burns calories. So people in, especially in the fitness world, we won't be outraged. So they're gonna click on, and they're gonna find out what you want to evoke an emotion, especially with your headline. You want them to think, therefore click. Okay, take different click. I have to also another, um, a couple other ones. How? Twos. So how to organize your calendar and still have time to spare is an example that you used for, like, a how to enlist. And I know you've seen this all the time. Five reasons why you can't hates you. You know, like big with it or a case study. Sleep. Affect your sleep. Does not getting enough sleep affect your finances? 41% of sleep specialists say it does. That's pretty daggone interesting, right? You want to know about that story to you? Dodgy? Yeah. Definite. Just came up there off. Um, yeah, still does. I hope that gives you an example of how you should approach your headline in how the acts that I just gave you is gonna help impact than positively to drive traffic to your heart. 8. Research Like a Journalist: So this brings us to our next video research. Like a journalist, we humans get your note taking app out, your pen and paper, whatever on get cozy, because this has a whole lot of Jim's that I think that definitely benefit you in your, um, quest or stories, pitches and things like that and gatekeepers such as publicists and editors. So my first tip is going to be and then myself unconventional. But, hey, it works. He been break even bright or eventful. Any of those other similar science are really going to be amazing to start off your journalistic career. And if you're starting your own digital outlet or something, you just need filler stories of embroidered, eventful or chopped full of things going on in your city. In whoever else in city. Really amazing. You can actually build ah, whole editorial calendar based off of it, right, because there's something going on all the time and the best part. A lot of the events are free. There's a lot of dope events that are free, so this is a great way to jump star your editorial calendar or your own career, even pitching the story to an editor like this event is happening in my city, and I think this is newsworthy because little blood, um also another great part about eventbrite and eventful and etcetera is the content. Information is right there on the invitation, and a lot of the times it's the PR farm or the publicist who was handling the event published a Born to Be Your Besties, your right hand man. You want to network with publicist because they have events going on and they need people to cover it. So getting on that their list for events, product reviews, whatever you need to know Publicist, you need to know a lot of publishes. Actually, Actually, if you're trying to be, you know, on the scene, you need to be buddy. Buddy would have publicists because they're the gatekeepers of the actual stuff that's going on in the world. The editors of the gatekeepers of you know the magazine you want to write for the newspaper you wanna ride for, but the publicists is who's going get you in there. So you need to make really good buddy buddy with the publicist and let us in on eventbrite and eventful usually contact information is right there. And it can you put yourself in touch with the publicist and maybe you don't. Their email is for future events. And speaking of publicists, another great website to use is PR Newswire or business wire. These websites have just tons of press releases. Let's refresh daily. So you're gonna find thousands of press releases every day from different brands from different parts of the world. So these are really great things toe follow, especially if it's a developing story. The new story about a friend or product or something that you're trying to pitch. Um, to your editor. You found this press release. You have publicist contact information there, so you need to get a direct role, a direct quote, their open to it because that's why they put it out there. They want you to find them. They're not gonna go out, find you, because normally they already have a list of journalist that they already use. They have context, major magazines and publications, TV, whatever, already. So there, there they want you to find because they want as much coverage as possible. Phil pr newswire. Amazing. I mean, really amazing. Um and this is Why? Same thing. If you're save, you want to pitch a story to, like ink or fast company or something like that. Business wires. A really great place to kind of start off. If you're maybe the startup to start, it is really kind of innovative. This will be a really good story to pitch too fast company or innocent ink or something. Business Week or something like that. You would use business wire, but yes, those two websites PR wire, business wire, PR newswire, RPR wire and business wire are going to be imperative. Like you need to be on there every day. You need to be setting up your notifications or your alert one. That website is well, And speaking of alerts, you need to set up a Google words schoolers for industry and the sub industries that it directly indirectly effects because those storing those trickle down storms like this big major thing happened right? But it affected this small sector of a sub industry. Those things were really next to courtly in pitching. The story and how it affect this one major thing had this domino effect on this indirect sub industry here. It's really amazing So, um, what was that? Gula alerts. Let's see. What else? What else? Well, we did talk about Google Scholar already as well, but I just want to expand