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Contributing Freelance Writer for Texas Magazine discussing Diversity

If you are passionate about diversity and interested in seeing a new project into fruition, you are destined to join the Texas Diversity Magazine team. Texas Diversity Magazine is looking for someone who has passion and wants to be a part of something big.

SEEKING: Freelance Writers who can produce compelling materials related to issues of diversity, that are clear, concise, and grammatically correct. These detail-oriented individuals should have a way with words and be able to translate concepts into content. Applicants must have familiarity of and a passion for diversity and inclusion in both the community and workplace.

Responsibilities:

· Research and write feature content for a magazine aimed at addressing diversity within all facets of life in the state of Texas.
· Conduct interviews of local personalities, officials and executives.
· Work with creative team members (designers, writers, Executives) to concept, develop and produce rich media experiences,
· Keep abreast of the editorial direction of leading diversity publications

Requirements
· Bachelor’s degree English, Communications, Marketing or Advertising
· Relevant experience in business writing
· Strong knowledge of proofreading, syntax, spelling and formatting functions
· Ability to collaborate with and draw information from others
· Ability to think and articulate both visually and verbally

Please take a look at our websites: www.texasdiversitymagazine.org, www.texasdiversitycouncil.org, and www.texasdiversityconference.com

If interested, or for more information, please contact Darryl Lockett at darryl.lockett@texasdiversitycouncil.org

If anyone can help this reporter, please let me know at fivecoat@kcnet.com His deadline is November 30:

I’m working on a story that I think someone at SPJ might be able to help with. We’re looking into the safety of photojournalists in conflict zones. Is there someone at SPJ who is an expert on how independent/freelance journalists can insurance coverage for war zones? I’m trying to find out if this is a simple process, or if it’s difficult or very expensive for dangerous places like Iraq. Would someone there be willing to answer a few questions for my story?

Thanks!

Kerri

A story about Mark Finkelstein, an independent journalist in Ithaca going to see the war up close and personal sparked debates among independent journalists on other boards. Why? Because the story (http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=85161) named this man as “Ithaca’s most prominent independent journalist.” Finkelstein is also described as a “conservative blogger” for Newsbusters.org, a site dedicated to the idea that there is a left-wing liberal bias in mainstream media, and he is the host of a show called “Right Angle.”

The story doesn’t say who invited and will be paying for Finkelstein’s trip to Iraq, but it does quote him as saying, “I’m not going with an agenda. I’m going to reverse all this bad coverage. I really just want to see for myself what’s happening.”

This story should be of interest to independent journalists. First, if we, as independents take political positions, are we really journalists or are we columnists/pundits? Where should we draw the line? And second, do independents have a tendency to believe in this supposed media bias?

I list myself both as a columnist and a journalist because I cover mostly community news and small papers rarely have the luxury of hiring both columnists and reporters. I don’t donate to political causes or place yard signs on my property and my volunteering on campaigns ended long before I started reporting. It’s what my editor expects out of his political reporter/columnist although my political leanings can be found without much difficulty in my archived columns. Having covered at least three major races with national implications and numerous local races, I’ve also earned a reputation among candidates of all persuasions for my fairness. Should independent journalists be held to the same standard as staffers in not revealing their political biases – even if they are not covering politics?