The Institute for Independent Journalists

Daniel Jones Modern Love editor The New York Times Speaking at the IIJ's 2026 Freelance Journalism Conference The IIJ's annual conference includes 14+ hours of entrepreneurship, learning, and community for independent and creator journalists Sign up at TheIIJ.com Institute for Independent Journalists

💘 The New York Times’ Daniel Jones, editor of the Modern Love column, will be sharing pitching tips at this year’s IIJ freelance conference! theiij.com/sessions-26

We are so honored that our Founder & Executive Director @valeriafernandez.bsky.social will be speaking at the 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference hosted by @indiejournalists.bsky.social

Proud to see her sharing her voice with the independent journalism community

#AltavozLab #IIJFreelanceConference

2026 IIJ Freelance Journalism Conference March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online 14+ hours of entrepreneurship learning and community-building for independent and creator journalists Register at TheIIJ.com שו Only $89 when you register before Feb 27

Here’s a New Year’s resolution for your career: register now for the 2026 IIJ conference! Registration is only $89 before Feb. 27, and promises HUGE impact for your dollar. Sign up now and gain access to a bundle of resources made to boost your freelance business! theiij.com/sessions-26

Longtime food and culture writer Alicia Kennedy’s newsletter From the Desk is what she calls a “one-woman-magazine,” with an audience of more than 40k. She’s sharing her secrets at this year’s IIJ freelance conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

Freelancing for the first time can feel a lot like working at a start-up with a staff of one – it’s easy to get overwhelmed! That’s why the IIJ has created the Freelance Quick Start Guide, a free resource to get you launched: bit.ly/iijquickstart

Robin Kazmier is senior digital editor for Science Friday, overseeing the digital operation for the beloved radio show that’s broadcast to more than 500 publ... For $1/word, Science Friday wants enterprise stories that spark curiosity

Robin Kazmier is senior digital editor for Science Friday, and she wants pitches that demonstrate how science helps us better understand the world we live in. On the Freelance Journalism Podcast, she shares key insights for freelancers looking to pitch: youtu.be/nupktV_EK5M

INSTITUTE FOR JOURNALISTS NDEPENDENT Missy Frederick Editorial Director, Eater 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference March 5 and 6, 2026 - live, online Pitch Fest Elizabeth Rich Opinion Editor, Education Week Brandy Jensen Culture Editor, Defector Alyssa Bereznak Wellness Director, GQ Register at TheIIJ.com Katherine Reynolds Lewis (Moderator) The IIJ

Busy editors can’t respond to every email–that’s why we’re bringing the editors to you! This year's conference includes our first-ever Pitch Fest, featuring editors from @eater.bsky.social, @gqmagazine.bsky.social, @edweek.org, and @defector.com! Register: theiij.com/sessions-26

INSTITUTE FOR NDEPENDENT URNALISTS 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference - March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online Revenue Secrets of Creator Journalists Register at TheIIJ.com Alicia Kennedy Publisher, From the Desk Marisa Kabas Publisher, The Handbasket Matt Kiser Publisher, WTF Just Happened Today? Yashica Dutt (Moderator) Publisher of Featuring Dalits

As a journalist, you have more platforms than ever at your disposal where you can build audiences on your own terms. Learn the secrets of successful creator journalists straight from the source at this year's IIJ conference! Register now: theiij.com/sessions-26

Journalists have more platforms than ever at their disposal where they can build audiences on their own terms. Learn the secrets of successful creator journalists with author @yashicadutt.bsky.social at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

2026 IIJ Freelance Journalism Conference March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online 14+ hours of entrepreneurship learning and community-building for independent and creator journalists Register at TheIIJ.com שו Only $89 when you register before Feb 27

Here’s a New Year’s resolution for your career: register now for the 2026 IIJ conference! Registration is only $89 before Feb. 27, and promises HUGE impact for your dollar. Sign up now and gain access to a bundle of resources made to boost your freelance business! theiij.com/sessions-26

Stories about how Indigenous communities navigate environmental change are usually full of complexity. Mongabay editor Latoya Abulu looks for this kind of nuance as a “green flag” in a proposed story. Hear more on the Freelance Journalism Podcast: youtu.be/oJiDyWJ9HPI

Solo Together A conference for independent journalists and creators to find community and build thriving businesses March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online 14+ hours of entrepreneurship, learning, and community-building for independent and creator journalists Register at TheIIJ.com שו Only $89 when you register before Feb. 27

📱Learn how to make your posts pay–register today for the Solo Together: a conference for independent journalists and solo creators to find community and build thriving businesses! theiij.com/sessions-26

The Sick Times was founded in 2023 to cover the Long Covid-19 crisis, and accepts pitches for reporting, essays and investigations and stories about biomedical research. Learn more on the Freelance Journalism Podcast: bit.ly/IIJ_FJP

PitchFest 2026 Submit your pitch for a chance to get live feedback from editors! March 5, at 1:00 p.m. ET Live, Online Missy Frederick Eater Elizabeth Rich Education Week Brandy Jensen Defector Media Alyssa Bereznak GQ Deadline extended! Submit your pitch by Feb. 13! 95

Today is the LAST day to submit your next great story idea to the IIJ's first-ever Pitch Fest!