a little bit more on it. Google Scholar is the website that holds academic studies data pretty much things to support case studies or the studies in general. But it is really great kind of Peru's on there just to see what they're talking about in science and how it's affecting our daily lives again. This is going to give you a really great angle trying to pitch a story, and it's going to give you the academic validation in legitimacy. Um, which is again? It goes back to the principles. We're buying backs on that backs. Okay. All right. That's gold. Blame is just not gonna cut it. You're gonna need to research like a journalist in order to pit one. And editors radar. If you want your story in Rolling Stone or something like that, you better be coming with a really, really dope artist or something in the industry or even a study that's affecting artists in all of that. Yes, you need to research, and you need to connect the dots if you want to craft a newsworthy pitch and you can do all of that from using a couple of these websites and then lastly. And it used to be who first using the mastheads off magazines. If you go to any magazine, digital or not, um, you are going to see in the first couple of pages the mass hit in the masthead has the publishers informal information. It has the the masthead, the masses in the first couple of pages of any magazine on you confined The publishers info . You can find the managing editor's info, the editor and Cheese info, The section editors. They'll have usually their emails and Derek phone numbers or near sometimes. So just go by the magazine out. Peruse that a little bit. Take a snapshot if you're out and about, or you can go to Media Bistro and they literally have a to Z most magazines or magazine stand, um, right there, and they have all that information and how to pitch to the editors Immediate Bistro, really another great website for you to use. That one is paid to get access to that. Things like $15 a month but totally worth it. If you are trying to get toe a certain magazine into a certain editor because it literally puts you right in front of the gate in pretty much you and your pitch is the only thing that's standing between you and getting published in a magazine, and it follows Fair fills. Now you use that hunter i o m App and just slide Semis Inbox. The editor. Generous relationship. What did that look like? I promise you, it does not look like what it looks like. Movies. I promise you that. Editors ultimately watching to succeed right? But they also want you to make their job a little bit easier because they are from body e mails, pitches, covers, calendars, constant strategies. They are bombarded so much so making their job easier is part of your job as a journalist or writer may be easier for them. Paint the picture for them. When you're selling a pitched Owen editor, you need to paint it for a paint. That picture. Do not make them guess Damn Ignace, because I promise you get me the quickest way to get a get your email closed and ultimately deleted and lost in the shuffle because it's too hard for them to make out. You're making them work too much to figure out what it is you're trying to do. They're not interested because you obviously don't know how this goes. That's probably what they're thinking. So yes, make their job a tab bit easier by being a great words in it. And by reading the frigging magazine and and knowing the audience, Jesus, you will not be surprised how many things I've come across as an editorial assistant in the My gosh, they even this is a parenting magazine. Why send them sell about guns? It's really that crazy, like, I think, people to send out mass things like just put all of these emails in Teoh into the email, bar me into the the team bar and then just hit, send and just like, and to sit back and see what happens. Nothing happens among those positive, but nothing comes of those mass send outs. So yeah, um, tailoring your pitch three main things to start off with your framework keeping that in mind, keep their audience in mind and keep the section in mind that you are trying to write for three things that you need to start off with, Period. Do not go into pitching something you haven't. Even with one article in that section of the magazine or the magazine period, you'd be surprised how many people think that they're so good they could do that. Never works out well for them ever. Ever. We want to do your due diligence and finding interesting facts. Um, you need to while you're editor, you need to bring them an idea. That is the story. But an idea that is impactful that resonates with the magazines audience and again make their job easier. The work Smith provide photos if you have them already. Um, don't make her happy. Goes him or her. Go search for it somewhere. Oh, don't be stock or whatever. If you covered in a bit, Take, take a decent picture. Like I know most camera phones have amazing cameras on them. Now you can take a picture to accompany your, um story because literally like, they really just want to be able to read it like, Oh, OK, I'll tweet that handed or take them since that's all they want to do That's all I want to do with your story. I promise you, they do not want to sit and read over stuff, and I have to correct it. Have to ask you, Is this accurate? Please. And that's the other thing. Make sure it is accurate. Make sure it is fat face and could be easily sourced and not easily debunked by one cool search. You will lose all credibility problems should. The editor will not take another chance on you because there's so many other riders who are then the closer to