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Introducing the Modern Journalist Toolkit

Introducing the Modern Journalist Toolkit

Welcome to the Modern Journalist Toolkit, an ongoing series that looks at new approaches and methods to support reporting and writing. Expect to see a fair amount of technology—some of the most frequent questions I get are about what apps and tools I use—but also new attitudes and strategies that make sense in the 21st century.

Initial topics will include online portfolios; making calls and recording interviews; and integrating new visuals into pitches and online stories. As a freelancer working overseas, these will both be recurrent themes, but much of the content will also be appropriate for staff journalists and/or writers working in their home country. Guest experts, videos, and cheat sheets to accompany the text will be part of the mix too.

Check back here for an updated list of topics, and of course drop me a line if you have a question/suggestion for a future MJT post.

List of Modern Journalist Toolkit posts:

MJT1: 3 Quick Online Portfolio Solutions

MJT2: Getting Paid Electronically

MJT3: Home Office Hacks for Writers

MJT4: How to Make a Phone Call

MJT5: Taking Notes & Recording Interviews

MJT6: Yusuf Omar on Reporting with Snapchat

MJT7: Three-Minute Marketing Makeover

MJT8: Saving Time with Sourcing Services

MJT9: Long-Distance Clients and Time Zones

MJT10: Color Me Quick

MJT11: Freelancing in the Era of Trump with Ray Joseph

MJT12: What’s In My Bag

MJT13: Q&A: Editorial Typos

MJT14: Saving and Organizing Clips

MJT15: Worth the Money

MJT17: Digital nomad: Freelancing on the road

MJT18: Mining conferences and other live events for freelance article ideas

MJT19: A new way to answer “Why now?”

MJT20: Get your freelance clients to pay on time

MJT21: Are your editors on your list? 🎅🏿

MJT22: What freelance writers can learn from Cape Town’s Day Zero

MJT23: Clichés, creativity, and Malika Favre

MJT24: The Confident Writer

MJT25: Why freelance writers really procrastinate