Expertise Finder: Quick source search for journalists
by Rachel Sanders
Next time you need to find that perfect “expert source” for a story you’re working on, forget Google and head straight for Expertise Finder instead.
Type in the subject you’re writing about and the website will comb through its database of 20,000 media-friendly academics from universities and colleges across North America to find the ones that fit.
The site, formerly known as Media Spot Me, has evolved over the past couple of years into a resource that co-creator Stavros Rougas says he wished he had access to when he was working as a journalist on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin. The site, says Rougas, gives journalists a jump-start on the storytelling process.
“Let’s say creating content is a five step process. Expertise Finder can get you to step two or three faster,” he told Story Board in a phone interview this week.
It’s free to search and contact academics through the site and there’s no login required. The site got a full overhaul earlier this year, making it fully mobile friendly and easier to use. The interface now works as well on tablet and phone as it does on a computer screen. The database search is also agnostic – meaning it’s driven by expertise only, there’s no way for sources or institutions to buy a higher spot in the search results. And the search is non-linear, allowing for easy exploration and potentially interesting discoveries.
“You can poke around like on Wikipedia and one contact can lead you to a world of other possibilities,” says Rougas.
Rougas and Expertise Finder’s co-creator Ebrahim Ashrafizadeh are continuing to add experts to their database. They make their living by creating faculty directories for universities and colleges.
“We build expert directories for universities which allows them to use it internally as a faculty directory. We power those as well. So that’s the way we make money and bring them in,” he says.
Academics are motivated to add their names to the database by the promise of media exposure.
“They want to get their name and their brand out. Younger faculty, in particular, if they’re not tenured they want to get their name out there. It’s important in order to build their career,” says Rougas.
The tool has career-building potential for journalists, as well. For staff journalists, the site offers an easy way to diversify the sources that appear in stories. As for freelancers, Rougas says the site can help us maximize our earning potential.
“If you can find sources quicker, then you can take on other things. And then you can do more writing,” he says, “which is great. The more quality content that’s produced, the better overall for society.”
“To journalists I say: bookmark it. It’s the tool I wished for as a starting point while working as a TV producer.”
In a freelance slump? Here’s how to dig out
by Sue Horner
The independent life has its ups and downs, but in 24 years, I have never hit a slump like the one I’m in now. It’s quiet. TOO quiet.
Knowing that this, too, shall pass, as it always does, I’ve been doing all the right things. This includes an online search to see what other people recommend for digging out of a slump. Here are some of my own and others’ tips:
- The Freelance to Freedom Project promises fast action if you reach out to friends and family, giving them a quick update on your services and asking them to help spread the word.
- Reach out to colleagues, too. There’s no shame in admitting business is slow, and often people assume you are too busy to need referrals unless they hear otherwise.
- Entrepreneur suggests making 10 prospecting calls for new business every day before noon. I’m adapting this to replace “calls” with outreach on LinkedIn or by email.
- The same post advises getting in touch with three past customers every day. One of the ways I keep in touch with some past customers, colleagues and friends is my monthly newsletter.
- The “International Freelancer” Mridu Khullar Relph says ASK for referrals. She even spells it out: “If you enjoyed working with me or found that my services made a difference in your business, would you pass on my name to your colleagues? I’m building my own business and could really use some new clients.”
- Stay visible and active online. Check social media for companies who may need what you do, and make sure your profiles clearly explain what that is.
- Business Insider recommends networking. I do make a point of regularly taking myself and my red jacket out to networking events, particularly with my IABC and Communicators Connection colleagues.
- The same post suggests replacing a “to do” list with a more encouraging “things I did” list. Keep up morale!
A new podcast by colleagues at IABC/Ottawa — How to Become an ‘Indie’ Communications Consultant — had a few suggestions for operating as a freelancer that also work to avoid a slump in the first place:
- Maintain relationships. Clients appreciate a freelancer they trust and have worked with before.
- Have a diverse network, in the age and job title of people you work with, industries, size of company.