right then you. 9. Pitch Perfect: crafting the perfect pitch. Nothing's perfect and where we want to try to get as close as possible. Ask yourself why readies are what makes this article news work, cause that's what your editor ultimately wants to know. Why, what? My readers want to read this particular article, but this is what you ultimately need. In order to land a pitch to get your story published, you'd be able to write on newsworthy pitch. Um, you need to be able resume that is interesting and is more of an idea than a story. So first things first. No, the publication and able to talk about that. But I want to re emphasize it for those in the back. No, the publication know the target audience, know their values and know what their editors kind of research. That edit is to to know what they want research the stores that they already have and go from there. So there's a couple of questions you wanna ask yourself before you even begin to write your pitch. And even before you try to narrow down what you want to write about one. Why are you writing this article? Wise and newsworthy? One to I am passionate about the top of is the topic. Important is the topic. That is something that's trending on social networks because it's important. You need to really ask yourself these questions. Are there facts to strengthen your views? What is the publication about and what points do you want to include in your article? What's your angle you got? Toe have an angle, and it needs to be an interesting angle to and like, using the apse like currents is really gonna help with crafting a newsworthy pitch because it's newsworthy. It is super popular own currents because people are trying their searching it, they're trying to find out answers. And this article is gonna provide the answers, and you need to convey that to your editor. Yes, this is important. This is why or it. Here's the stats. Here is the study hears the case study. All these things need to be within the actual proposal. So here is a checklist. That's a checklist for you and why you're writing the article. Here's a checklist for your actual email pitch. Two paragraphs. Max Teoh No more, no less. Unless you're adding 100 words. Summary, which is not included in the two paragraphs as introducing yourself in your idea for and a possible headline. Um, what's it? Paint the picture for your editor? Make her job a little bit easier in deciding whether to give you a chance. One. Writing this article for their publication in that what stance are you taking? One. The subject we'll stand to you taking who sat even biggest happen inside. Um, why is it news working? Well, we asked that already in the beginning, but you need to include that this apart. The checklist include the format. Is it going to be an intern? Ooh, is it going to be an article like 500 words 1000 words. What format is it going to be? And they indicate your key sources always have your sources available because there's nothing worse than the editor reading a fantastic pitch just to find out that the sources are either inaccurate and the facts are inactive, their alternative backs, um, let's see, attach a portfolio of your sample writings, and if you just better now, I realized you might not have any sample writings and cool the entire article. I'm come out right that whole bad boy out and attach it. That's your sample writing right there. And really, it shows, you know, that you're pretty bold. So if you don't have it, any writing samples just include the entire are Ah, let's see, Let's see what else? What else? Be clear and be concise and be professional. Please do not go into editors or publicists. Email. When you guys are homies, you guys are not home is this is a working relationship that you're trying to establish? You would not do that in public. Do not do it in the cyber world, either. People sessional speak professionally, present yourself as a professional writer because that is who you are trying to be okay and then also here. And this is if you want to go and the extra mouth at 100 words Summary of the article just to give them. Like I said, you want to paint that picture for them. So go ahead and give him 100 word article. Leave them on the edge of their seats. You really want to do that like make it worth their while. Make them want to know more about this subject matter of the story that you're trying to write. And also there is another trick that I learned from Cappie Black. She has a book called Basic Black and Cappie Back Black was actually the president of Hearst Magazines. And if you know where's magazines is they House Cosmopolitan? Harper's Bazaar, Esquire. So yes, Bad woman, Great book. Um, death, nickel. Pick that up. She also was the president of USA Today is well from now mistaking or bps death. But I learned a trick from her that I have been using for years and has always work out for me. And I'm not saying that is gonna always work out for you, but it's always worked out from me. Um, probable. The word probable Godel herds. If you're in this industry, gotta love works and being able to manipulate them to get what you want is a strong point. And honestly, editors do want somebody who's a wordsmith. So back to the trick it is. I have been a trip. It's just it's just a clever way of getting a positive result. So look, um, I got this from Kathy Black, she says, instead of saying or asking, can I do this? Or would you like Teoh partner with me or something like that? Instead, ask, Would it be probable? Would it be a problem? Would it be probable for you to add an extra press pass? Teoh My request for my photographer? Sure, Not a