There’s a debate brewing in the small Portland, Oregon, suburb of Lake Oswego that could have implications for any freelance writer who uses a blog to report the news. At the heart of the controversy is a simple question: are bloggers reporters? The city of Lake Oswego doesn’t think so, and is taking steps to […]
Archives for 2008
10 things writers can do right now to feel better about the economy
There’s nothing you can do about the Wall Street financial crisis or the $700 billion bail out package that Congress is debating as I write this. You can’t control the economy, or the price of gas or who’s going to win the presidential election in November. In the face of so uncertainty, it’s easy to […]
HARO rescues writers stuck for sources
Do you know HARO? If you don’t, it might be time to get acquainted. HARO stands for “If I Can Help A Reporter Out.” It was started by a PR guy and networking maven named Peter Shankman as a place reporters can turn to when they’re stuck for sources. Shankman started it as an alternative […]
Why freelancers should add interactive material to story pitches
I love looking at real estate listings. I started five years ago when I was moving and looking for houses. Now I browse the local multiple listing service Website for fun. OK, secretly I want to buy a house in the mountains, but who knows if that will ever happen. So I was online looking […]
Is it time for freelancers to take a full-time job?
On Monday the House voted down the Bush Administration’s $700 billion Wall Street bail out and stocks took their biggest dive in 20 years. People are freaking out over lost retirement savings and whether they’ll be able to make their mortgage payments. There’s a presidential election in five weeks, and who knows what change that […]
Technorati 2008 state of the blogosphere report
This week Technorati, the blog search engine, is releasing its annual state of the blogosphere report, with new chunks of information every day for five days. If you’re into numbers or want to compare your blog to the blogging world at large it’s fascinating stuff – and probably fodder for lots of posts for your […]