Paper Intro

Being a journalist means being able to ask questions no-one else can without being looked at funny. While there are certainly far more complex and noble reasons for pursuing this path, it can't be denied that access to knowledge is one of the greatest benefits of the career. Whether as a freelancer, or as a journalist on contract or on staff, doors are open to writers as they are to almost nobody else. The inquisitive mind can find few more tempting occupations.

Yet freelance writing and journalism are more than simply a channel for the curious. The asking of questions is not only for personal benefit, but for a communal one; implied in every question is the intent to use the answers publicly. This raises serious issues of responsibility and ethics. Not only must questions be carefully asked, but there is the delicate issue of what questions are asked in the first place, and what answers are printed.

Additionally, writing and journalism are businesses. How a freelancer or a journalist deals with their clientele or supervisors is a key element in whether and how often they are published.

I began my career in writing nearly a decade ago. I have been everything from the freelancer with no ties trying to break in on up to a contracted journalist overseeing freelance contributors and undertaking basic editing. I have seen both sides, that of the outside, and that of the insider. Along the way, I have learned much that is valuable about how publications function, and how writers can best fare in that environment.