- Be where the people you’re trying to interest are (also known as “fish where the fish are”).
- Know your distinct value proposition. After a recent professional session I attended on elevator speeches, here’s my working intro: “I’m the freelance writer I wish was on call when I was an overworked corporate communicator 24 years ago — fast, reliable and a warm, effective writer who can find the human angle in any story.”
Slumps are a fact of life for entrepreneurs. When you think of it, stepping back from the usual go-go-go pace isn’t a bad thing. In fact, Forbes says that slumps are “the mind’s way of making room for the birth of new ideas,” so why not use the time to recharge your mental and emotional batteries?
And Inc.com suggests you ask yourself what you can learn from the slump. “What is it telling you? How is it helping you change?”
Have you dug your way out of a slump before? What other tips can you suggest? And, um, if you have enjoyed working with me, would you pass on my name…?
Sue Horner is a writer specializing in internal communications. You can find her online at getitwrite.ca and on Twitter at @suehorner.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer May 20-25
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
The casual sexism of being a female journalist [J-Source]- Precarious labour debated in Parliament [Rabble]
- Transcontinental employee suspended after heckling female comic at printing industry awards show [Globe and Mail]
- Can crowd-funded environmental journalism thrive? [J-Source]
- Female CBC reporters speak out about sexism [CBC]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- How To Keep Working When You’re In A Slump [The Freelance Hustle]
- Freelance with a family: Advice on making it work from one of America’s top rock critics [Fast Company]
- 7 contract stipulations all freelancers should know about [The Freelancer]
- A new website wants to disrupt how freelancers do business [CJR]
- The Freelance Rates Calculator We’ve All Been Waiting For [The Freelancer]
- How to break up with a client without burning bridges [Freelancers Union]
- ‘Don’t be boring’ and 6 other interviewing tips from Jacqui Banaszynski [Poynter]
- A Mental-Health Epidemic In The Newsroom [Huffington Post]
- PayDesk broadens global network of freelancers [Journalism.co.uk]
- Writing a book? 3 reasons to work in a noisy place [The Write Life]
- Introducing a global database for ‘fixers and facilitators’ [Journalism.co.uk]
Last week on Story Board:
- The Born Freelancer Applies for a Line of Credit, Part 1: Maybe you’ve received them in the mail too. Over the last couple of years I had got a number of “preauthorized” applications for “lines of credit” from one of the major banks. I’d never really paid any attention to them…
- CMG Freelance to sponsor Tyee MasterClass on crowdfunding: CMG Freelance is teaming up with The Tyee to sponsor a MasterClass on crowdfunding that’s scheduled for Saturday, May 30th. in Vancouver. The workshop, called The Art of Crowdfunding, will be taught by filmmaker and media activist Ian MacKenzie (Occupy Love, Sacred Economics)…
- Freelance Funnies: As a freelancer, you’ve no doubt read a plethora of recent posts about the gloomy outlook for journalism, and how tough it is for freelancers to make a living these days. Yet we’re a tenacious bunch, and there is much to enjoy and celebrate about our flexible jobs…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
The Born Freelancer Applies for a Line of Credit, Part 1
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments.
Maybe you’ve received them in the mail too.
Over the last couple of years I had got a number of “preauthorized” applications for “lines of credit” from one of the major banks.
I’d never really paid any attention to them.
A 9 to 5 friend was telling me how they’d had a line of credit for years; that they were so easy to get; and so useful to have.
In effect, you are pre-approved for a low interest loan (compared to credit cards) in advance so whenever you need it you can just take it out. No fuss, no bother, no hassle.
What a good idea. So why had I never bothered to investigate?
Well, mostly because I thought they were just another unwanted marketing ploy.
And, as a life long freelancer, I had always learned to manage to spend within my budget. If I couldn’t afford something I would wait and save for it. It meant rarely if ever going into debt and never ever needing to apply for a “line of credit”.
Until now.