Don't miss this chance to pitch a live panel of editors from @eater.bsky.social @edweek.org @gqmagazine.bsky.social and @defector.com

forms.gle/2AZGQbnLhYDA...

EWA Reporting Fellowship: Applications Open for 22nd Class Apply for an EWA Reporting Fellowship from the Education Writers Association and get up to $5,000 for enterprise education projects.

Get up to $5K to support stand-alone stories and smaller-scale projects on early childhood education, K-12 and higher education!

Apply for an EWA Reporting Fellowship by 8 p.m. Eastern on Monday, March 16.

ewa.org/members-news...

#education #eduSKY

👀 Did you know we also run @narrativegigs.bsky.social? Follow for all kinds of paid journalism and writing opportunities. 💸

PitchFest 2026 Submit your pitch for a chance to get live feedback from editors! March 5, at 1:00 p.m. ET Live, Online Missy Frederick Eater Brandy Jensen Defector Elizabeth Rich Education Week Deadline extended! Submit your pitch by Feb. 13! བྷཏ

Step up to the plate with your next great story idea–enter the IIJ’s first-ever Pitch Fest by Feb. 13 for the chance to present your pitch to a live panel of editors at this year’s conference! forms.gle/jTf8YZsb9T...

Hey Journalists, Nobody Is Coming to Save Us - Nieman Reports In an era of mass layoffs and buyouts, it’s up to each and every one of us to be ready for the churn

"Forget the billionaires, philanthropists, technologists, coders, and CEOs. Nobody is coming to save us. We must save ourselves."

A prescient op-ed from 2023 by Katherine Reynolds Lewis of @indiejournalists.bsky.social ⬇️

niemanreports.org/journalism-l...

Until now, freelancing didn’t come with a roadmap. But thanks to the IIJ’s Freelance Quick Start Guide, there’s now a free, self-paced resource to make sure you hit the ground running: bit.ly/iijquickstart

Covering Indigenous communities west requires care and relationship building. Sunnie Clahchischiligi, Indigenous Affairs Editor for High Country News, joins ... Sunnie Clahchischiligi on pitching Indigenous stories to High Country News

Sunnie Clahchischiligi is Indigenous affairs editor for High Country News. The deciding factor for her when reviewing a freelance pitch: has this writer gained the trust of the community they’re covering? Hear more on the Freelance Journalism Podcast: youtu.be/ztR5j2QNzF0

You already know how to make a reported story jump off the page, but how does a journalist bring their talents to fiction? Hear from author @kjda.bsky.social at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

2026 Conference Sessions — The Institute for Independent Journalists The IIJ 2026 Freelance Journalism ConferenceSolo TogetherA conference for independent journalists and creators to find community and build thriving businessesMarch 5 - March 6, 202612 live, online sessions, plus bonus Q&A videos and editor panels, delivering over 20 hours of learning, for just $69!T...

Interested in telling taller tales? Authors @vanessahua.bsky.social and @kjda.bsky.social share how they transitioned from reporting to fiction, and entertainment lawyer @sekouc.bsky.social will give pointers on how to sell your IP to Hollywood at this year’s IIJ conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

Coping with Media Layoffs - Nieman Reports How to prepare for, and recover from, losing a job in an industry in turmoil, when "layoffs are the new normal."

For those working in the media industry, "layoffs are the new normal," according to Katherine Lewis, longtime freelance reporter and founder of the Institute of Independent Journalists.

She shares best practices on handling a layoff, and bouncing back quickly.

niemanreports.org/resources-la...

2026 IIJ Freelance Journalism Conference March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online 14+ hours of entrepreneurship learning and community-building for independent and creator journalists Register at TheIIJ.com שו Only $89 when you register before Feb 27

You’re invited to Solo Together: a conference for independent journalists and creators to find community and build thriving businesses. Register before Feb 27 for only $89! theiij.com/sessions-26

PCMag Managing Editor Alan Henry wants cybersecurity reporting from people with unique perspectives. On the Freelance Journalism Podcast, he shares more about how to pitch PCMag: bit.ly/4iGK6a5

PitchFest 2026 Submit your pitch for a chance to get live feedback from editors! March 5, at 1:00 p.m. ET Live, Online Missy Frederick Eater Brandy Jensen Defector Elizabeth Rich Education Week Deadline extended! Submit your pitch by Feb. 13! བྷཏ

Do you have what it takes to pitch your next great story in front of a live panel of from @edweek.org @eater.bsky.social and @defector.com ? DEADLINE EXTENDED: Enter Pitch Fest by Feb. 13! forms.gle/jTf8YZsb9T...

You don’t need experience covering Long COVID to write for the Sick Times. Co-founders Miles Griffis and Betsy Ladyzhets are open to pitches from all kinds of reporters. Learn more on the Freelance Journalism Podcast: bit.ly/45Obhfa

This price is gone after today! Don't miss this deal!

This price is gone after today! Don't miss this deal!

Last day to register at the early bird price - just $69

Agenda and speakers: theiij.substack.com/p/register-t...