Join my NUJ freelancing courses in October

Both of my one-day National Union of Journalists courses designed to help freelance journalists improve their working lives are running in October.

First steps in freelancing is designed for those starting out as freelance journalists, photographers and broadcasters and covers the first things you need to know about your first commission (and getting paid for it), planning, tax, copyright, pitching and negotiating.
Online, Friday 15 October. NUJ members £40, student members £30 and non-members £110.
You can find out more and book here.

Winning and negotiating freelance work goes deeper into these two areas with role-playing exercises designed to build your confidence in asking for work and discussing terms – those attending should be prepared to take part in workshop-style exercises and to talk about money.
Online, Friday 29 October. NUJ members £50, student members £40 and non-members £130.
Further information and booking here.

Time to drop digital booking barriers for visitors

I have been visiting museums and galleries over the summer, partly to write a Geek’s Guide for the Register on Oxford University’s history of medical science leading to its ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, partly for the joy of it. But some visits are marred by unnecessary digital barriers put up during the pandemic that should now be scrapped.

One museum (not in Oxford) required separate timed online tickets to enter and for each special exhibition, which meant guessing how long you would spend in one exhibition to meet the 30-minute time-slot for the next one. One gallery was asking visitors at its door to book a free online ticket before entering, although it looks like it has since changed its policy. Continue reading “Time to drop digital booking barriers for visitors”

Improve your freelancing with my May NUJ courses

I run two courses for the National Union of Journalists designed to help participants improve their freelance working lives:

First steps in freelancing, for those starting out as freelance journalists, runs next on Friday 7 May. It covers the first things you need to know about your first commission (and get paid for it), planning, tax, copyright, pitching and negotiating. The cost for NUJ members is £40, student members £30 and non-members £110.

Update: the next edition is on Friday 15 October. Continue reading “Improve your freelancing with my May NUJ courses”

Editing what’s on and off the graph

The government’s Halloween press conference was an obvious example to use in my article for Computer Weekly on the good, bad and ugly of data visualisation during the pandemic. Before one slide headed ‘England new SPI-M combined projection bed usage’, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance actually said “this is a complicated slide”. No argument there (see below). Professor Chris Whitty charged through 10 slides in under seven minutes.

Continue reading “Editing what’s on and off the graph”

NUJ freelancing courses in February

I will be running three freelancing courses for the National Union of Journalists in February, all of them online.

First steps in freelancing, which covers what you need to know to get started as a freelance journalist, will run on Friday 12 February. The cost for NUJ members is £40, student members £30 and non-members £110. You can find out more and book here.

Winning and negotiating freelance work, which goes deeper into these areas with more role-playing exercises, next takes place on Friday 26 February. It costs £50 for NUJ members, £40 for student members and £130 for non-members, with further information and booking here. Continue reading “NUJ freelancing courses in February”