I still didn’t need it but I thought it might be a good idea to apply for one anyway. Given the economic realities of the day, a line of credit could be a really good backup plan.
And since it was preauthorized, I figured, getting it should be a snap.
CMG Freelance to sponsor Tyee MasterClass on The Art of Crowdfunding
CMG Freelance is teaming up with The Tyee to sponsor a MasterClass on crowdfunding that’s scheduled for Saturday, May 30th. in Vancouver. The workshop, called The Art of Crowdfunding, will be taught by filmmaker and media activist Ian MacKenzie (Occupy Love, Sacred Economics). It promises to “demystify the world of crowdfunding” and offer specific strategies for a successful crowdfunding campaign.
The first four current CMG Freelance members who register for this day-long course will get a $50 discount on the $200 registration fee. To receive your discount, use the discount code CMGFRIENDS when you register for the course.
If you are not yet a member of CMG Freelance but are interested in joining, you can get a year-long membership as part of your registration in the crowdfunding workshop. You’ll have the chance to register for CMG Freelance during the course registration process.
The Art of Crowdfunding workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 30th, with a reception to follow. The registration fee includes coffee and lunch. For more information about this workshop, check out The Tyee’s MasterClass webpage.
And check out the CMG Freelance website for more information on the benefits of membership.
Freelance Funnies
by Lesley Evans Ogden
As a freelancer, you’ve no doubt read a plethora of recent posts about the gloomy outlook for journalism, and how tough it is for freelancers to make a living these days. Yet we’re a tenacious bunch, and there is much to enjoy and celebrate about our flexible jobs. One of the best antidotes for doom and gloom is humour, so I’ve scoured the freelance galaxy for a selection of anecdotes about funny, awkward and embarrassing moments that naturally arise from our unconventional and erratic work lives. Some are so awkward or embarrassing that the sources have requested to remain anonymous.
I suspect that many of these stories will resonate with your own experiences.
Enjoy!
Jennifer S Holland, Contributor, National Geographic, and Author. Latest book: Unlikely Heroes: 37 Inspiring Stories of Courage and Heart (2014)
Let’s see, which OOPS to share…there have been so many. One good one: I’m on the phone doing a serious interview when my husband arrives home in a silly mood, doesn’t realize I’m on the phone, comes bursting in singing–loudly–a very juvenile version of Strangers in the Night (in this version they’re not exchanging glances…I’ll leave it at that). I do the crazy snapping and cut-throat motion at him, but my source has stopped to ask if I need to call him back.
Yikes. I guess it’s just part of our charm.
~~~
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer May 12-19
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- CWA Canada releases project on media worker rights and labour reporting [J-Source]
- CMG members produce guide to working in factual TV [CMG]
- Mohamed Fahmy sues Al Jazeera for $100M [Toronto Star]
- Hakai Magazine looks to make waves worldwide [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- No One Can Agree on the Ideal Length of a Pitch, so Here’s How to Figure It Out [The Freelancer]
- The skills you should have to be a successful remote worker [Lifehacker]
- 3 Questions Every Freelancer Needs to Answer Before Sending a Pitch [The Freelancer]
- Is the self-publishing stigma fading? [The Guardian]
- 6 Ways Writing for Online Is Different Than Print [Contently]
- How to live through a short-term financial crisis [Freelancers Union]
- Taking the leap: freelancing in your 50s and beyond [Freelancers Union]
Last week on Story Board:
- Forum Freelance Fund announces new bursary: The Forum Freelance Fund has added a new bursary this year. The fund, which awards bursaries to freelance journalists for hazardous environment safety training, has created the Portenier Human Rights Bursary, a bursary of up to $3000 for freelancers and independent documentary makers whose work focuses specifically on human rights abuses…
- New tools for freelancers: What freelancer doesn’t love a new app or tool that promises to improve their business? I’ve run across a couple over the past few weeks. As a bonus, these ones are fun to play with…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
Forum Freelance Fund announces new bursary
The Forum Freelance Fund has added a new bursary this year. The fund, which awards bursaries to freelance journalists for hazardous environment safety training, has created the Portenier Human Rights Bursary, a bursary of up to $3000 for freelancers and independent documentary makers whose work focuses specifically on human rights abuses.
