News Career Entry: The Key to Breaking into the Journalism Industry

Author: Xu Xiangming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features:
Freelance Writers
In layman's terms, freelance writers are individuals who provide articles to media outlets. They work in the journalism industry, embodying the spirit of "knightly" independence, without belonging to any traditional institutional affiliation. They write freely for newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and online media. Freelance writers either contact media outlets directly or establish connections through intermediaries, with freelance fees being their primary source of income. Many media editors maintain a roster of regular freelance writers, and similarly, many freelance writers have a list of frequently contacted media editors. Surfing the internet reveals numerous specialized websites, networking groups, and forums for freelance writers. Many editors from newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets post specific requirements for articles and videos online, leaving contact phone numbers and website addresses. The internet era has brought great convenience to freelance writers, while simultaneously, the vast capacity of online media has emerged as a new battleground for them.
Today, freelance writers generally possess high cultural literacy, with an increasing proportion being university graduates. Some begin freelancing right after entering society, while others, driven by circumstances or a desire for a new way of life, leave their previous media outlets or social units. They often have a solid foundation in literature and strong writing skills, enjoy writing, and embrace the freedom of the freelance lifestyle. Starting from their areas of expertise, they write various types of articles that are marketable and have "sell points." Their works are typically less constrained by ideological and institutional norms, and they possess a strong market awareness, often producing works with "shock value." Some freelance writers have even gained recognition across the industry.
In Beijing, there is a freelance writer named Wang Jifang. A graduate of the Literature Editing Department of Beijing Broadcasting Institute, she moved to Beijing in the early 1990s because her husband worked there. Due to the restrictive household registration system at the time, she struggled to find employment. In this situation, she began exploring the path of "freelance writing." One of her subjects was the "Yuanmingyuan Artist Village" in Beijing, where many artists like her lacked Beijing household registration and formal employment status. Despite their financial hardship, they remained dedicated, struggling collectively in the northern suburbs of Beijing. Wang Jifang spent time with them in rural courtyards, drinking thin porridge under kerosene lamps and gnawing on chicken legs. The landlords couldn’t understand why these people left their hometowns to endure such hardships in Beijing. However, after a month, Wang Jifang published a 100,000-word article titled The Yuanmingyuan Artist Village, answering all the questions.
The publication of The Yuanmingyuan Artist Village caused a sensation, and soon after, invitations to write articles came flooding in from various media outlets. The "Wang Jifang Column" appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. She then turned her attention to interviewing avant-garde artists scattered throughout Beijing, such as rock musicians, experimental theater groups, underground filmmakers, and modern dancers, achieving similar success. Over the next three years, she transitioned from being interviewed by others to interviewing others, with the China Women's News featuring her writing life with images and text. The CCTV programs Twelve Studios and Half the Sky also separately interviewed and filmed her.