Thursday, February 27 and Friday, February 28, 2025. 

the institute for independent journalists presents the

2025 Live, Online Freelance Journalism Conference

Cultivate resilience with the Institute for Independent Journalists at the 2025 online freelance conference. Hear from keynote speakers like author and radio host Celeste Headlee on how to build strength through community. Take advantage of networking opportunities with assigning editors as well as fellow freelancers, and learn wisdom, tips and tricks to keep your business sustainable. Already purchased? Log in to SoundPath.co to access the bonus bundle. 
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Key Takeaways

  • What 20+ editors want in a pitch, and how to win assignments
  • New strategies for financially and emotionally sustainable freelancing
  • Ideas for building community and new networking contacts

Register Today And Get Access To 

Our incredible bonus bundle, includes all of our recordings from the 2024 conference plus:  
  • Three panel recordings featuring editors talking about how to pitch them, featuring the Atlantic, CNN, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Wired, the Emancipator, Prism, the Verge, Chicago Sun-Times, Essence and Chicago Health Magazine
  • Three recorded Q&As with Katie Kingsbury, opinion editor the New York Times; Fin Leary, of We Need Diverse Books; and Chris Gayomali, former GQ features editor.
  • Downloadable zine on layoff survival, a spreadsheet for tracking freelance assignments, checklist for a new client or new assignment, with freelance tips and an hourly rate calculator, and seven pitch guides, for Marketplace, MIT Technology Review, PCMag, Salon, New York Times Real Estate, Chicago Sun-Times, Essence and Chicago Health Magazine.

Day 1

Why should I take this course?

The #1 Course to Land a Job in Design. All necessary tools are included. Learn how to create amazing products for Beginners & Advanced professionals. Learn the tools used by the world's top professionals.
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC.

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.

Rethinking the value of labor

Thursday Feb 27, 10:00 am - 11:15 am ET

Benét Wilson

Director, Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship

Meredith Broussard

Author on artificial intelligence and race

Nikita Roy

ICFJ Knight Fellow, host of Newsroom Robots and lead of the AI Journalism Lab at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

Sarah Stirland (Moderator)

Independent journalist
A panel of journalists from worker-owned collectives and those challenging capitalistic frameworks for labor will discuss ways to rethink the value of journalists’ labor. As a community of independent workers, IIJ members are well-positioned to make values-aligned choices about how we spend our time and which organizations make use of our skills. At this time of disruption, do we have anything to lose? These experts will help show us the way.
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In Conversation With Celeste Headlee

Thursday Feb 27, 11:30 am - 12:45 pm

Celeste Headlee

Keynote speaker Celeste Headlee is a journalist, professional speaker, and author of the books We Need To Talk, Do Nothing, and Speaking of Race. Her TEDx Talk, 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation, viewed nearly 40 million times, is one of the 10 most-watched talks. In her 25 years in public radio, Celeste has anchored programs including 1A, Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, Here and Now, All Things Considered, Here and Now, and Weekend Edition. Celeste hosts the Conferences for Women’s “Women Amplified” podcast. She is also the president of Headway DEI, a non-profit that works to bring racial justice and equity to journalism. 

Stephanie Daniel

Stephanie Daniel is the senior managing editor and a reporter with KUNC, NPR for Northern Colorado. She has reported on K-12 and higher education, the opioid crisis, social justice issues, 19th century Chinese miners and much more. In 2021, Stephanie was selected as a Higher Education Media Fellow by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. Through this fellowship, she created the award-winning The Colorado Dream podcast which examines how today’s biggest social issues are impacting local communities. Listen to all three seasons wherever you get your podcasts. 
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Editors Panel

Thursday Feb 27, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm ET
A panel of national editors talk about how to pitch their publications, what they want from freelance contributors, and how to get on their radar. We cover rates, project scope, contract terms and the editorial process.
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Strategic Marketing to Land New Clients

Thursday Feb 27, 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm ET

Jeffrey Yamaguchi, Author and marketing expert


Mallory Carra, Journalist and professor


Jessica Lahey

Jessica Lahey is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed and The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.She has written about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. She co-hosts the #AmWriting podcast.

