I had a pre written tweet in my head congratulating the winner whoever it turned out to be so this is a massive wonderful shock. All the shortlisted entries were amazing so this feels really special. AHHH!!!! Thank you!
Finally Best piece of work by a student or early career journalist. The judges said this entry was “a brilliant, well-written and moving article that was inspiring and insightful”
The winner is
@LaraOlszowska
for her piece on how teachers in Ukraine are keeping schools going.
Dear lovely PRs, I have lost my Media Eye account for reasons beyond my control. If you have an event coming up and want coverage in the Evening Standard / Daily Mail Diary pages, I am still freelancing for both. Feel free to DM me with your invites 💛
#prrequest
#journorequest
@gamecounsel
@bethanyusher
I think they are! This is why only 14% of my income is from freelance articles and the rest is newsroom shifts, moderating live events, ghostwriting etc. I would love to just write articles all the time but it’s not financially viable unless you’re on staff or on a retainer…
Once again, I was saying the rate that the Independent paid me was a bad rate. I was not comparing it to an indie magazine. The £65 rate is just another bad rate! And today is just another bad day to be a freelance writer! Or an editor at a publication without sufficient funding!
I feel like it’s a bit irresponsible to shame an independent reader-run mag for not paying as much as the Indy or something tbh and the lack of context has contributed to a bit of a pile-on
looking to speak to 1) a chef who has worked in London and at least one other European city 2) restaurant owner based in London 3) a restaurant owner based in European city 4) a food critic who knows the food scenes across European cities!
#journorequest
Cool supper clubs in London that appeal to singles? Writing up a feature about them for the Evening Standard. DM if you’ve been to one recently/know of one/organise one - can be big or small
#journorequest
Looking for a trend spotter or trend forecaster at a fashion brand / e-commerce company to comment for an article about a Gen Z male style trend ASAP for an article in the
@EveningStandard
DMs open
#journorequest
@elladorn_
My first paid byline was for The Independent - £75 for an 800w opinion piece in 2022 (didn’t realise how bad that was back then). They offered the fee on email after I cold pitched. It boggles my mind any editor would publicly share a rate so bad on here and expect any pitches…
Hosted my first live talk today for
@sohohouse
! Thank you
@SincerelyAde
and Liv Riccini for your insights into the world of journalism and helping me style out the loss of our main guest speaker at the last minute. Can’t wait to do more live events again soon 🎤
Edited
@Londoners_Diary
today 😁
Read to find out what Imelda Staunton said about writers’ strikes, what Andrew Castle said about the GB News scandal, why Mary Beard is loves the Roman Empire TikTok trend and about Marina Abramovic’s next big idea
Seeing Ons Jabeur win today against the opponent who took the trophy from her last year is making me think of these two Tunisian die hard fans I met on women’s finals day last year. I hope they’re singing for her somewhere now!
#wimbledon
Looking to speak to people of any age who have NEVER watched the film Love Actually for a festive article for an online culture mag. DMs open
#journorequest
I wrote about the driving test backlog in
@TimeOutLondon
today. Thanks to an FOI request, I discovered that over the last two years, my details were used without my consent 53 times to book other people’s tests while I’m waiting 6 months for my next one…
looking to speak to DJs / bar owners / people who work in events / nightlife about applying for licenses from the council and your opinions or concerns about the future of London's late night scene for
@EveningStandard
DMs open - get in touch!
#journorequest
#london
#nightlife
To PRs representing talent performing
@xthetracks_
this Sunday: I’m doing backstage video interviews for ES Magazine’s social media. DM me if an artist you represent fancies a quick, fun chat. I’ll be on site from midday.
#journorequest
#xthetracks23
@DVSAgovuk
We have no choice but to book unofficial tests as you have no slots! Centres sell slots to instructors for a profit then they sell them to learners for a profit. I was quoted £125 for a £62 test. Not a single slot in any centre near me between now & my theory expiry in Jan 2024!
Loved chatting about journalism and freelancing with Lily and Emma on their amazing podcast. Hopefully this is useful listening for early career journalists and freelancers out there!