problem, because it usually is not a problem. It's usually not a problem. Would it be probable? Yes, it could be probable. So this could be taken two ways. No, it's not probable. It's not a problem, not a problem. Sure, it's almost like because people look at it and say, No, that's not a problem. No, I could do that. It automatically puts that person in a positive mindset to be like, Oh, yeah, that's not a problem. I can do that. Um or probability. What is the probability of this happening or what? You're not putting it in the word probability. Probability? What? It gives the mental notion that, yes, this is possible. Yeah, sure, that's probable. Not a problem. It's a play on words, and it has worked for me when numerous occasions for getting an extra press pass. Um, for my photographer, Um, yeah, it's worked its work because how you're framing the question and you Do you want to take this and apply it to your interview questions, which is the next part of the next video? We'll talk about interview skills asking the right questions, asking for something in this way. Would it be probable? Is usually going to get you a positive answer to your request, because nine times out of 10 is not a problem for somebody to give you an extra press press . It's not a problem for someone to look over your 100 words summary to consider your article for this publication. So yes, being a wordsmith and playing words and manipulate them to do what you want them to do is also being journalists about. So yes, that little trick has always worked for me in a clutch, and I actually don't I use it for everything. Now, like, um, you know from my store would have probable for you to get that chicken that's in the back or would have been probable to give me a whole case of that. Wine is your last one would be a problem. What is the problem showing you? Emilie just works. Try it out. No, seriously, try it out. If you do, try it out. Please let me know your results because this is just something that I have used for a while and gosh has just tried and true. And I want to know if it's not work out for you too. 10. Interview Skills Pt. 1: you want to learn interview skills, and I want to help you kind to kind of walk you through with some commentary or the last interview that was just done with these array. It was for me being that that's my professional background. Krige Ah, hole left. Do that, if you But I'm gonna give you, um I'm gonna go through, you know, the interview And what? Giving my critiques throughout it. So I don't wanna be coming back here and then going back to the video here back, you know, that whole still so again in in the woman's defense, she is not a journalist, not an interviewer. So I could imagine being nervous being up there in having experience with interviewing people, but does he is a couple of my critiques going for Thank you for having me already been a little extra. I was wishing, like way situation. Okay, so let's get into it. I'm digging. Your life isn't like eighties. Rachel, look, what do you call it? A regular ass casual. Meet my allies. In the eighties, I was a board of baby, but I was like, duck in school. And so I was in school but okay, so I'm jump into your fashion. That's what we're talking about. So chasing point, So s a Ray is at a college lecture, right? She's the keynote speaker instead of the moderator going from I'm in school. I stayed in school, I stayed in school. She is dead once a fashion. Whereas she could have had a really nice natural flow to the conversation if she had touched on the fact that Issa Rae went to Stanford and the fact that she was up a very small percentage that was at Stanford. What was that? Like her college experience? I mean, I'm sure a lot of those the latter the audience members wanted to know Well, her college experience was like because they're in college. They want to know if it's similar to hers. And if she did a little bit more research, she could have very well, just from the fact that she went from Stanford, she could have said, wait into her very first Web. Siri's. Now, this is where research really comes in handy, and you really at the date for this one. But, um, to do, um she could have talked about her very first Web series even before awkward black girl. There was dorm diaries, and it was about her being plaque on campus. So yeah, it is really about doing your research. So, uh, first critique. Okay, So I love your I love factory When I'm watching it show. I just want to know what your outfits together. Is it all you do? You have someone and makes your clothing way. Amazing costume designer. Her name is I on a chain and she is super super dope like she's brought her on Teoh design show what she's really great about. I am trying to find fashion designers of color, paying attention to detail that she's just dopers. Like if you look her up that bionic J instagram, she's legit and she's to make in which she would probably be a run. She constantly reference Jamaica. That's what's up. So do you have? I know you have several social science? Do you have a block? You discuss like fashion tips and stuff? Um, I only want you hard like this about fashion. With that question It everybody is me great, great, right? Tells her she's the only one on one fashion that is a social key to move one to something else. Okay. Like she doesn't want to talk about fashion. That's not her thing. She's a writer. She has a stylist. I on a day if you wanted Teoh, talk more about fashion or whatever, then ask about the actual styles, how you guys met, whatever. Blah, blah, blah. But he's is not interested in talking about her fashion. That's