First mentoring class: This week!
Select a time and let’s get started.
Journalism is too opaque and misunderstood. Chills gives a behind-the-scenes look at how dangerous investigative journalism gets made.
As I’ve watched our industry change and disintegrate over the years, one of the things I’ve mourned is the idea that you can find mentors with great experience in your newsroom. Buyouts of highly paid, experienced editors and reporters have led to outlets being run by young, sometimes untrained journalists.
I’ve also, like many women, spent years finding my way in a male-dominated industry, as well as within a society that teaches us that we’re not experts — men are the experts. It’s taken years of hard work, but I am good now with saying that I’m an expert on some things in journalism, and, probably more important, when I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m willing to say so, and to do the research until I do.
A few weeks ago, some of you expressed interest in joining my inaugural one-hour mentoring classes. We’ll talk about your story ideas, how to pitch them, report them, write them. The ethical choices involved. How to multiplatform at all stages. How to break in to this crazy industry, whether freelance or full-time; how to write essays or report from a war zone. I’m here to discuss whatever will be most helpful to you.
Join me this week, on Wednesday, Oct. 27 — and please see this quick survey so I can choose a time. I’m offering four choices, all Eastern Time: 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Each session will be $50 and last an hour.
We’ll be starting out with just me, but a very successful radio journalist friend may join us at some point, if that’s of interest.
We all need a community, especially in a profession in which standards can be all over the place. I hope you’ll come be part of this one with me.
On Chills, there are no ads, and no outside influences because of it. This is a subscriber-supported space that gives a behind-the-scenes look at how risky investigative journalism gets made, from a journalist with 20 years of experience. Read Chills for free, or subscribe for bonus content like this. You can sign up here. Thank you for supporting independent journalism.