depending on your experience level and writing portfolio, a lot of smaller and independent pubs are fairly accessible for budding music journos. if you have a solid story idea and interest in getting into music journalism, editors will be receptive to that!
for the portfolio part, reviewing local shows or writing short essays and publishing them on a personal blog or substack can be a great starting point.
for publications: iâd reccomend new feeling co-op! Iâve written for them a few times and theyâre so kind & are all about helping new writers find their voice in music journalism.
Feb 8, 2024
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thank you so much, these are amazing recommendations!! i've definitely been intimidated by the fact that i don't have a portfolio at all yet, but substack is a great idea, and so is starting small.
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if my bunk ass town has one yours definitely must. that's the #1 place to go if you want to get covered - they're usually starved for content and jump at the chance to cover something local - especially if it's diy and artsy
Sep 7, 2024
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i recommend identifying some indie journalists that are local or focus on a subtopic youâre interested in and following them (twitter and bluesky have a lot). just first skim their profile and check the outlets theyâve written for in case there are red flags (i can rec some US ones if u want!)
i also above all recommend finding your nearest newspaper - in the US you usually have some sort of âtribuneâ or other local newspaper. if you arenât in a metropolitan area i recommend additionally following one from your closest metro area (if not, your state capitol).
if you have a local NPR affiliate they are generally reliable and free.
your local news might only be one of those acronym-number tv ones (FOX11, ABC7 etc), but their stories are free, report on a variety of topics, and usually better than CNN imo (**be mindful they still tend to publish random copaganda crime stories)
also, local papers almost always still report out on national news and big international news
you also donât even need a paper subscription, a web subscription is typically cheap. usually $10-30 for a year
all that said - local newspapers can still be biased, but IMO it can be easier to spot the BS when you know the issues local to you. if you know your mayor has sucked because he is funding a shady project and heâs cutting budgets for something that fixes an important issue in your town, and an article comes out on the issue getting worse but doesnât mention the budget cuts or only quotes the mayor without fact-checking or adding further context â thatâs suspicious and you know to be weary of what else that paper is putting out. but if they do publish a nuanced story with multiple sources, background context, and seems to be fact checked, you can then approach other things they publish with less apprehension. itâs an imperfect litmus test for news
Sep 3, 2024
woke up this morning to my article live on the front page of a local magazine i've read for so many years... feels like a full-circle moment
i already have plenty of articles out on college publications, but this hits so much different. i'm sure all journalists know the ecstatic feeling of having your article published for the first time, as i'm experiencing that joy right now. just overall very chipper this morning :)
Jun 26, 2024
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forgot you could do this and it rocks
Jan 26, 2024
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doubles as a safety tip & an exercise in imagination. last week I was an accountant. next weekâŚwho knows?
Jan 26, 2024
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i finally decided to quit smoking for good this year. howeverâŚthe one thing holding me back was the wonderful, communal feeling of sharing a cig with strangers outside a bar.
luckily, you can always be the person with the lighter on hand when people need one.
you still experience that nice, warm bonding feeling without actually smoking. plus youâre being of service to others, which deepens the connection <3
Feb 10, 2024