Morgan Sung

Morgan Sung writes to explore social platforms and how they shape real-world culture. She has written for TechCrunch, NBC News, Mashable, BuzzFeed News and more. She also runs rat.house, a newsletter about tech and digital culture.

Sa’iyda Shabazz (Moderator)

Sa’iyda is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles with her son, partner and too many pets (3). She writes about the intersections of parenting, race, sexuality, gender and socioeconomic status as well as lifestyle and pop culture. A former writer and editor at Scary Mommy, her work has also been published by The New York Times and The Washington Post. 
More important now than ever: This panel will cover how freelancers can effectively get in front of new clients and win business. Learn about letters of introduction, efficient social media tactics, networking to decision makers and more. You'll leave with a slew of new ideas and strategies for leveling up your marketing game.
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The New Reality of Audio Journalism

Thursday Feb 27, 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm ET

Mark Pagán, Executive Producer/Editor

Mark Pagán is an award-winning producer, writer, and editor for non-fiction audio and film. He's developed projects with Radiotopia, Futuro Studios, PRX, Ten Percent Happier, The New York Times and is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed show Other Men Need Help. His work has been featured at the Slamdance Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and on Latino USA, On the Media, 99 Percent Invisible, Code Switch, among others and has been nominated for a Peabody, made The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The New Yorker's annual “best of” lists, and has been recognized by Vulture, TIME Magazine, the CBC, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Financial Times. Before working in digital media, Mark was a teacher, social worker, comedian, part-time mascot, and b-boy. He currently lives in NYC with his wife and an emo pit bull named Soca.

Myron Kaplan, Freelance podcast producer

Ricardo Sandoval-Palos

Ricardo Sandoval-Palos is the Public Editor of the Public Broadcasting Service and a former supervising editor of NPR's Morning Edition broadcast, an editor with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Sacramento Bee, and a Latin America correspondent for U.S. newspapers. He recently co-founded palabra and co-authored the award-winning biography, "The Fight In the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers Movement.”

Dianna Nañez

Dianna Náñez is Arizona Luminaria's Executive Editor and co-founder. She is an investigative journalist, narrative writer/editor and storytelling coach whose story of Indigenous and borderlands communities was part of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning Arizona Republic team coverage. She served as a board member for NAHJ and is a member of the 2017 cohort of ASNE’s Emerging Leaders Institute.
With layoffs at NPR, Vice Audio, iHeart Media and public radio stations from coast to coast, audio journalism has been transformed. A panel of experienced audio freelancers will share real talk about thriving in the business in 2025, from pushing back against unfavorable contracts and spotting exploitative gigs to where the industry is going. You’ll learn which compromises to make – and where to hold firm.
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Unwind With Other Freelancers 

Thursday Feb 27, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET
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Damon Brown

Best-selling author, startup founder, and TEDx speaker 

Valeria Fernández

Investigative journalist and managing editor of palabra

Fernanda Santos

Editor and leader, digital and audio 

Olga Lucia Torres

Lecturer at Columbia University, board of trustees chair of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association 

Liv Monahan

Freelance journalist, Ida B. Wells investigative fellow finalist
After a full day of learning, join your freelance colleagues for an interactive networking session. Connect with IIJ leaders and other independent journalists in the main room and breakout groups organized by subject area and topics you‘d like to explore. This popular IIJ session has led to accountability buddies and writing groups, and we guarantee camaraderie!

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Day 2

The Power of the Pivot

Friday Feb 28, 10:00 am - 11:15 am ET

Phoebe Gavin, Career and Leadership Coach, Better With Phoebe

Phoebe Gavin is a career and leadership coach helping ambitious professionals build successful, fulfilling careers without sacrificing work-life balance. She is speaker, and trainer specializing in career strategy, negotiation, and empathetic leadership.

Meredith Clark

Meredith Clark is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and the Department of Communication Studies. She is also the Founding Director of the College of Arts, Media and Design’s Center for Communication, Media Innovation, and Social Change. Her research focuses on the intersections of race, media, and power in digital, social, and news media, and is informed by the years she spent working in newsrooms as an editor, editorial writer and columnist.

