WEBINAR - Friday, January 17th at 9am PT / 12pm EST

IIJ Presents 

Negotiate Like a Rockstar

Join the Institute for Independent Journalists and the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project for a collaborative discussion of rate negotiation, a vital skill for freelancers to leverage both individually and collectively. 
RSVP to join. This virtual event is free. 
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Key Takeaways

  • How to get yourself in front of marketing, PR and communications clients
  • How to handle conflicts of interest, set rates and navigate contracts
  • What kinds of agencies and organizations are looking to hire freelance journalists

About this panel

  • Friday, January 17th, 2025. 
  • 9am PT / 12pm ET
  • Virtual
  • 75 minutes
  • Free
  • Recorded 
Join the Institute for Independent Journalists and the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project for a collaborative discussion of rate negotiation, a vital skill for freelancers to leverage both individually and collectively. A panel of experienced freelance journalists from across the industry will discuss strategies for gauging fair rates, setting a ground floor, and pushing for higher pay, better contract terms, and other points of negotiation. Then, attendees and speakers will share success stories, tips, and tricks in facilitated small groups to build our collective wisdom. 

Who is this panel for? 

Freelance journalists looking to improve their negotiation skills and earn more money. 
Meet the MODERATOR

Lily Meyer

writer & organizer with the NWU’s Freelance Solidarity Project

Lily Meyer is a translator, critic, and author of the novel Short War. A contributing writer at the Atlantic, her translations include Claudia Ulloa Donoso's story collections Little Bird and Ice for Martians. Her novel The End of Romance is forthcoming from Viking.
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Meet the panelist

Joseph Lee

freelance writer and author

Joseph Lee is an Aquinnah Wampanoag journalist and was previously a Senior Indigenous Affairs Fellow at Grist. His work has also appeared in High Country News, The Guardian, Vox, BuzzFeed News, and others. He is the author of Nothing More of This Land, forthcoming from One Signal/Atria in July 2025. 
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Meet the panelist

Mónica Ortiz Uribe

freelance journalist

Mónica Ortiz Uribe is an independent reporter based in her hometown of El Paso, Texas. She specializes in writing about the U.S./Mexico border and the American southwest. She last worked for the El Paso Times, writing about racial disparities and economic inequality. Mónica co-hosted the podcast, Forgotten: The Women of Juárez about the murders of women in the Mexican border city across from El Paso. The podcast was listed among the top ten best podcasts of 2020 by the Atlantic. Mónica’s work was previously featured on National Public Radio. 
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Meet the panelist

Erin McGregor

Program Manager, Association of INdependents In Radio

As a Program Manager at the Association of Independents in Radio, Erin oversees mentorship and training on SoundPath, AIR's training platform for the audio industry. She's passionate about creating enriching opportunities for professional development for AIR’s membership and the community at large. 

Erin McGregor is the host and creator of Queer Public, a narrative podcast that asks critical questions about queer identity, politics, and culture. Some of her freelance clients include Spotify, the NYT, Pacific Content, Pineapple Street, Slate, NPR, CBC, Gimlet Media, Smithsonian, Neon Hum, KCRW, Wondery and Colugo. Erin holds a Master’s Degree in Social Justice & Equity Studies where she studied broadcast news interviews on the CBC. 
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Meet the Panelist

Katherine Reynolds Lewis

founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is an award-winning science journalist and author covering children, education, race, gender, disability, mental health, and social justice. Her work has appeared in the Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Elemental, Experience Life, Fortune, New York Times, Parade, Parents, Slate, USA Today, and Washington Post, among others. Her book on children’s behavioral and mental health, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever – And What to Do About It, grew out of the most-read story Mother Jones has ever published. Katherine has been an adjunct journalism professor at American University and Northwestern University, and served as a guest lecturer in journalism at AU, Marquette University, Northwestern, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Southern California.
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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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