The Forum also provides a number of bursaries of up to $2500 to Canadian freelancers for safety training courses offered by approved course providers. Last year the FFF awarded eight such bursaries. This is the fifth year the fund has been operating. Applications for this year’s bursaries close on June 30th.
With more and more news organizations relying on freelancers to cover conflict zones and other dangerous areas, the FFF is a source of much needed safety training funding. Earlier this year the FFF, along with a number of other media and advocacy organizations, endorsed the Global Safety Principles and Practices, a declaration that is intended to protect freelancers worldwide.
For more information about the fund or to apply for a bursary see the Canadian Journalism Forum website.
New tools for freelancers
What freelancer doesn’t love a new app or tool that promises to improve their business? Here are a couple that have popped up over the past few weeks. As a bonus, these ones are fun to play with.
Canva
If you’re in need of new business cards, flyers or photo promo cards, Canva will help you create your own using customizable templates. The site has some free images and designs as well as the option to upload your own images, but there’s also a wide variety of images and designs that you can purchase. Canva has been around for about a year and a half and is rated highly on tech sites. Although hiring a graphic designer to create your business cards will no doubt result in better branding for your freelance business, Canva seems like a good option if you’ve got time or money constraints.
Quote generator
There are a couple of other interesting tools on the website of a software company called BeeWits. While their main product seems to be a web design project management kit, BeeWits has also created a great little quote generator tool (mainly intended for web designers, but useful for other kinds of freelancers, too) and, most recently, an hourly rate calculator aimed at helping freelancers figure out what they should be charging. It asks you to input your annual income and the amount you’d like to increase it by along with the number of billable hours you work each week and a variety of business expenses. It’s a fun little tool to play around with and will likely get you thinking about the value of your time — a useful thing for a freelancer to pause and consider on a regular basis.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer May 5-11
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Star reporter Barbara Turnbull overcame debilitating injury to carve out a superlative career [Toronto Star]
- Western Magazine Awards seem to have been suspended [Canadian Magazines]
- Finding and Keeping Dream Clients [PWAC Toronto]
- Star Touch will take Toronto Star readers to new level [Toronto Star]
- 3 Mistakes I Made When I Started Freelancing [The Freelance Hustle]
- Why some of Jian Ghomeshi’s accusers don’t want to ‘tell all’ [The Guardian]
- Canadian efforts to protect freelance war reporters do exist [J-Source]
- The Walrus tops nominations for National Magazine Awards [Canadian Magazines]
- NMAF announces finalists for 2015 National Magazine Awards [J-Source]
- Why is CBC taking aim at our videographers? [J-Source]
- A Survivor’s Guide for Canadian Journalists [The Walrus]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Solid networking tips to keep the freelance work flowing [Freelancers Union]
- 5 questions for a (formerly) pissed off journalism student [Poynter]
- Four Myths About the “Freelancer Class” [Jacobin Magazine]
- Crucial Tips for Juggling Kids and Writing From a Freelancing Mom of 5 [The Freelancer]
- Ask a Freelancer: How Do I Fire a Client Without Burning Bridges? [The Freelancer]
Last week on Story Board:
- CWA Canada releases project on media worker rights and labour reporting: Labour stories are getting lost. At least, that’s what research for the recently launched Media Works: A Labour Rights and Reporting Project has discovered…
- The Globe & Mail urged to “pay the writers”: A small campaign has blossomed on Facebook over the past few hours as freelance writers press The Globe and Mail to pay the writers of their popular Facts & Arguments essay. In the comments section of a Facebook post celebrating the essay’s 25th anniversary writers have been complaining that the paper does not offer any compensation for accepted submissions…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