Katherine Reynolds Lewis

Katherine is a science journalist and author who writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parents, and The Washington Post. Her 2018 book The Good News About Bad Behavior grew out of Mother Jones’ most-read article. A biracial journalist (Asian American and White), she previously worked as a national correspondent for Newhouse News Service and Bloomberg News.

Maudlyne Ihejirika (Moderator)

Maudlyne Ihejirika is the Field Foundation's Journalism & Storytelling Program Manager and is responsible for supporting the foundation’s work in seeking to change how news production and storytelling reflect Chicago. Maudlyne focuses on Field’s goal of creating a more equitable, connected, and inclusive local media ecosystem in which the stories of all Chicagoans are told accurately, fairly, authoritatively, and contextually.
At a certain point in freelancing, the routine gets old, your pitches aren’t landing, and you start to wonder: is it me? This session will explore how to know it’s time to change gears. Journalism recruiters and career coaches will share stories of a hard pivot: from one beat to another, out of journalism, or into a completely different field. Bring your soul-searching questions and wild ideas: we’ll get you started toward answers.
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Friday Keynote

Friday March 1, 11:30 am - 12:45 am ET

Sarah Goo

Sara Goo is the editor-in-chief at Axios, overseeing the 200+ journalist newsroom. She joined Axios in 2019 as executive editor and launched the company’s podcast operation, including the hit show, How it Happened, and the Hard Truths series examining systemic racism. Goo has held leadership roles at several national news organizations, primarily overseeing digital news coverage and strategy. Before Axios, she was a managing editor at NPR, overseeing the newsroom's digital content and strategy. Goo spent most of her career at The Washington Post, as a national business reporter, digital editor and senior news director.

Niala Boodhoo

Niala Boodhoo is the host of Axios’ 1 big thing, a weekly podcast where she talks to people who are leading conversations around the world in business, politics and culture. She is also a regular guest host for 1A, one of the most widely-listened programs on National Public Radio (NPR). Niala has been a journalist for more than 20 years for the Associated Press, Reuters, WBEZ/Chicago Public Media - and her hometown paper, The Miami Herald. She was part of the 2019-2020 class of Knight-Wallace Fellows.

Keynote speaker Sara Goo will discuss insights from her career, from the Washington Post and NPR to her current role as editor-in-chief of Axios, in conversation with Niala Boodhoo, host and editor of 1 Big Thing.
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Editor's Panel

Friday Feb 28, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm ET

Tami Abdollah, Senior editor, Noema magazine

Tami Abdollah is a senior editor at Noema Magazine. She was previously a national correspondent at USA TODAY focused on the inequities and disparities of the criminal justice system, among other subjects.

Juliet Beverly, senior editor, Brain Facts

Juliet is the Senior Editor for BrainFacts.org. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism from Howard University in 2006, she worked at the Embassy of Austria in the Office of Science & Technology and for the online magazine bridges on transatlantic science, technology, and innovation policy.

Rachel Epstein

Rachel Epstein is the deputy digital editor at Men's Health, where she oversees, edits, and assigns content across MensHealth.com. Prior to joining the brand, she held roles at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories, as well as Coveteur, where she oversaw the site's daily editorial operations. She lives in New York City.

James Salanga, co-executive director, The Objective

James Salanga is a reporter covering the central coast for KAZU and the co-executive director for The Objective. They focus on covering place, labor, disability, education, the ongoing pandemic and community movements.

Jamila Bey (Moderator)

Jamila Bey is the editorial director of WHYY News and was previously a longtime freelancer and radio talk show host. Jamila has over 20 years of experience at news organizations, including NPR, Viacom/BET, and The Washington Post, and her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and NPR. 
A panel of national and regional editors will talk about how to pitch their publications, what they want from freelance contributors, and how to get on their radar. We’ll cover rates, project scope, contract terms and the editorial process. Have you ever wondered what you're doing wrong? Bring your questions -- this session has answers.
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Sponsor

Democracy Fund

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Ethical Use of AI

Friday Feb 28, 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm ET

Benjamin Toff, Associate professor, University of Minnesota

Benjamin Toff is an Associate Professor at the Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota where he is also Director of the Minnesota Journalism Center. He studies the public’s changing relationship with news, public opinion, and political engagement and is co-author of Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism (2024, Columbia University Press). He holds a PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in social studies from Harvard University. He also previously worked at the New York Times.

