Media person Zhu Shujuan talks about how to become a professional journalist from writing to management
It’s autumn and it’s starting to feel cooler. But the small classroom was full of lively voices. This is the Media Literacy Education Foundation (opens in a new tab) following the First Lecture (opens in a new tab) held on September 16. Teacher Zhu Shujuan is invited to share again.
Mr. Zhu is not only a multi-award-winning writer, but also an outstanding independent journalist and thinker. For young people who want to enter the field of independent journalism, this is a spiritual feast not to be missed.
As the organizer wrote in the promotional copy on event webpage (opens in a new tab): “Over the years, Zhu Shujuan’s independent reporting has promoted Taiwan’s civil society. Awakening to environmental protection. She insists on working for environmental sustainability and survival justice. From mainstream media to a one-person independent reporter (opens in a new tab), what kind of “independent journalist” path has Zhu Shujuan taken? ”
Zhu Shujuan (opens in a new tab) started working as a reporter for the “United Daily News” in 1998. She started working on environmental protection in 2001 and handled major news such as the Armas grounding and oil leakage. In early 2009, the newspaper office was retrenching staff and she was laid off. Zhu Shujuan was unwilling to give up reporting. One day while chatting with a blogger, she suddenly thought: “If I set up a blog, then I might as well continue writing reports.” In this way, she started the Environmental Reporting Blog (opens in a new tab) after leaving her job, focusing on environmental issues such as Zhongke Phase III, Zhongke Phase IV, and Guoguang Petrochemical. At the end of the next year, she won the Excellence in Journalism Award and the Mr. Zeng Xubai Journalism Award as an independent reporter, ranking first among mass media reporters.
In this lecture on the afternoon of October 21st, Teacher Zhu Shujuan emphasized from the beginning that she started working as an independent journalist in 2009 and has been doing so for almost 15 years in the blink of an eye. She views the career of an independent journalist (opens in a new tab) as an entrepreneurial project. I quite agree with this and think this is a very practical suggestion. Generally speaking, new start-ups will face problems such as unstable income in the initial stage, and it will take time to accumulate reputation and customer base. For fledgling independent journalists, this is actually the only way to go. Although independent journalists do not have organizational support, they can still increase their financial security through diversified sources of income (such as contributions, column writing, TV features, etc.).
In addition to sharing his own case with everyone, Teacher Zhu has actually adopted similar practices in many international media. For example, there is an independent news organization called ProPublica (opens in a new tab) in the United States. In addition to subsidies from donations and foundations, it will also sell its in-depth investigative reports to other mainstream media as a diversified source of income.
Teacher Zhu said that for independent journalists, survival is very important, so income is an inevitable issue. Many people mistakenly believe that blog advertising or fundraising can bring in stable income, but in fact these methods are often unreliable. A more practical strategy is to contribute to major media outlets to obtain royalties, especially if you pursue independent reporting space and choose to become an independent journalist. When working with the media, maintaining autonomy is crucial.
Cooperation between independent journalists and the media can take many forms, including:
- Column: Usually priced per article, the content is completely independent of the reporter.
- Text topic: There will be some frameworks, usually priced based on the number of words or articles. *TV specials: Priced based on program length, which can be 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour.
- Single reports and reviews: such as film reviews, book reviews, etc., are also priced based on the number of words or articles.
Teacher Zhu also shared several important principles with you:
- Selective acceptance of cases: Refuse to interfere in too many cases or cases that are inconsistent with one’s own values. While turning down one opportunity may mean you won’t get another chance, don’t let fear lead you to accept a job that isn’t the right fit.
- Professional fields and open mind: Try to focus on the areas you are good at. This not only helps with professional growth, but also makes it easier for readers to identify you. But at the same time, you also need to keep an open mind.
- Reasonable price and quality: Author fees are a buyer’s market, but you should also be aware that accepting too low a price may affect the quality of your work.
- Learning and growth: Each manuscript is an opportunity to learn, and these experiences and materials can be used in future feature or book writing.
- Long-term cooperation and reputation: Establishing good cooperative relationships and reputation will be of great help to future opportunities.
“Nonfiction Writing Guide (opens in a new tab)” and ” As a professional novelist (opens in a new tab)”, they are all writing resources worth referring to. In particular, Haruki Murakami emphasized that even if writing is not going well, one must persist in completing the goals he has set. This kind of persistence and enthusiasm are indispensable prerequisites for any successful independent journalist.
Overall, if you want to be a successful independent journalist, you not only need to strengthen your professional skills and autonomy, but also need careful planning and unremitting efforts. From income sources to partnership models to personal principles and growth, every aspect requires careful consideration and practice.
Teacher Zhu also mentioned two points: “Only accept cases that you want to write about and that are in line with your own values” and “try to focus on areas that interest you.” These not only help shape personal brand (opens in a new tab), but also help independent journalists establish a professional status in a specific field.
Teacher Zhu said that a successful independent journalist usually chooses an area that he is good at and passionate about, and continues to focus on and delve into subjects that are consistent with his own values.