just matter. They reading faces. Thank you. Feel really good right now. Is this where you Here. Okay. Already trying. Okay. So you often talk about your hair. Have you always been natural? I have her for most of my life. There was a period when I was in, I moved to L. A from Carole and I moved back to L. A. And everybody had, you know, they hear her depressed. They were, you know, like, making fun of me for a bit, actually. Here. Begging my mom, My mom, everybody in l A. There here is, like, laid and I want my hair to be laid to. And my mom was like, You can't know That's not your hair. Won't do that. Sustaining my mom. I'm a grown woman at well, I want to turn And she was like, You're not getting one. So I got one anyway and, you know, I went to go get one with my friends. And of course, my hair fell out and I couldn't credit my mom. My mom was like I told you I did. As so from that moment on, it's definitely been a journey, Teoh. Appreciate and love my natural here, but this is for the most natural. I can so relate. I'm a cosmetologist. Trade targets for 20 years. So I remember trying to, like, cut my bangs and be like right here. Remember banking for Jerry girls like really, really and get you had a very It was, like, juicy and because it was so juicy, like real long. And then when I got to relax, it fell out, and it's been a journey. Everything. And then she said, swaying Segways into hair again. She's just like, you know, my hair, but it's great because her demographic, a lot of her demographic, does have natural hair myself included. So it's not the worst thing in the world, but again she's a writer and also another point to this and I will say this to it is important to try to get the things that you can find on the Internet. As a journalist, I mean this things all over the Web. They're saturated with stuff on Isa Ray, you have to really do your due diligence and really research your subject. So you don't sound like a broken record. And that's why we don't like interviews. They're asking the same questions, so I applaud her on that. But when she goes into a run and it'll about herself, it just loses everything. It loses everything. She couldn't ask her about her mother something her mother just, you know, you know, Mother told her, bald headed, as you know. And then she could have used that. Maybe a same wave. Say so. How is your mom like, What does she think about? You want the show? That would have been a really, really great said way. Was that your first step towards old witness get here. But right after that, she had to give her kudos At 4 29 She really like has a really smooth transition into, you know, awkward black girl. The show. So I never thumbs up one thing Sure that that was that was definitely part of it. Just not not like I faded just because of the way that my hair waas my mom and aunt here. It was so beautiful to me. My mom. I had every style in the book, and I wanted to be able to do that, too. And I just felt so limited until after a while I was like, Oh, this is This is my is that grows on my head, You know, it's just a beautiful and it's so first in a way that a lot of hair styles are different. Hair types are, so embrace it. That's why I got like, grated us for you because I see you be rocking this. I just wanted Teoh here is beautiful again. She goes into another antidote about herself and her braids. How do you feel about the way black women are represented in the and through the media with their hair like shows like love and hip hop and stuff like that? And then she immediately she goes right back into the hair, drop the hair, drop it, pick up on the six social keys. We don't need to talk about herring or, like drop it. What? Let me rephrase that you've been natural or your life, and it wasn't always popping. And now it's like a fed right. And so I don't think it conversations get into conversations with people that are, Let's that's like natural People think they're bedded in there and stuff like that. And so we have shows like loving hip hop that celebrate women that maybe are not natural. Do you think that we need more shows on television that celebrate women and their naturalists clear and concise questions? What is this long, drawn out question that ends in love and hip hop? What is that? What is? I think that when I think about loving you got the first thing that I think about is not necessarily They're here, just like, Oh, this is my branch television. It is like being an original love. Hip hop like that was, what about two in terms of you know what, I wanted to turn my mind up and laugh, be immersed in a specific type of, uh, show. When it was unscripted to me, that's what I was most interested. Then it just became like scripted trash and I was like, I don't want my tribe really wants acted to you in a more wretched, kinda way. But I was like, maybe not one of she cut these off. She couldn't. And she was like a really funny punch line we absolutely wanted. Here s a ray say that she does not want her trash scripted. We want to hear that. And we do not want to hear another antidote about old girl. Nothing for me. Like those shows had the right to exist. But for me, I was always just frustrated by the fact that there weren't there wasn't about. 