It's here! Today on the pod we chat to
@LaraOlszowska
about her award winning freelance journalism work and what it's like to study
@NCTJ_news
with
@NewsAssociates
. A must listen for all aspiring journalists!
“Russian literature and the Russian language are beautiful and belong not only to Putin and Russia. But perhaps those who lost their loved-ones in this war think differently.”
Oksana’s story out in the i paper today
I will also be exploring the clubs themselves (for journalistic purposes of course) on Friday
@KOKOLondon
for it's 1st birthday w/
@bradleyzero
and on Saturday for the
@Printworks_LDN
send off. It's god's work.
Tallinn might look like the fictional medieval town of Duloc from 'Shrek', but it's actually a startup hub and tech innovation leader with digital government services that put the UK to shame. Find out why in my article for
@StackPublishing
Looking to speak to anyone ASAP who has been sold a driving test for an extortionate price through a third party booker (we're talking £180-300) and felt intimidated/hoodwinked by hidden costs. For an article in
@TimeOutLondon
about the broken driving test system
#journorequest
TikTok banned from government phones today - any govt workers happy to share their thoughts on the ban with me via DM or phone call? Can keep you anonymous. Silly or serious answers appreciated. Will be for tomorrows Diary in the Evening Standard. Thanks!
#journorequest
Another day another Diary… I would have written ‘She left no crumbs!’ as the kicker for our Baronet’s bride story, but I wouldn’t want to alienate any Mail readers not fully up to date with Gen Z parlance…
@richardaeden
@DailyMailUK
The elections for London Mayor have got me thinking about the time I had a weird zoom call with Count Binface. One of my weirder more entertaining days at work I’ll admit
The Post Office tried to change the narrative of Mr Bates TV drama. Find my interview with the show’s top producer in today’s paper
@Londoners_Diary
@EveningStandard
Culture piece in The Telegraph today about Uzbek national identity - give it a read or better yet go to the exhibition before it ends. The run has been extended to 4 November at Asia House
The Times grad scheme rejected me after I got from 500 down to the final 5 candidates. And so, yes, I am still looking for full-time or part-time or freelance work in London and overseas. I’m not giving up because this is still my dream job. 3/4
@bsowacke
@hannahfearn
And I would add I was never comparing an indie rate to a national rate. The point I was illustrating is that rates are bad at across the board. And it’s an industry wide problem no matter which publications have resources or not
i spend lots of time bitterly tutting at people posting "some personal news" about landing their dream job on here whilst also longing for the day i can do the same and make all 57 of my followers wish they were me
Looking forward to editing Richard Eden’s Diary this week for
@DailyMailUK
while he is away. DMs open for gossip about celebs, royals, aristos, politicians etc. Or send tips to Lara.olszowska.mol
@mailonline
.co.uk
I pitched this idea to 3 publications, one of which offered to publish but not pay me and proceeded to ignore my email of the first draft. Today it was published by
@independent
& I got paid. If at first you don’t succeed, pitch & pitch again
Hello Twitter - bit of a niche one - does anyone out there have anything well informed to say about the resurgence of
#jadidism
in modern
#uzbekistan
? Comments needed before Friday for a piece in The Telegraph. Thank you!
#journorequest
4 years ago Miraa May dropped her Care Package EP, 3 years ago I streamed it for 2499 minutes, 1 year ago I was a waitress fangirling her at an event, last week I got to profile her, tonight she's at the MOBOs with *three* nominations & the article is out
My editor at The Standard today said often the best things come out of the turning points that didn’t turn. I can’t wait to look back on today and agree with him. 4/4
Looking to speak to any London university staff (teachers, academics) ASAP about working conditions, why you're striking and hear your side of the story for a piece in
@LondonWorldCom
today. Please get in touch! DMs open
#journorequest
when you're having one of those career-crisis days wondering what the point is and then you get a commission from one of the biggest papers in the UK and you're like "well thank fuck for that" and "phew"
Four talks in four weeks! Really enjoyed interviewing inspiring journalists
@Oliviapetter1
and
@sophiasgaler
, as well as Ganni Chief Brand Officer
@priyamatadeen
and ex-CEO-now-author Alisha Fernandez Miranda for the Soho House member mixer series. Looking forward to more soon…
@bsowacke
@hannahfearn
I must admit i didn’t expect such a big reaction for my initial tweet about that £65 rate. I wasn’t trying to bash an indie mag - it was just such a stark illustration of the industry at the moment and how frustrating it is to be a freelance writer trying to survive it
@CharlotteBHC
I also write or have written for: Evening Standard, The Telegraph, Time Out, Monocle, Wonderland, ITV Woo, The Stack Technology, the i paper, Tatler, Business Insider, Prospect, The Independent, The Guardian, WhyNow and more — DMs open for commissions!
