The Mind of a Journalist

Freelance Journalistwww.clapperton.co.uk

Guy Clapperton

• Contributor and podcaster, The Guardian

• Contributor, Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Independent

• Broadcaster, BBC World Service, BBC London

Exercise

• Take one piece of paper…

Real exercise!

• Take the press release you’ve brought• Scrub out everything but the first

paragraph• Discuss the sort of story you would have

based solely on what you have left

Client objectives

• Messaging• Copy• Outcomes from press coverage

Flickr: Dan4th

The journalist’s day

• 60+ Press releases• Calls• Follow-ups• Writing• Liaising• Interviewing

For the freelance add:

• Cash flow• Invoicing• Pitching• Credit control

So…

• Attention span of a hamster• Things need to stand out• Gimmicks? The military helmet…

Flickr: D’Oh Boy

What’s the story?

• Images• Facts• Supporting facts• Brand – difficult for new clients

A BRIEF WORD ABOUT FREEBIES…

Who are you talking to?

Staff Freelance

Roles

• Who does what in the press• The editor you’ll never meet• Commissioning editors• News, features, comment• Advertorial

Your approach

• Cold email• More than one staffer?• Pictures, graphs..?

• Social media: game changer?

Flickr: marc falardeau

Structuring the release

• Pyramid• Our terms• Speak our language

Interviews

• “What questions are you asking..?”• Copy approval – the big no-no

Exercise 2

• Revamp your release• Plan how you’re going to get it around• Pitch it to me by phone

…and coffee!

Part 2

The journalist as contractor

When would you use us?

• Corporate writing• Independent voice• Panel discussions

Production

• We expect subs• We won’t learn your house style• We expect headlines

Independence

• It is what it says• It has only one meaning• Puff can’t be independent

Advertorials

• Raconteur, Lyonsdown et al• By journalists, edited by us too• Any old puff?

What to tell the client

• Honesty• Train them – they’re not our client• When to manage expectations

Remember:

• 60 press releases a day – “no” is the easiest answer

• Followup calls may push you further down the list

• Understand how we work

Q & A

Anything you want to ask

Thank you for your time

guy@clapperton.co.uk

@guyclapperton

www.clapperton.co.uk