11. Interview Skills Pt. 2: world by people watching those types of shows and seeing the depiction of black women on those shows. They assume that all black women are like that. They're even with those shows there's there. Some black shows who have different aspects of their lives were, you know, they're giving back where they're doing positive things, but they're not betrayed. So for me it was always like in the same way that white media has, like terrible trash reality shows they have, you know, amazing scripted shows. And I felt like we needed the same type of balance. And it's not a matter of like, penalizing one show. Thank one shows better than the other. But just having alternative types of representation and showing the many facets of black people and black women specifically, Yes, that was the question way. You have a lot of recognition outside of the U. S. And talking about how he represented as black people. What do you think? Our responsibility is globally as far as what we said out doing a media because other countries I went to Ghana centrist in the garden in the town central, and something that a president told me was like it was a guy, he said. When I'm in Ghana, African a man, But when I leave Ghana, I am a black man and I'm treated as a black man because of which I put out, he said. But I'm treated as a black man based on which I put out to the media. And he was like its not fair, So being African to say and having a show that's been well received into nationally do you feel that we have? Or we should hold itself accountable for not what we're only going to ourselves. We're brothers and sisters of that, our brands again with these long ass confusing ask questions. Remember, Clear couldn't size questions clear, concise questions I got that were asked, Who is doing it? You know, because I think we've been creating break presentations of our own cells for a while for a very long time. Especially like on the Internet, you find so many people of color creating shows that show different masses of black life that show different masses of African American life and Afro Caribbean life. And it's just a matter of conglomerates and, you know, executive mainstream media executives, not thinking will show have a proper Roddy wanting to depict the same type of black experience over and over again. Sometimes that experiences violent. Sometimes that experiences a stereo. Typically, you know, hood to a degree, and again those are valid experiences. But they're not the only and sold experience. And I think now ever I remain like optimistic. I am more optimistic because you have more executives and people of color and women getting into these positions of power. And you have audiences that are super vocal via social media that are like, I don't want to see this. I want to see this. Where is this? Where is this? They're supporting the concept that they want to see. And so I would argue that it's It's us. It's the audience that have been dictating what they want to see, and and now thanks your media's catching like people want to see a war come about racism. Get out. It's successful now, going into oh, black women leads like black women about Massa that sells. That's an international thing that's crazy. We should make more so they're just catching onto us. But we've been known like we've been known for a while Way have we're multifaceted. So I think the international image of us we'll catch up like everything else, be like, you know, she can't be honest with anybody like she's the most honest, the most vulnerable when she's in the bathroom mirror. And I felt like that's kind of true delight with, you know, like the human beings myself. In general, my best ideas come in the bathroom when you're looking at yourself in the mirror before you take a shower naked. That's like that that mirror before they take a shot. Quite negative again, she injects. She cuts easily. All you really want to know what she's trying to say. Like I get that she's trying to make it light and fun. But those people are there and they're intent on this. Hang wants everywhere. The East is trying to say, You don't know anything, Live it up. We want to be there. We want to hear anything She has to say she's never wanted. Born in. It's like I appreciate that her and those skills are definitely needed when conducting interviews. But you just have to know, and that again is reading the keys. Dan big. It's just like this is me. You know, me and my Ross. There's no devices in the bath with you. There's nobody else, is just you with your thoughts. And that's who you are. Until that device in the show is her, being true is most authentic. So as though you have a paper, your broken pussy so I would have been managed. You don't like your friend was mad. I would have been a little man because you just talked about I kind of see when she says it is. Yeah, that was like real conversation with my actual best friend way talking are like, uh, broken. But this honing where we would like be like girl, do you try to step to me like on? Like, conversely, if a dude like came correct, way like right, correct. People like talking to Larry Moore, who helped develop the pilot with Cooperated the show, and I remember telling him that he was like, Whatever the fuck that is that's going in front of the time like she was just going through things with guys. She always does this thing work like I do think that she wants to be in a relationship with her with them immediately. Like she could say hi, maybe like Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't want to get married. I told her he was broken. At the end of the day is like a 40 year old way. Be thinking, maybe ready because they smell like Ohio husband. All my life I've been looking is said, asking how she hooked up with Larry. Wilmore was freakin legend. He's a legend. She goes into another in middle about herself, and we give zero. 12. Interview Skills Pt. 3: It's a real like, I guess. Do you You ready, like a six or you