Woohoo first commission published in
@calvertjournal
! Click below to read my interview with Ivan Sosnin about his first major film that I was lucky enough to watch
@RFW_UK
in December last year >>>>
looking to speak to anyone who attended the King's first garden party today for our souvenir edition of the Standard tomorrow - DMs open!
#journorequest
@sirin_kale
@PolyesterZine
I was not trying to make polyester/its founder the enemy. I think this massive reaction to what I thought would be an inane tweet like all my other ones, just shows how hard this industry is on all sides - I guess next time I’ll just be quiet about it! Thank you for posting x
I started this research in Nov 2020. Since then I have written, submitted, edited, had feedback, rewritten, resubmitted, more feedback, rewritten, resubmitted, edited and now, finally, been published in Slovo, UCL’s post grad academic journal >>
Is Kemi Badenoch the only diva MP? DMs open if you know any MPs who have made idiosyncratic demands like Coke served at room temp or specific coloured apples - for a story in the Londoner's Diary at the Evening Standard
#journorequest
Are you a young female London-based filmmaker (preferably commercial, adverts, music videos, campaigns) looking for coverage in an online culture mag? I want to interview you about how the cost of living crisis is affecting your work. DM me!
#journorequest
Appealing for stories from any holidaymakers who had a horrendous ordeal trying to get home from their summer holiday during this week of flight chaos after Monday's technical fault. DM me!
#journorequest
🇺🇦Breaking News🇺🇦 Adam Hug Leader of Westminster City Council announced that there will be a Kyiv Street named in the borough. He shared the news officially for the first time at the vigil for Ukraine at Trafalgar Square this evening
#StandWithUkraine
The King feels cost-of-living pinch as palace offers job below the London Living Wage. The salary for an assistant correspondence officer was bumped up after the Standard got in touch
I’m writing a piece on how
#BackToSchool
is going to look for
#education
in
#Ukraine
using local sources (teachers, NGOs) but I don’t know who to pitch. Any editors or pubs interested? Would be a thoughtful comparison to UK-centred back to school articles..DM me!
#journorequest
We live in a world where a male suited commuter watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is something to tweet about. That says something about our society, but what?
After Ken Bruce's move from BBC2 to Greatest Hits, I'd like to speak to recent departures from BBC Radio for the Londoner's Diary at the Evening Standard. DM me if you / you know someone who had their last day at beeb this week. Will only take 10 mins of your time
#journorequest
@RusArtCulture
I can’t believe that a platform built with the pure aim to celebrate Russian art and culture in all its beauty, irrespective of and separate from political events, has been dealing with hackers over the past few days…wow. Well done to the team for keeping calm and carrying on
Tomorrow I was meant to be interviewing as a finalist for a funding opportunity that would have allowed me to do a journalism placement in Moscow. Its amazing how a dream I could nearly touch 2 weeks ago seems totally ridiculous and unfathomable now
Any staff
@SOAS
who received £0 paychecks in May want to speak to me today about what university management is doing (or not) to solve the problem? You can remain anonymous. Would be a story for the diary page of the Evening Standard. DMs open.
#journorequest
UCU members at
@SOAS
have today opened their payslips to find 100% pay deductions.
This is utterly appalling behaviour from university management.
They have attacked staff and dragged their reputation through the mud instead of calling on
@UCEA1
to re-negotiate.
#NoDeductions
Honestly if I could just get a bit more famous at this journalism stuff that would be great because I want them to ask me to go on Strictly whilst i’m still in my prime