Author: Kieran Fagan

Freelance journalist and media relations consultant. Collaborated with Prof Ed Walsh in writing his memoir, Upstart, friends, foes and founding a university, published by Collins Press, 2011. Co-author with Paul Mulhern of the Story of HB, published by Unilever, 2006. Former staff member at Irish Times, Irish Independent and Sunday Tribune. Deputy member of the UK Society of Editors, and board member of European Journalism Centre 2000- 2010. Ireland contributor to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Not earning but learning

by Kieran Fagan • February 27, 2012 • 1 Comment

A former hack who is now a barrister tells me that business is very quiet at the Law Library, and that some of the more experienced practitioners are encouraging the newer ones to make use of the down time. “If…

The future of public service media in Ireland

by Kieran Fagan • October 19, 2011 • Comments Off

RTÉ director general Noel Curran gave a closely argued “state of the nation” address to an invited audience at DCU on Monday October 24, the first of a series of lectures on the public and the media arranged by the…

About ScraperWiki

by Kieran Fagan • January 24, 2011 • Comments Off

I asked a question at the ScraperWiki presentation but was not very happy with the answer. So I asked it again by email. I was worried by what I heard about expressing numerically how individual MPs voted. If I vote…

Monday November 15 meeting Dublin Freelance

by Kieran Fagan • November 7, 2010 • Comments Off

Monday November 15, 7pm Buswell’s hotel, opposite Leinster House, Dublin 2, Dublin Freelance branch meeting

Tax and stuff

by Kieran Fagan • November 6, 2010 • Comments Off

Sometimes branch officers get asked which accountant should I get to do my books? Now the branch does not recommend one accountant ahead of another, but on a personal basis, I can say that Murnane and Associates Longford Terrace, Monkstown…

Six things we learned from the Freelance Journalism Assembly

Despite the increasing challenges, freelancers continue to be a vital workforce within the journalism space.
Freelancers produce independent, quality and innovative journalism that promotes healthy democracies, ignites public debate and brings the powerful to account. However, to this day, there is no statistical evidence for the number of active freelance journalists in Europe. Nor is there a concise overview available of the opportunities, working conditions, and legal frameworks for freelance journalists, and how these differ between the various European countries.

Must-Know Irish Deadlines

A simple guide to Irish Media Deadlines by MediaHQ. Aimed at PR professioals, but also useful information for freelancers looking to send in pitches.

A handbook for pitching development stories

The European Journalism Centre’s guide to pitching development stories as a freelance journalist is based on real-world advice and experience from both editors who receive pitches and freelance journalists who send them.

The guide is primarily intended to support freelance journalists in improving their pitches and chances of being commissioned and/or hired by news organisations and publishers. We know that editors receive a high volume of pitches and truly hope this handbook helps you prepare winning pitches that stand out from the crowd and can improve your stories on development issues.

Download the free guide from the Freeance Journalism Assembly.

Setting Up As A Freelance

When most of us start submitting articles to as many outlets as we can find to commission them, you probably don’t see yourself as a ‘business’. You’re just grafting, trying to earn a few bob and hoping each story won’t be your last.
Many young freelancers will be holding down other work, maybe not journalistic, just to make ends meet. Others will be providing services for free, interning in the hopes of being held on.
But you are a business, at least in the eyes of the Revenue Commissioners. And as such, you need to structure your working week.
Read more here.

Why You Should Turn Your Investigative Report into an eBook

The Missouri School of Journalism’s Roger Fidler has been developing journalism eBooks, or “newsbooks”, since 2001. He tells ICIJ how eBooks make investigative journalism easier to access and read on mobile devices, and could provide a valuable revenue stream.
Read more here.

Four Questions Freelancers Should Ask Before Accepting Their Next Gig

As freelancers, our instinct is to grab every gig that comes our way. Personally, I’ve never found it easy to decline work, especially if I’ve said yes to similar jobs in the past. But how will that short-term paycheck affect my long-term career goals?
Read more here.

Credit Control for Freelances

Credit control is something every small business has to deal with, and freelance journalists are no exception. At some point in your career, you will find yourself dealing with late paying clients, clients who are slow to pay, and sometimes, clients who just refuse to pay.
Read more here.