could, you could evaporation, you know, get married. What's the ultimate goal for the show? Like, Did you just want to put some good? Aren't out there for people or like this idea of insecure? I think it has traveled many generations. It has been covered a materialism. And, um, it's virginal world where you could be but, uh, 60 69 have a love of big fish people, you know? So what was your ultimate goal for the show? How good? Why didn't she just leave it at What is your goal for the show? Less is more people. Less is That's not a good story, you know, I want Oh, I wanted to tell a girl story picturing her journey to be competent. Security. That's what I feel like. I am now like I know I know. You know where I fall short as a person, and it's a matter of, like, now, working with what I have to be the best person I could be in being like, You know what? I know that I am at the end of the day. So now how can I be better? Cannot be that best version of me. And so that's the journey. We want to get her in these characters on the show. You know, I believe in finite good stories. I love watching British television shows because they'll be like 23 seasons. Way told the best story with I don't really know what they know. No one's about out, and I just that that's what we have to do with. So it's on the projection in which you sort it. So when you created it, What is Sorry? What is salary? Practice your questions. Okay. Practice talking, Amira. Just like mis isa does and get yourself together. He was hoping someone would want to pick it up. Was HBO we was hoping for? I picked the show HBO. Okay, all right. My picks and showed HBO, Uh, with that in mind. Thank you, girl. And you be Rubio, you know, hang out. Leaving you leaving right after this will be my people. It's a was literally in the middle of answering her question. She was literally in the middle of answering her question and she interrupts her toe. Ask them when we hanging out and then and then can't remember where she left off then. So again we see easa bringing in the interviewer back into the interview and into the conversation. No, everything was closed with that wear warm, but I was just like, as my best friend is a here but my second best friend. But I did pick the showdown with that in mind like it's funny. But on such a high level, high profile interview like time is of the essence and quality of questions is just important. It's is priority, really, because that's like, that's your job. You have one job to ask. Good questions. One. I knew that I wanted to have, like, a finite number. So the second season coming, there's a second season coming July 20 Theo shooting Monday. So that's what I'm rushing back to Dio traveling way. Get to work on Monday for three months. So is there like any space for, like a new best friend, like a loud person in the offense from New York? When I was younger, I went on the audition for my dad, and I like they x before second audition fighting. Get it So, like I've been waiting for the opportunity here. You don't need a new best friend, Molly. Mali's place pretty secure. Now, instead of asking Esa about the show Oh, my God. She goes into another an It'll about herself and then ask for a job. Girl, this this this this lettuce. It is one of the most anticipated shows off 2017. And you didn't ask him? Now, one thing you could have taken that opportunity to get a quote, a sizzler teaser or something from that interview. We have no way. Okay, alright. Casting Peru. Okay, well, we're coming to a close before we get to the end. We're gonna open up the mikes for questioning. Let them finish their statements, please. Nothing's worse than that. Because then the person not gonna want talk to you anymore. Let them finish the statements. Let them know that whatever they're saying is valuable in is being heard. Don't just cut them off. And if you are, when I interject with something, at least let it be a value. There was no value in this. It's important to read the body language of your subject. You don't know anything about body language. You're trying conduct interviews, especially on camera. You need to pick up a book on by reading body language. Okay, you know the basics, but reading facial expressions, reading someone's eyes, you know, all those things, their legs, all of that. Are they open or they close? You have to really know those things. And so you can kind of hear the interview kind of navigate the interview which way you want it to go. If the interview was getting kind of antsy, maybe need to wrap it up so those things are important because it's a whole lot more when you're just looking at that person is not just a conversation happening. That is a very strategic conversation that you're trying to conduct. And it does take some social cues, some barbecues and some physical teams to kind of, you know, I think, because the moderator was and Harris, Allergy has 20 years experience as a hair stylist, she was saying where she was comfortable. That and sometimes you shortchange yourself on the quality interview. If you don't have somebody who in the industry 13. Class Project: All right. So let's talk about this class project. I want you guys to craft a newsworthy picked to me, your editor for entertainment magazine. So anything that you would pitch to any. Any ideas you have pitching to any other entertainment magazine, Pretty to me. And if you're conducting interview, I want to know if you're conducting, I want to know by attending those interview questions. Good luck. I can not wait to read. And if you're lucky, actually might publish these in my digital outlets entitled