What do two Internet savvy New York City business magazine editors and a long-time freelance writer do when their steady gigs go south? Start a Website of course. The site’s called RecessionWire.com, The Upside of the Downturn, and it’s just as smart as the three women behind it. Co-founders Laura Rich and Sara Clemence were […]
WordCount weekly news wrap up for Jan. 31
Is it just me, or does it seem like there’s a uptick in the stories and blog posts on the evolution of the news business and the role independents – writers and others – are playing in it? The sputtering economy is speeding up the pace of change. Here are some developments of interest from […]
Top 10 digital media trends of 2008
This is the last new post I’ll write in 2008, so it seems fitting to look back at the biggest stories of the year in the digital media business and how they’ll affect on freelancers now and in the future. I’ll weigh in with my top 10 first. Feel free to send your own suggestions […]
WordCount Q&A – NewspaperDeathWatch's Paul Gillin on online community news
Paul Gillin writes the NewspaperDeathWatch blog and it’s safe to say, he’s never been busier. As print advertising continues to plummet and online ads have yet to pick up the slack, papers are cutting frequency, shrinking geographic distribution, laying off workers – really doing anything and everything they can to cut costs – and anticipating […]
Analyze where the year's freelance work came from
As the days count down to the New Year, it’s a good time to reflect on the last 365 days of work. I came back to writing full time in September 2007, so this was my first full year of work. By most measures, it was a good year. I reconnected with several clients I’d […]
WordCount weekly news recap
Bad news continues for news companies. Tribune Co. filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection, freezing deferred compensation payments to former employees and making it uncertain whether freelancers with unpaid invoices will get their money from the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. Listener-supported radio news hasn’t escaped the current downturn. This week National Public […]