Join my online NUJ freelance training courses in June

I will be running my freelance training day courses for the National Union of Journalists again in June, both online.

First steps in freelancing, designed to tell you the first things you need to know about the business of working as a freelance journalist, is on Friday 9 June. The day covers how to go from getting commissioned to getting paid, the essentials on pitching, tax, copyright, IT and building your new business. It costs £40 for NUJ members, £30 for student members and £110 for everyone else. Details and booking here.

Winning and negotiating freelance work goes into more depth on these essential elements of freelancing, with guidance and exercises designed to help you with two aspects of freelance business that don’t come naturally to many of us. It takes place on Friday 23 June and costs £50 for NUJ members, £40 for student members and £130 otherwise. Details and booking here.

If you have any questions on the courses, please get in touch with Laura Fagan at the NUJ or me.

Six things Census 2021 dataset TS012 told me about England and Wales

1) The Welsh in England like to be near Wales

On Census day, 21 March 2021, there were 478,700 Welsh-born people in England, making up 0.8% of the population, with some in every lower-tier local authority area. But the highest proportions were found in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire (6.4%), Shropshire (5.8%), Herefordshire (5.3%) and Cheshire West (4.1%) – which are all also the four lower-tier local authority areas of England that border Wales. The pattern is clear from the map, although this uses upper-tier local authority areas, with 2.8% of the population of Gloucestershire born in Wales.

Continue reading “Six things Census 2021 dataset TS012 told me about England and Wales”

My NUJ freelance training courses in September and October

Book now for for the next online editions of my National Union of Journalists freelance training courses, First steps in freelancing on 30 September and Winning and negotiating freelance work on 14 October. Click on a date for further information and booking.

First steps in freelancing: Friday 30 September. NUJ members £40, student members £30, non-members £110.

Winning and negotiating freelance work: Friday 14 October. NUJ members £50, student members £40, non-members £130.

Climate change stays above stormy British politics

As one of the first cohort of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, I was struck by how politically uncontentious climate change is in the UK compared with many other countries. For example, May saw Labor’s Anthony Albanese win power in Australia’s elections partly by promising to “end the climate wars” and accelerate action to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading “Climate change stays above stormy British politics”

Online NUJ freelance training in July

Booking is now open for the next online editions of my National Union of Journalists freelance training courses in July. Click on a date for further information and booking.

First steps in freelancing: Friday 8 July. NUJ members £40, student members £30, non-members £110.

Winning and negotiating freelance work: Friday 22 July. NUJ members £50, student members £40, non-members £130.