Dopamine. So, yes, she for the stars. All right. Can't wait. 14. Final Thoughts: final thoughts. So this is exciting. It was challenging, but I'm really not really Don't do this whole thing here, but I really enjoyed creating this class for you. I'm almost positive it won't be my last. But I'm like I said, I'm looking forward to your pitches. I really hope that I was able to give you some tools to kind of jump start your journalism career. I am excited to see what happens after this class. You take this class hopefully will take some of the things that you learn here and apply them to your real life and get that dream, uh, that dream job in a magazine or that dream article landed in the magazine or newspaper of your choice. I really hope those things for you. See Final Thoughts. What are my other final thoughts? Resource is Have a couple of books that I want you guys to, um, use or disuse is resource. Is that a kind of life just imperative to a writer's also arson Williams and Sinner? That's right, Zinsser. One reading will. This is like a required reading in college, but it's really a great book. It's amazing. Book toe have on hand. I still have a few things. Highlight it and bookmarked in this book. Why does market this is going to give you a directory of literary agents, magazine and publishers all of that. So you might not even need any John Hunter IOA that right is might and then smoking, bite spoken. But what is that to bold contemporary style writing anything? Use this in addition to your AP stylebook. Actually have a book. I don't know where it is, really don't. But they also have an at AP style that hasn't at. So you can use that because ever changing. And so you want to stay up towards, um to date one the AP South because that's what usually most outlets are writing his AP style smoking but and then Webster's grammar and punctuation. It's really great to just have on hand. In addition to the A P stylebook. If you don't have that, this is like nine bucks. So yet, so those are some of the resource is an awesome what I put in the description box. Some of the associations that and you can begin to join such a application with and really get into the world of journalism in surrounding yourself with other journalists and other reporters, because that's how you're gonna grow. You need to be around the people that you're trying to be like. So you what's that? Follow them are also on social media, some of your favorites of your who's Who's that you love in news and media on camera personalities. Written journalists, editors really, really start making your timelines and your social media threads filled with those things that you're constantly inspired. Um, what else? I think that's it for my final thoughts. Again, I'm really looking forward to you guys pitches. I cannot wait to read them and hopefully you guys have learned something from this class. In just a side note, just a small side note. You know, when you're first starting out, just know that you might be doing some stuff for free. It kind of comes with the territory. So, you know, don't shy away from that. You really want to learn and gain the experience before you get into the, like, real, real field of things. Because when people hiring in the field, they're gonna expect certain things from you they're gonna expect you to know. So don't shy away from taking the free stuff or even going out on your own and getting your own stories and just putting them on your blob because you do me writing samples, you're going to need those. So, you know, use that time for that. Um, yeah. Don't be afraid of the free work. A lot of free work has led me into some paid work, so don't shy away from it. It's all part of the experience. It's all part of a learning curve, so they'll show. Okay, guys, that wraps up, um, the Beginner's Guide to Freelance Journalism. I'm really glad you guys stuck it out with me. All of you guys learned a lot. I'm realizing, you know, after doing this class, that is probably one to meet to be a part two, because this is just so much. And I didn't wanna overwhelming in the beginning. So be on the lookout for part two, because I just really feel like I have to do that now and then. Also, um, found me, um, joined my Facebook group. I put all that information down the description box joined my Facebook group where I give writing props every Wednesday. Writer prompt Wednesday. And this is just a really good exercise that I do myself in. I want to build a community around it because, you know, sometimes you don't always want to meet all the world critiquing your work, you know, or just having your own eyes on it. So I want to create a safe space for riders to come and just kind of express themselves. We do exercise together and grow together. So my Facebook Group B night, right? Is all of my social handles are the same be night writer at being a writer. Yeah, and I look forward to connecting with you guys further. I really, really And looking forward to you guys submissions on your class project again. I am working on a digital outlets, So a lot of the submissions that I get might actually get published. So I don't want you to catch yourself out one that I want you to really put your heart and soul into these pitches because you might actually get published with him. So again, I'm your girl be night. I hope to see you guys, Um, in the virtual world, you know. Hopefully collaborative work together. Grow together. Article stuff, please. Feedback is always, always welcome. If you want to hit me upon email, that is also in the description box is well along with other resource is and yeah, thanks, guys.