Alex Mahadevan, director of Mediawise, Poynter


Alex Mahadevan, director of Mediawise, Poynter


Taylor Moore (Moderator)

Taylor Moore is the associate program manager at the International Women's Media Foundation, where she manages grants, fellowships and awards. Based in Chicago, she is also a freelance journalist.
Artificial intelligence is here to stay. Yet we know it’s putting creators out of business and demands earth-destroying levels of energy to run. How do journalists use AI ethically in reporting, storytelling and running a business? If you feel a tinge of ambivalence at letting Otter.ai transcribe interviews or ChatGPT help you write pitch letters, this session is for you! Experts in journalism and ethics will help you frame the questions to ask and find a path that’s right for you to navigate the AI revolution.
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Show Me the Money: Fund Your Next Journalism Project

Friday Feb 28, 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm ET

Bernice Yeung

Bernice Yeung is the managing editor at the U.C. Berkeley School of Journalism investigative reporting program. Previously, she was an investigative journalist for ProPublica where she covered labor and unemployment. She is a board member of Fund for Investigative Journalism. 

Seyward Darby

Seyward Darby is editor in chief of The Atavist Magazine. She is the author of the book Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines, and she has written for publications including The New York Times, Harper's, and The Guardian.

Kerra Bolton

Kerra is an accomplished writer and filmmaker specializing in first-person narrative nonfiction that examines the meaning of community, connection, and identity in Black communities. Her work was featured in Memoir Land, CNN.com, CNN Español, Hearst Magazines, The Times of Israel, New Worlder, Ebony, and Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel. Kerra is also the CEO and Founder of Woodbine Ventures, a transitional career coaching company.

Alex Lewis

Alex Lewis is the co-founder of Rowhome Productions, a Philadelphia-based production house that specializes in making audio documentaries, podcast series, & audio tours. Since Rowhome's founding in Fall 2020, they've worked on dozens of projects with a wide-range of companies & organizations including Topic Studios, Pushkin Industries, iHeart, NPR, Asian Arts Initiative, & many more. 

Erika Hayasaki (Moderator)

Erika is a writer whose stories appear in The New York Times Magazine, Wired, The Atlantic, and many others. Erika was a Knight-Wallace Reporting Fellow and an Alicia Patterson Fellow, and is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Time. Erika currently teaches at the University of California, Irvine as a professor in the Literary Journalism Program.
With funding and travel budgets for stories getting squeezed and slashed, there’s no better time to tap grants and fellowships to fund your ambitious journalism project. This panel of grant and fellowship directors will explain how to craft a winning proposal and the best way to position yourself as a candidate for the many funds out there in journalism. You’ll learn how to prepare and where to find resources to make your application shine. Sponsored by the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism. 
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Sponsor

The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism

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Networking Session and Conference Takeaways

Friday Feb 28, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET 

Sylvia A. Harvey

Author of The Shadow System 

Yvonne Liu

Writer and mental health advocate 

Damon Brown

Best-selling author, startup founder, and TEDx speaker 

Liv Monahan

Freelance journalist, Ida B. Wells investigative fellow finalist 

Olga Lucia Torres

Lecturer at Columbia University, board of trustees chair of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association 

Jamila Bey

Editorial director at WHYY News
Keep the energy of the conference going in a networking session with IIJ leaders, speakers and other independent journalists. Share your favorite learnings, ask a follow-up question or maybe meet an accountability buddy to help you with conference-inspired freelance goals. This is a live session that will not be recorded. Even if you're an introvert -- you won’t want to miss it.
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Thank you to our Sponsors

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The Institute for Independent Journalists

The Institute for Independent Journalists is an education, professional development, and mutual support organization for independent journalists, focusing on Black, Indigenous and people of color. Our mission is financial and emotional sustainability for independent journalists of color, through community learning, innovation and advocacy.
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