Take the American independent journalist Glenn Edward Greenwald (opens in a new tab) (Glenn Greenwald) as an example. He is an American lawyer, journalist and writer who pays attention to political and legal developments. He became famous for exposing the US National Security Agency (NSA)‘s mass surveillance practices and has been focusing on issues related to civil liberties and government transparency for many years, gradually establishing his professional status in this field.
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Teacher Zhu also shared with the guests her secret to winning the award, which is to continue to improve her writing, interviews, and never forget the importance of self-improvement. She said even the most talented writers and reporters need to constantly hone and learn to stay on top of this highly competitive industry.
William Kinser in his “Nonfiction Writing Guide (opens in a new tab)” mentioned in this book that good writing requires “principles”, “methods”, “forms” and “attitudes”. Teacher Zhu also reminded everyone that as an independent journalist, you not only need to master the basic principles of news writing, but also need to have your own viewpoint and writing methods. The most important thing is to have a sincere, correct attitude and a research spirit that is focused and never gives up.
Speaking of Stephen King, a well-known best-selling author in the American literary world, I believe everyone is familiar with it. Take this legendary writer as an example. He writes almost every day and has fixed writing rituals (opens in a new tab) and habits. This not only helped him maintain the consistency of his writing, but also made him an enviable and prolific writer throughout his career.
In these two lectures, Teacher Zhu Shujuan reminded us: Although becoming an independent journalist means that it is a long road, you must be mentally prepared, be self-disciplined, and not get entangled. You must find your own path without the help of the media, and you must be able to manage your own connections and manage all small and large things… But this does not mean that you are alone. Through self-study, community cooperation and continuous learning, we can move on this path more steadily and in the longer term.
I think if you are also passionate about becoming a successful independent journalist, then these two lectures by Teacher Zhu Shujuan are definitely a priceless treasure. From business strategies to brand building to continuous learning for a journalistic career, she provides us with a comprehensive guide.
“Each of you can become a force that changes the world, whether through writing, reporting or other forms.” Teacher Zhu said enthusiastically, “The pen in everyone’s hand is a powerful tool. As long as you work hard to write and record in your blog, it can attract social attention and change.”
Teacher Zhu encourages everyone not to underestimate your own power. As an independent journalist or writer (opens in a new tab), you have the opportunity to influence society and change the world, but the premise is that you need persistent efforts and continuous learning. As Haruki Murakami and William Kinser emphasized, if you want to be a good writer, you need to develop writing habits through self-discipline and face your readers with a sincere and responsible attitude.
Although I haven’t been a reporter for a long time, I can’t help but be moved when I hear Teacher Zhu’s words. Her wonderful sharing is like a seed, deeply implanted in the hearts of every young person present. I think this is not only a lecture, but also a spiritual enlightenment.
★ Further reading:
- Some suggestions for journalists’ management (opens in a new tab)
- Independent reporter Zhu Shujuan: I am proud to be a reporter. Independent reporters are by no means alone (opens in a new tab)
- Ten tips to write good news and realize the sustainable journalist dream (opens in a new tab)
- How to write good news? Senior reporter Zhu Shujuan: The first thing to do is to develop a good habit of seeking truth (opens in a new tab)
- Independent reporter Zhu Shujuan: Take the road less traveled (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜One person’s newspaper industry (opens in a new tab)
- Taiwan Environmental Events Behind the News—Exclusive Interview with Zhu Shujuan “Walking the Road Less Traveled” (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalism (1): Independent Journalists’ Survival Skills in Determining False Information (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalists (2): Writing Strategies of Independent Journalists (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalists (3): Reporting Dilemmas of Independent Journalists (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan | Ten Years of Independent Journalism (4): In the face of paid competition from the Internet, where is the snow country for independent journalists? (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan | Ten Years of Independent Journalists (5): How to maintain the writing feel? (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan | Ten Years of Independent Journalists (6): How to choose a reporting field? (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan | Ten Years of Independent Journalists (7): Who are the reports written for? (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalists (8): Efficient Interviews (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalists (9): How to organize interview materials (opens in a new tab)
- Zhu Shujuan｜Ten Years of Independent Journalists (10): How to Set Issues (opens in a new tab)
- “As an independent journalist─Ten tips for writing good news (opens in a new tab)”
- “Walking the road less traveled: An independent journalist writes to you and me who live together on this island - air, water and land (opens in a new tab)”
★ To comprehensively improve your writing skills, welcome to sign up for “Vista Writing Companion Program (opens in a new tab)”.
★ Do you want to write better copy? Come and take a look at “1-Minute Stunning ChatGPT Popular Copywriting Bible (opens in a new tab)”.
★ Photo Credit: Media Literacy Education Foundation (opens in a new tab)
Further reading
- Media Person Zhu Shujuan: From writing to management, how to become a professional journalist
- Media Person Zhu Shujuan: From writing to business, how to become an independent journalist
- Media personality Zhu Shujuan talks about how to become an independent journalist from writing to management
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